Civil Government for Common Schools Part 12

Elected by joint bal.

Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Regents of the University.

United States Senators.

Q. What are the first seven offices called?

A. They are called elective offices.

Q. Why elective?

A. Because the officers are voted for directly by the people.

Q. Why are the Sec of State, Comp., Treasurer,

Supt. of Prisons and Public Works. A large number of Notaries, two Loan Commissioners for each County, three Ca.n.a.l Appraisers, one Superintendent of Public Instruction, nineteen Regents, and two United States Senators.

TERM OF OFFICE.

Q For how long a term are the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected?

A. For three years each.

Q For how long a term are the Sec of State, Comp, Treas, Atty.

Gen. and State Eng. and Surveyor elected?

A. For two years each.

Q For how long a term are the Superintendents of Banking, Insurance and Ca.n.a.l Auditor appointed?

A. For three years.

Q. For how long a term is the Supt. of Prisons appointed?

A. For five years.

Q. For how long a term is the Superintendent of Public Works appointed?

A. As long as the term of the Governor appointing him lasts.

Q. For how long a term is the Superintendent of Public Instruction elected?

A. For three years.

Q. For how long a term the Regents of the University?

A. For life.

ELIGIBILITY.

Q. What about the eligibility of these officers?

A. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor must be thirty years of age, and shall have been for the five years next preceding their election residents of the State.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Governor?

A. He is commander-in-chief of all the military and naval forces of the State, has power to convene the Legislature (or Senate only) on extraordinary occasions, communicates by message to the Legislature at every session the condition of the State, and recommends such measures as he deems expedient, transacts all necessary business with the officers of the government, civil and military, expedites all measures resolved upon by the Legislature, takes care that the laws are faithfully executed, and has the power of granting reprieves, commutations and pardons for crimes.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Lieutenant Governor?

A. He is President of the Senate and has the casting vote therein, is a member of the ca.n.a.l board, is one of the commissioners of the Land Office, is one of the commissioners of the Ca.n.a.l Fund, is one of the trustees of the Capitol, is one of the trustees of the Idiot Asylum, and, ex-officio, one of the Regents of the University and member of the State Board of Charities. If the Governor dies, resigns, is impeached, or otherwise becomes unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, they devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor for the residue of the term.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Secretary of State?

A. He is the keeper of the record books and papers belonging to the State, receives and records all pardons, and other executive and legislative acts, election returns, etc., furnishes certified and printed copies to the United States, State and County officers, and other persons authorized to receive the same, supervises the printing of the laws pa.s.sed each year, reports annually to the Legislature statistics of pauperism and crime, and other information which it may call for. He is a member of the Ca.n.a.l Board, a commissioner of the Land Office, a member of the Board of State Canva.s.sers, a Regent of the University, a trustee of the Capitol, of the State Hall, of the Idiot Asylum, and of the Board of State Charities.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Comptroller?

A. Superintends and manages the fiscal concerns of the State, reports to the Legislature its annual revenues, expenditures and estimates, audits, examines and settles accounts due to or from the State, directs and superintends the collection of taxes and other moneys, draws warrants on the Treasurer for the payments of debts due by the State, negotiates temporary loans, if necessary to meet demands against the State, countersigns and registers all Treasurer's checks and receipts. He is a member of the Ca.n.a.l Board, a commissioner of the Land Office and of the Ca.n.a.l Fund, a member of the Board of State Canva.s.sers, a trustee of the Capitol, the State Hall and the Idiot Asylum, and a member of the State Board of Charities.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Treasurer?

A. He has charge of all the moneys paid into the State Treasury, pays drafts upon the warrants of the Comptroller, the Auditor of the Ca.n.a.l Department and Superintendent of the Bank Department, and keeps the State's Bank account. He is commissioner of the Land Office, and of the Ca.n.a.l Fund, a member of the Ca.n.a.l Board, and Board of State Canva.s.sers.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Attorney General?

A. He defends and prosecutes all suits in which the State is interested, receives costs adjudged to the State, prepares drafts of contracts, etc, for State officers, and prosecutes in their behalf persons violating the laws in regard to their departments, prosecutes criminals in the Oyer and Terminer when required by the Governor or Justices of the Supreme Court. He is commissioner of the Land Office and of the Ca.n.a.l Fund, a member of the Ca.n.a.l Board, the Board of State Canva.s.sers, the Board of State Charities and a trustee of the Capitol and State Hall.

Q. What are some of the duties of the State Engineer and Surveyor?

A. He prescribes the duties of, and a.s.signs divisions of ca.n.a.ls to engineers, visits and inspects ca.n.a.ls, prescribes surveys, maps, plans, estimates, etc., in the construction and improvement of a ca.n.a.l, is a member of the Ca.n.a.l Board, of State Canva.s.sers, a commissioner of the Land Office and a trustee of the State Hall.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Superintendent of Banking?

A. He has the general supervision of the banks of the State, and reports their condition annually to the Legislature, issues circulating notes to banks on their depositing securities, holding their stocks and mortgage securities, and when a bank proves insolvent sells them and redeems its circulation.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Superintendent of Insurance?

A. He has the general supervision of all insurance companies transacting business in the State, and, reports their condition annually to the Legislature.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Ca.n.a.l Auditor?

A. He draws warrants on the Treasurer for all ca.n.a.l payments, audits all ca.n.a.l accounts, instructs ca.n.a.l collectors and disbursing officers, keeps account of ca.n.a.l receipts and expenditures, etc, is ex-officio secretary of the Ca.n.a.l Board and of the Commissioners of the Ca.n.a.l Fund.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Superintendent of Prisons?

A. He has general supervision of the prisons, appoints the keepers and other officers therein.

Q. What are some of the duties of the Superintendent of Public Works?