The Sun. — London, England, 1842-03-09 00:00:00

a consular establishment of the most costly kind. We had three Consuls-General, twelve Consuls of the first class, and eighteen salaried Assistant-Consuls, at a cost of 12,000/. per annum. Now, at no time were what were called the commercial duties of the Levantine Consuls at all heavy. The commercial system of the Ottoman Empire had always been characterised by the simplicity which must be the result of direct taxation; but no one could say that the duty of the Turkish Con sul had been a sinecure. He need only refer to the three volumes of correspondence, which was the last official tribute of the late Secretary of State. The House would find in those volumes a vast mass of correspondence, a great portion of which was furnished by Consuls. They would find communications with the Consul-General of Egypt, from Consul Hodges, Consul Waring, and Consul More. They were communications directed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. They contained speculations on the fortunes of war, and he believed on all those matters which hitherto had been considered as unimportant, but which were now believed to be matters of the highest importance.—(llear.) He might remind the Noble Viscount who was the author of the expedition, and he might remind the House, of an individual who visited Africa on a secret expedition, who issued a proclamation, formed treaties of the highest character which no Plenipotentiary could do, and lie did what no Plenipotentiary dared to do, broke treaties. The gentleman to whom he referred, bore the name of Wood, an English name, but not an English subject. This Gentleman appeared as Vice-Consul of her Majesty at Beyroa t. 11 e was/ only referring to the case of Mr. WO O .l, to prove that a Vice-Consular agent was entru s t e d with diplomatic duties of the highest character. If they looked at the other side of the globe--if they directed their attention to the republics of South Ame rica, they would find the state of affairs of a totally different kind. The House would recollect that when Mr. Canning called the • New World into existence, his preliminary operation was to fit out consular establishments on a great scale. In all the capitals of the South American Republics, Con suls-General and Vice-Consuls were established, with salaries of a large amount. At all the principal ports Con u!s of the first class were established. Shortly after the final recognition of these States had taken place there followed a diplomatic establishment on the- same large scale. In every capital of South America they found a Minister Plenipotentiary and a Secretary of Legation established in addition to the Consul . - General and She Vice-Consul already established. Now as our diplomatic relations with those States, were never very complicated, these diplo matic agents assumed, with one or two exceptions, very soon a character altogether commercial, as there was really not public business sufficient for the two bodies. The result was, that the diplomatic body in each capital, aware that if it were discovered that they were doing nothing, their services might be dispensed with, monopolised to themselves all the commercial business of that country, so that the Consuls-General and the Vice-Consuls held in fact sinecures, while the Minister Plenipotentiary and the Secretaries of Legation, occupied themselves in fulfilling Ate duties which ought to have de volved •on the Consular bodies. He would refer,.- : as an instance, •to what had • occurred during one of those transatlantic blockades, which a few years since had been but too numerous. The Real del • Monte Mining Company during the blockade of Vera Cruz Were anxious to land a cargo of machinery for the use of their mines. As machinery did not pay a duty, the land• ing of it would not be adding to the resources of the State, and, therefore, the Company had hoped that the French Admiral Baudin and the Mexican Government might have agreed in permitting the machinery to be landed. The Company directed their commissioner or agent in Mexico to enter into negotiations on the sub ject ; he immediately applied to Mr. Pakenham, the Minister Plenipotentiary at Mexico, and that application led to a correspondence, which the Noble Viscount (Pal merston) had laid on the table of the House. The w hole transaction was attended to by the diplomatic and not by the consular body. In Mexico there was no diplomatic questions regarding border or boundaries, and there was nothing which could produce diplomatic ar rangements. But when commerce increased, the Mexican merchants thought it better to apply to the diplomatic body and not the consular body, because commercial affairs were better attended to by the diplomatic body. He might also refer to the pamphlet published by Mr. Henderson, the Consul at Caraccas, in Spanish America, who said that the double establish ment was ridiculous, and of no benefit to the country. The NobleViseount opposite was himself the best evidence on the subject, who, in the year 1232, • pointed out the impropriety of the double arrangement, and that one of