C. S.. Rule VIII, sec. 13.

§ 3. NOMINATIONS TO CLASSIFIED PLACES.

ART. 1785. Nominations forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury must, in each case, contain the following information:

1. The full name, Christian and surname, age, place of birth, State from which appointed, legal residence, place of present abode, and occupation of the nominee.

2. The office to which the nominee is to be appointed and the rate of compensation proposed.

3. The name of the person in whose place the nominee is to be appointed and the rate of compensation received by such predecessor.

4. Whether the vacancy occurred by death, resignation, or removal, and, if by the last-named cause, the cause of removal. All resignations must be forwarded to the Department for filing.

5. Whether the nomination is for a new or additional office, and, if so, the necessity therefor.

6. Whether, for the protection of the revenue, or other urgent and exceptional reasons, the person nominated has been actually sworn in and placed on duty for a period not exceeding thirty days, and, if so, what were the full and particular grounds of emergency.

When the nomination is to a place in the classified service the information shall be accompanied by a certificate from the local civil-service board, showing the standing and qualifications of the nominee for the position to which he is to be appointed.

ART. 1786. At ports where local civil-service boards have been created, and eligibles are available, temporary employés shall be selected from among such eligibles, but before such appointments are made the officer requiring additional assistance should state, in writing, the necessity for such employment, giving details as to how the permanent force on similar duty is employed.

§ 4. NOMINATIONS TO UNCLASSIFIED PLACES.

ART. 1787. When appointments are to be made to unclassified places in the customs service, the officer having the power shall nominate to the Secretary of the Treasury, stating the full name, Christian and surname, age, place of birth, State from which appointed, and occupation of the nominee, also the character of the nominee for sobriety, industry, and fitness for the position to which nominated, the compensation proposed, the name

of the person in whose place the nominee is to be appointed, the cause of the vacancy, and, if for a new or additional office, the necessity therefor; whether the person nominated is a relative, dependent, or private employé of the nominating officer, and, if so, what are the particular circumstances relied upon to justify the nomination. The nomination must be accompanied by an application in the handwriting of the nominee, stating his name in full, place and date of birth, legal residence, and how long a resident of the place named, education, occupation, past and present, and the particulars of any past employment in the civil service and service in the Army or Navy, and how such employment or service was terminated. The writer must certify on honor that the application has been composed and written without assistance, that the statements contained therein are true, and that he is a citizen of the United States, and faithful to the Union and the Constitution. Following the application, and on the same sheet of paper, must be the certificate of two well-known and reputable citizens that the applicant is personally known to them to be of good moral character, of temperate and industrious habits, and faithful to the Union and the Constitution; also the certificate of a practicing physician as to the applicant's general good health and physical capacity to perform the duties of the office specified.

ART 1788. Oaths of office of subordinate customs officers must be transmitted promptly to the Secretary of the Treasury, Division of Appointments.

§ 5. PROMOTIONS IN THE CUSTOMS SERVICE.

ART. 1789. Principal officers of customs are expected to keep themselves personally informed of the merits and demerits of their subordinates, and, in their nominations for promotion, to act upon their personal knowledge in such manner that deserving and zealous subordinates may gain advancement and the customs service be benefited by wise and just discrimination in the promotion of such employees.

ART. 1790. Promotions in the customs service shall be governed by good conduct, efficiency, length of service, and the recommendation of superior officers or persons familiar with the customs service and by such regulations of promotion as may be prescribed under the civil-service rules or by the Department.

ART. 1791. Nominations for promotion shall contain the

R. S., 1767.

full name, Christian and surname, age, and present office and compensation of the nominee; the approximate length of service in each office held by the nominee during his whole term of office; his general reputation for sobriety, industry, activity, efficiency, and fidelity, with any particular incidents of merit or demerit during his period of service; the office to which he is to be promoted and its emoluments; the manner and cause of the occurrence of the vacancy to be filled by the nominee; the necessity or justification of the promotion, if no vacancy has occurred; whether the promotion has actually been made for urgent reasons to be fully stated, and whether the requirements of law and regulation have been observed in the examination for promotion.

§ 6. REMOVALS, SUSPENSIONS, AND VACANCIES IN THE

CUSTOMS SERVICE.

ART. 1792. Offices in the customs service become vacant by resignation, removal, death, or expiration of term of service. Principal officers of customs are removable by the President. Subordinate officers of customs are removable by the Secretary of the Treasury. The names of subordinate officers whose removal is deemed necessary or proper are to be reported to the Secretary of the Treasury, with a full statement of the reasons therefor, as follows: "No removal shall be made from any position subject to competitive examination except for just cause and upon written charges filed with the head of the Department or other appointing officer, and of which the accused shall have full notice and an opportunity to make defense."

