Attorney-General
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Attorney-General. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a legal officer of high rank. In England the term is applied to an officer of the crown. The attorney-general of the United States is the fourth member of the president's cabinet. He has general supervision over the attorneys and marshals of all the districts in the United States and territories. A similar officer in each state of the Union has general charge of the legal business of the state. In case an officer of the government is in doubt, the attorney-general's interpretation of a law is binding until the courts have ruled otherwise. A treasurer, uncertain, for instance, whether the law directs him to pay out certain moneys, may do so with full authority if advised by the attorney-general that such is, in his judgment, the proper interpretation to be placed upon the legislative act in question. A similar officer is called the county attorney. 2026 Editor's Note: The office grew far beyond this sketch: the U.S. Attorney General now heads the Department of Justice (created 1870), commanding the FBI and all federal prosecutors — one of the most powerful and politically charged posts in government, at the center of scandals and investigations from Watergate onward. (Ed: BR 2026-06-08)
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a govern-- mental law officer. In the United States the Department of Justice is presided over by the Attorney-General, whose duty it is to furnish all legal advice needed by Federal authorities and conduct all litigation in which the United States is concerned. He is also called upon to recommend persons to fill the places of judges of the United States Circuit and District Courts. There is an Attorney- General in each State whose duty it is to furnish legal advice to the Legislature; he represents the State in suits at law, and aids in prosecuting offenses against the State. In England the highest legal functionary permanently retained, on a salary, to take the part of the crown in any suits affecting the royal ( by which is really meant the public) interests. In precedence, he ranks above the Solicitor-