them was of very little use. He called the attention of the House to what the Noble Viscount did on that occasion, because it afforded all illustration with regard to the conduct of the Noble Lord on the same occasion. The Noble Lord exposed the impropriety of the double arrange ments in Mexico, and the appointments of the Consul-General and the Vice-Consul-General were done away with ; and it was not, perhaps, necessary the Consul should be left. He now came to the State of Colombia and the arrangements in Bogota, a town in the bosom of the Andes, and which had no communication with the sea. Nothing could be more .ridiculous than to appoint a Consul-General at a town Like. Bogota, as had been for merly thie case, and to•give that Consul a large salary,. as well, as to give him. • the - assistance of a .Vice-Consul, who was also inithe receipt of a consider able salary. He (Mr. D'lsraeli) had never read anything ,more • ridiculous than that in the writings of Rabelais. The Noble Lord, therefore, had acted very properly in putting an end to such an establishment. But there • - were circumstances connected with the state of Colombia, which rendered it necessary that a political agent should be retained there, and such an agent was therefore left in that coun try. The Noble Lord (Lord Palmerston) converted, therefore, the Consul-General into a Charge d'Affilires, and recognised the principle that one of the two services was inexpedient and unnecessary for the public ser vice. That was a sketch of what the Noble Viscount had done in 1832. It might, however, be said that these illustrations from our s establishments in Turkey and South America were drawn, the one from an ancient empire, which was in a state of decay, and the other from a new country ; and that in each instance our relations with those countries were placed in a novel and extraordinary state. But he found that in one of the most ancient and civilized societies in Europe—he alluded to the Hanse Towns. we had a Consul-General who was at the same time an accredited diplomatic agent. We had pursued a similar system in Africa ; and in Tunis and Algiers our Consuls-General were also Charge d'Affaires. Again, in Servia and Wal lachia the same principle was adopted. It was mani fest that the principle for which he contended was ap proved of by Mr. Bidwell, the Superintendent of the Consular Department at the Foreign-office. That Gentleman hail defended the appointment of a Consul- General in Lombardy on the ground that the Consul had also important political duties to discharge,. . The same principl e was a ll ege d b y M r. Bid we ll with r gard to the Consul at Warsaw, which appointment W:l3 defended on the ground that the duties wore political and diplomatic. The name of Warsaw would recal the name of a city where they had no Consul, but .he had no wish to enter into, a discussion of the merits or defeats of the Noble Lord's policy in that respect, nor to criticise the conduct of the Great Powers. Bat he must say this, that no one could have rend the debate on tho subject without feeling that there was a gene ral neglect both on the part of' the people of Cracow, of the great powers of the Government at home, and of both Houses of Parliament ; the individual who was sent there, had the title of Consul, while he really was invested with a political character. The language of the Noble Lord on that occasion was, that the violation of treaties had been great and flagrant, and therefore he was determined to vindicate the political dig nity of his country by sending a Consul. He though this was a curious mode to adopt. He could produce a variety of proofs in favour of this position, but he was afraid they would accuse him of proving too much When they were convinced that a public establishment was founded on a vicious principle, they should not be pre vented from condemning it by any partial instance of its. beneficial operation, which might have oc curred from a violation of the principle itself. This - brought him to the heart of the question, • because he could show to the House, not by ar guments, but by facts, that the system thus es tablished had occasioned great inconvenience and injury in a political point of view, while in a com mercial respect, the adopting the division of duties had proved mischievous to the public service. He mustiarevert for a moment to that region of the world which had of late occupied so much of their cousideration, and exercised so vast an influence over the affairs of Europe. He begged the House to recollect the position of Egypt at the time when the Noble Viseount (Palmerston) took office. In 1830 our only public functionary in Egypt was a Consul- General, and this individual might be taken as a very fair specimen of the Levantine Consuls of that time. The House was, perhaps, aware of the mode by which in the good old days gen srtlehmen were appointed Consuls-General of E g ypt. e Consul- General of that period had generally been the- tra h v i e s lli r n e g turn tu t t o or of a nobleman. A noblema n on influence on b e h alf of his travelling this country exercised hi s tutor ; the result w as he became Consul-General, and enjoyed the opportunity of sending to his patron some veryspecimensnecessary of Egyptian antiquities. These we y re thectelec wished shed conse quences of a system, the fullness of which he point out to the House. I n 1 831 the situation of Fgtro was a most delicate and criti ca l one. The rulec:i! Egypt was at that time negotiating at Constantinopl e 011 behalf of the Porte ; bat, at the same time, a vast force was assembling at Alexandria, until it became the largest army that had appeared in the East in modern times.