In view of the foregoing, whenever any officer, agent, clerk, or employee in the service of this Department shall appear, to the officer or agent charged with the supervision of his official conduct, to be guilty of such dereliction of duty, delinquency, or misconduct, or shall prove inefficient to such an extent as to seem to justify the removal of such person from the service, or his reduction in grade, it shall be the duty of such supervising officer to immediately forward to this office written charges and specifications, detailing fully and explicitly the reasons for removal or reduction.

At the same time a complete copy of the charges and specifications will be furnished to the accused, with the information that such defense as is desired to be made in the premises must be submitted to the supervising officer

for transmission to this office within three days from date of receipt of the copy of the written charges.

Whenever it is impracticable to present a copy of the charges to the accused in person, it will be sent by registered mail and the receipt carefully preserved.

The fact that the accused has thus been furnished with a complete copy of the charges and informed of the opportunity to make defense, as above set forth, will be reported to this office at the same time that the written copy of the charges is forwarded to the accused as aforesaid.

In the event that the accused fails to mail his written defense to the supervising officer within the time above specified, it will be assumed that such person does not desire to embrace the opportunity thus afforded.

The written defense will be delivered in person when practicable, otherwise it should be forwarded to the supervising officer by registered mail, and, after due examination, immediately transmitted to this office, accompanied by a letter of the supervising officer submitting his views in the matter of the defense, and making such recommendation as the circumstances and the nature of the defense may seem to warrant.

When the circumstances are such as to render it evident that the interest of the service will be better subserved by immediately relieving the accused from duty, pending action on the charges, that course will be pursued, in which case the action taken will be promptly reported to this office.

ART. 1793. Chief officers of customs are authorized to suspend, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, any of their subordinates without pay for a period not exceeding thirty days in any one case, as punishment for any neglect or minor delinquency for which punishment is not prescribed by law. Such suspension is to be enforced only for the maintenance of discipline in the customs force, and the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, on application by the suspended person, within one year, pay to him the whole or a part of the compensation thus forfeited.

Act of Dec. 18, 1890.

ART. 1794. Collectors and other chief officers of customs T. D. 9362. are required to transmit to the Department, on the first day of each month, statements of the changes, of any nature whatsoever, that have occurred in their force during the preceding month.

ART. 1795. Customs offices shall be kept open for business on all days of the year, except Sundays, Independence, Christmas, and New Year's days, and such other

days as may be designated by law, or by the President of the United States, or by the Secretary of the Treasury.

ART. 1796. Customs offices are to be kept open on days of business between the hours of 9 a. m. and 4 p. m., and these hours are to be prolonged, so far as relates to the attendance and service of any particular officers or classes of officers, whenever required by the necessities or interests of the public service, without extra compensation.

§ 7. LIGHT-HOUSE SERVICE.

ART. 1797. Inspectors of light-house districts are to nominate, through the Light-House Board, to the Secretary of the Treasury persons for appointment as lighthouse keepers of the lowest grade, and for those positions in the higher grades which it may be impracticable to fill by promotion as provided in the civil-service rules applicable to the Light-House Service.

ART. 1798. When a vacancy occurs in the higher grades it shall be filled by the promotion of a keeper or assistant keeper receiving a lower rate of pay, if any such be found worthy and duly qualified upon examination and the interests of the service permit it; otherwise a selection shall be made, as provided by the civil-service rules, of the candidate shown to be best qualified to fill the office; otherwise a selection shall be made from the register of eligibles provided in accordance with the civil-service rules. Recommendations for promotion shall be made by the light-house inspectors.

ART. 1799. In case of the death, resignation, removal, or desertion of any keeper or assistant, and the superintendent of lights is informed by the inspector of the district that there is no person eligible for promotion, it shall be his duty to immediately nominate to the Department, as provided by the civil-service rules, through the board, a competent person to supply the place so vacated; but if the interests of the public service demand it, a person may be employed temporarily as keeper or assistant, at a rate of pay not exceeding that of the lowest grade at the station, as provided by the civil-service rules.

ART. 1800. Nominations for the appointment of keepers, where the position is not filled by promotion, and of assistant keepers, shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury, and shall show the full name of the nominee, as written and spelled by himself; his age, residence, and occupation; the office for which he is nominated; the compensation proposed to be paid; in whose place he is proposed for appointment, and how the vacancy occurred, whether by promotion, resignation, death, or removal.