— (Hear, hear.) The p ae l l a, whilst negotiating for the Porte at Con while th reaten i ng the inclepen stantinople was all the thrice of Syria. Now, he had reason to believe that upon the influence possessed at that time in Eg,pt, the invasion of Syria particularly depended ; it was impo,sible for him to say what the Noble Viscount had communicated to the Consul -Gene: al, or what the Consul-General had communicated to the Noble Viscount ; all he (Mr. Disraeli) could state was, that no re presentation reprobating the conduct of these Egyptian officers hid been made to the British Government upon that subject. If such a representation had been made, and made by proper authority, the invasion of Syria would rever have occurred. The commercial interests of the country were superintended by clerks, but the political interests were more patrician, and were superintended by Viscounts. He asked the House to consider the effects of the invasion of Syria. That they -• were very perilous all would admit, the; they had dis tarbed those relations which all statesmen must be •-•• anxious toancourage none could deny. The evil effects of that Invasion every ins kn ew. He would give an instance of con- ~fi. solar power long in the possession of a political character, and as Member oConsul fttie to H o w u .h se o , m he arid aalslitietimerblewa Member ofs a he g r en A t i l a e j m es a ty n ,s re G ee o n re tl , y a ri ment, he would mention his name. The gentlemen to whom he referred was the late Member for Haddington, Mr. Stewart. For example, he would not raise any argument for the re construction of the consular service on the improper appoint ment which had occurred for a series of years. He thought he had a right however, if he found that in a branch of the public service, persons had been appointed unworthy of the service, to ask the House to interfere ; but he found that was unnecessary here, and if he should in the course of his address refer to some of the appointments, it would only be in order to illustrate the principle which he was anxious to establish. If the House doubted his sincerity on the subject, he was quite ready to place in the hands of the House all the papers and documents which he had on the subject. He begged now to call the attention of the House to the case of the new Consul-General of Bogota. Circumstances occurred towards the end of the year 1811, which rendered it necessary that those who had great claims on the Government of the day should im mediately be attended to. He did not dispute the claim of the late Member for Haddington on the Government ; and he was quite sure that he expressed the opinions of ever y Member on either side of the House, when he said that they would have been gratified to hear that the Honourable Gen tleman had obtained a good appointment--if he had been com petent. But he wished the House to observe the condua of the Noble Viscount in the appointment of Gentlemen to di. • ferent situations. Because the Noble Lord felt that the princi; al interests there were diplomatic, and because he felt that nothing could be more absurd than to have two Consuls at Bogota, the Hon. Member was • ppointed to the office of Consul-General. They might send out a great Nobleman as Ambassador Extra ordinary, but to take a person who hid not gone through the grades of the diplomatic hierarchy, and to rend hi.n out as a diplomatist was an extension of power which the Noble Lord dared nit attempt. What, then, did the Noble Lord do? It was necessary to provide, and to provide handsomely, too, for the Hon. Member. The Noble Lord then received the Con sul-Generalship of Bogota, at a salary of 1,6001. a-year, wish the appointment of a Charge d'Affaires at a salary of a guinea a-day. These appointments made it neces sary to recal the Plenipotentiary and the Secretary of Legation, and, of course, as that was done, a Vice- Consul was required, and another political partisan was appointed. He would just call the attention of the House to the extraordinary appointment of the Noble Viscount. The House was aware that a few years ;go the Republic of Colom bia was divided hate four districts;—namely, New Grenada, Venezuela, Bogota, and C.lombia Proper. Receotly, a civil war had broken out in that part of the world, and the too parties, conscious of the balance of power between both, and neither of them being sanguine enough to anticipate a favour able result to themselves, det rmined to terminate the civil war, and submit to the arbitration of the British Minister the points of difference. So anxious were they to refer those points to our Minister, that they had stopped him in his course, and sent two deputies to lay their case before him. Then was the Consul-tieneral thrown into a political position, in consequence of the present system we had of having a twofold form of Legation in foreign countries. In consequence of the Consul-General not speaking Spanish, an interpreter was obtained. The House was well aware of the characteristics of the Dragoman tribe. They were much the same in all countries ; but they were infinitely worse in Spanish America than in any other nation. If any fellow happened to know how to speak English, he was immediately engaged, and thus the interests of the two countries were placed in the hands of a man who might not have the slightest claims to character. He (Mr. D'l. ) had the highest authority for saying that the Dragoman of the Consul-General of Spanish America ought not to be trusted with public affairs. He would ask the Hon. Member for Manchester if it was for the interest of his constituents that civil war should rage in Co lombia, because that was the consequence of not having a pro per functionary there, of having a political partisan instead of a consular agent? It was a misfortune that he not only occupied the office unprofitably, but the Consul-General was also Minis ter Plenipotentiary, and as such was called upon to fulfil duties incompatible with each other. As he was in the neighbourhood of the Equator, he would call the attention of the House to cer tain other extraordinary proceedings which had taken place in the neighbourhood in relation to this subject. There was no State of South America in which England was so interested as Venezuela. It possessed a vast Atlantic coast. The coun try was rich and fertile. Sugar and barley were fount' growing in the same field, and what was most re markable, in no State of Spanish America was there so strong a feeling in favour of England as in Venezuela. Now how had British interests been managed in that country? Mr. Canning had established Sir Robert Ker Porter as Consul-General at Caraccas, the capital of that country, and and had also fixed a Consul at Puerto Cabello the principal sea-port. The Noble Viscount had continued these appoint ments. Sir R. Ker Porter had obtained leave of absence come years since, had left Caraccas, and gone to St. Peters burgh, and it was not expected that he would return to Caraccas. It might have been imagined that our interests would have been taken care of by the Consul at Puerto Ca bello ; but in 1839 the newspapers had announced the death of Mr. Willey at Liverpool, that gentleman being her Majesty's Consul-General at Puerto Cabello. Now, with a Consul- General living at St. Petersburgh, and a Consul dying at Liver pool, he should like to know when British subjects, residing in Venezuela, were to apply for protection and assistance. In September, 1841, the Consul for Puerto Cabello was ap• pointed; and he found, by the Gazette, that the person who received that appointment was a certain Florence O'Leary. He was greatly astonished at that appointment, and he n.ade inquiries on the subject, and found that a person of that name was living at Venezuela, and was a natural born subject of the place, and a Major-General actually receiving pay. He knew that he had very potent Parliamentary interest, but he did not expect that he would be appointed one of her Majesty's Consuls in the very country of which he was a subject. What might be the consequence of such a state of things ? Venezuela was a place where interests of apolitical nature were to be determined, and in which diplomatic questions arose. They had the province of New Granada, and it was the subject of dispute—a boundary question existing on the subject. It was situate near the Oronoko, and lie did not think that a subject of Venezuela was the proper person to whom the question should be referred. There were some Hon. Gentlemen, he knew, who were indifferent- %serer such subjects. But it was only fifty years ago that they signed an ignorant treaty with another State, which was looked on with the same indiffe rence, but the consequence was that they were obliged to send a Special Envoy of the highest character to America, the principal object of whose mission was to try and arrange that treaty, and to settle whether Certain mountains were to be found, or whether certain streams belonged to the river or the ocean. Great cautioa should be used in the selection of Consuls, as they were often called on to exercise the highest political duties. In 1833 the Noble Viscount ( Viscount Pal merston) was applied to for an appointment for a political p:ir tisan—he used the word partisan in no reproachful sense, and he thought partisans had claims on a Government—(Hear, hear)—but then they ought to be appointed to offices for which they were fitted. The gentleman for whom the application was made, was an officer in the army, of the name of Hodges ; and what was done for that gentleman ? It was determined that he should receive a Consulship. Mr. Bidwell was sent for, and as there was no Consulship vacant at the time, a Con sulship was created, and Mr. Hedges was sent out as Consul to Servia. When Mr. Hodges went to that country he found at first that his duties were very slight ; but political elements were stirring in the province, as well as in every province of the old Ottoman empire, which might call for the greatest knowledge on the part of a political agent there. Now Mr. Hodges soon grew extremely excited, he threw himself into the heart of po litical intrigues, and in the course of eighteen months he pro duced such a confliction of circumstances, that two Ambassa dors Extraordinary could not put an end to the embarrassments they created. The Prince, whom Mr. Hodges supported, lost his throne, and his own house was burnt. No Consul was af terwards appointed for a year in Servia, and it might be ex pected that the Noble Viscount would have profited by his expe rience, and would not have appointed a Consul in such a coun try who was not qualified to discharge the duties of the office. But in the memorable Gazette of Sept., 1841, the Consulship in Servia was again filled up, and the Consul sent who hid been recalled some years before, but whose explanation to the Noble Lora had, he presumed, been satisfactory. He would not enter into the circumstances respecting Mr. Funblanque ; he would not presume that his explanations were not satisfac tory, but at all events he was sent to Set via, where he belie veil he had never arrived. He believed he was trespassing on the House. (He would not, therefore, say any more on the ap poisameat of the diplomatic Consuls, but he would come to the second part of the subject, and show that even in a com mercial point of view, the consular was the most ineffective and useless service that had ever existed, and his _principal evidence as b e f ore , wou ld b e t h e N o b le Viscount. Ile would call the attention of the House to a country which had been before noticed, which had exercised great influence, and was so much mixed up with foreign politics, that it was impossible to enter into any investigation of them without inentioning , it. The Noble Lord at one time had his time so fully occupied with S,•ain, France, and Belgium, that he did not pay the slightest attention to Syria. But when he had made a sort of settlement of the affairs of Europe. he turned all h a efforts to extricate himself from the consequences of his previous policy. The last few years had been a perpetua endeavour to do away with the effect of the fatal invasion Syria. The Noble Lord found he could not settle the Egyptian question without having recourse to arms, and it we-. neces,ar) to have an accurate knowledge of the population of the country, of its revenue, its power of maintaining fleets and armies, and of its system of commerce. The Noble Lord very properly directed a report to be furnished, and it was subsequently printed and put in posiessiun of every Member of the House But this Report was not prepared by their Consuls in Egypt. They had a Cothu!-Gi neral in Egypt, a Consul in Cairo at 600/. a year, one at Alexandria at 5001. a year, altogether the expense of their consular staff was 2,800/. a year, yet all of them could not supply the Noble Lord with the information he wanted. The Noble Viscount wished to have clear statistics of the country which had been invaded. He wished to as certain what was the character of the commerce of Syria, and a Report was furnished to supply the required informa.ion. That Report, however, did not emanate from a Consul. The next case which he would refer to was one which was alMost unprecedented in diplomatic annals. The Noble Lord wished to have information with respect to the island of Candia. A Report was accordingly laid on the table of the House, the first sentence of which was the most extraordinary that he had ever met with in any similar document. " I was not able," said the Learned Commissioner, " to visit the island of Can dia, but, though I did not land in Candia, I hail the pl. asure of some interviews with the Pacha of that island in Syria." Now he would ask the House if that did not immediately prove the truth of his assertion, that the consular establishment was absolutely useless ? It appeared to him to be the most flatter ing compliment ever paid to a public man that the country should accept from him a Report of an island which he had nev r visited. That such a Report should be ordered by the Administration, printed by Pailiament, and paid for by the public was an undeniable testimony that the nation appreciated his worth.—( A laugh.) There was another place very con tiguous—an island where there was more than a Consular establishment, where there was an Envoy with a salary of no less than 2,4001. a yea r , w ith th ree C onsu l s an d three Vice- Consuls, also with large salaries, Costing the country nearly 6,000/. a-year. The places to which he alluded were the Sicilies. Then in regulating the treaty of commerce, a question arose with respect to the sulphur monlpoly. It ap p a^ed that the public business di.: not go on as usual, se it wa , in CUTlSF(inenee thought necessary to send to b ngland fir a man of tu.iness to settle the question if possible ; accordingly a gentleman was appointed for that purpose, and that gentleman w. nt out to Sicily t w h a t s h enitai made by y f N h i e r r .l ll l l , a c j e r s e t g y 0 ' s r Commissioner. ?theco rn m v It appeared 'once); I e (Mr D'lsrael) had made an extract fom that re ort by which it appeared that Mr. Al`Gregor having arrived at Naples to settle the sulph ur monopi l y question it was neees • sary for him to v sit the Island of Sicily to ascertain the precise facts relating to the matter, in order to enable hitt to report the whole to the :_;overnment, even though there were British Envoys, and a regular establishment at Naples. The Govern ment were obliged to get a Commissioner to settle the first question that arose there, and even when such an officer was appointed and arrived at his destination, he was obli ge d to v i s i t a distant part of the country to ascertain the facts, to enable him to make his report. What then was the use of a consular establishment? Even when the Commissioner, who was ap pointed, arri ve d i n N a ples, so ignorant were the diplomatic agents there that they did not know any of the facts con • nected with th e ques ti on w hich was about to bein vestigated. There was an illustration of the manner in which th e pu bli c affairs of this country were carried on. There was Mr. M`Gregor, who was obliged to ascertain the facts be k he saw the Prime Minister or his Sicilian Majesty. He ht the Hon. Member who preceded him. He did not wish in any way whatever to depreciate the merits and exertions of that gentleman. But what he had to complain of was that a gen tleman's duty should be el vague and undefined; and, that gelding no higher rank than that of Vice-Consul he should have to exercise such great powt rs. What were the function's which this gentleman (Mr. Wood) discharged? He excited an insurrestion in Syria—he headed an army—anti was saluted as chief by two armies in the field. He was the medium of conveying decorations from the Porte; and he had a quantity of blank firmans for the appointment of Emirs, to fill up at his pleasure. He alio pardoned crimie nals on his own responsibility ; and interfered with the proceedings of our gall int Admiral and his officers. He acknowledged that the case was one of a peculiar nature. It was not the ordinary duty of a Consul to direct a province in a state of war. But he wished these peculiar cases to be met in a peculiar manner, and not to be thrown on the Consuls. The ordinary duty of Consuls, if appointed in Europe, were not very arduot.s, and not of much difficulty, It was merely to make half-yearly reports of the corn trade, forward com mercial information, or anything that bore ern European com merce, to relieve di-tressed seamen, and other duties which were regularly defined. What he found fault with was. that in as the sph ere o f th e d u ti es was ex t en d e d, an d 4 more difficult, they were less defined, and the a C 4n o t n ihn s ey lessu v l e s rb h ee a c d raamt:' guidance for their course of actienr This was a state of things that it well became the House to inquire into. The position of the Consuls differed very materially, according to where they were placed. His Hon. Friend had all ded so ably, arid at such length, to the way in which the Consuls were mixed up with the diplomatic body, that he should not go farther into it, but should merely al'ude to the ex traordinary position of their Consuls in the Levant There their duties were perfectly inconsistent ; they were obliged to act as magistrates, as notaries, and as offi cials of the board of health ; and it was for these that instructions and regular orders were wanted. In criminal cases, the Consuls in the East were obliged to ye ithdrew persons from the nativejuriseliction, and try them without either counsel or jury. These powers were given by stipulations granted to the Levant Company, and though the Company was extinct yet we still claimed the powers, and it was therefore necessary that very great di-eretion should be used by tie Consuls to prevent the subjects of her Majesty from, in any way, infr.nging the laws, or exciting animosey in the Turkish authorities, which might possibly lead them to withdraw their protection from us The duty of Consuls was most extraordinary and general. In all civil cases they adjudicated between British subjects and the subjects of other states. They could fine an individual and imprison him, yet they had generally no legal knowledge; they were obliged to consult the assessors, and the only remedy and safe-guard they had was, either to submit to imprisonment, or to pay the fine inflicted upon them. In criminal cases the Con sul could withdraw the criminal from the operatier of the Local Courts. If he was an Fngli.lernan he sent him over to England, and the moment lie arrived in England he was at liberty. An examination of the state of the law in Malta and the lonian Isles would show that, as viva voce examinations were required, encouragement was given to criminals in proportion to their crimes. Surely the House could not wish such a state of things to continue. He would not trouble the House with many instance s of the injurious effects of th system as it was at present conducted, but he hoped the House would see that the subject was one that deserved its attention. There was one case to which he would direct their notice; it was the case of Mr. Larkins, the Consul at Alexandria. He lo tted been Consul there during the Syrian warfare, and for his good conduct he had received the approbation of the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department. He had ren dered most essential services to that country, for on account of his high character and influence in Egypt he had been enabled at all times to procure access to Mehemet Ali. His health had suffered in consequence of his arduous exertions, and he had applied for leave of absence to come to England on ac count of his health. He had afterwards applied for a further extension of his leave, and the Noble Lord had written in re ply, srating that with regard to the reduction in the saltry du ring his absence he regretted to say he could not depart from the general rule, and considering it improper that any person engaged in commercial pursuits should hold the office of Consul, he (the Noble Lord) had deemed it advisable to advise her Majesty to cancel his (3lr. Larkins) appointment of Consul at Alexandria, and to nominate Mr. Stoddart as his successor. Mr. Larkins remonstrated, and stated that he had long since ceased to be engaged in commercial transactions. 'f he Noble Lord replied that his being engaged in agricultural pursuits in Egypt would be equally objectionable, and that he (the Noble Lord) was convinced that the change which he had recom mended was for the benefit of the public service, anti that there fore he could not advise her Majesty to make any alteration in it. He had mentioned these cases merely forthe purpose of showing the defects of our present system of consular establishments. He had, however, no remedy of his own to propose ; and he would leave it to the House to deal with the subject as in their wisdom they might think expedient. He hoped that some plan would at length be adopted for effecting an improvement in the system. He concluded by apologizing for having so Ling detained the House, in seconding the motion. Af.er a considerable pause, and cries of " Question, ques tion," Dr. Bowring rose, and also Lord Palmerston—the former resumed his seat. Lord PALMERSTON said—Sir, I certainly del imagine that upon a question affecting a great public establishment, some one of her Majesty's Ministers--( Ihe Speaker here intimated that Dr. Bowring bad caught his eye, and accord ingly Lord Palmerston sat down amidst great laughter.) Dr Bo WRING thought with the Noble Lord that on such a great subject, some Member of her Majesty's Government would express an opinion.—( Hear.) But as the Hon. Gen-, tleman the Member for Shrewsbury had done I im the honour of following him through the countries into which he had had the privilege of being sent by her Majesty's late Government, he would trouble the House with a few observations. It was of great importance to the comfort and safety of our travellers that they should receive assistance from our consular estab lishment. He thought the preen system required great reform. Bert he did not think the Hon. Gentleman or the Noble Lord who followed him had touched at the root of the evil, which he (Dr. Bowring) thought was in the defective education of the gentlemen who filled those departments. They were generally chosen at a time of life when they were not capable of ap, lying themselves to the acquirement of the knowledge necessary for the efficient discharge of their important duties. It was his conviction that England, instead ..f being worthily represented abroad, was most unworthily and defectively re presented.—(Hear, hear.) Many of the Consuls were wholly ignorant of the language as well as the laws, customs, and commercial interests of the people amongst whom they were sent to represent this great commercial nation, anti promote its interests. But he did not think the Noule Lord, the late Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was to blame more than his predecessors ; for, in tact, he did not believe that the materials for forming a good consular establishment exsted. Let the House look to the way in which Consuls were se • Jetted. Gentlemen who had influence in that House pressed upon the Government the selection of their personal friends. When they were removed into remote regions their corres pondence was almost unknown, and neither Parliament nor the public had the means of forming a correct estimate of these Member Thst with fure lion. nuSa. qualificationsbhl i t c period 4 parties. He should wish to see the Consular returns laid re e gularly before Parliament, as that would be the only means of knowing who did their duty and who did not. The Noble Lord had referred to the situations of the Consuls in the Levant. It was known that there they exercised the func tions of Magistrates, and they were Judges, both in civil anti criminal matteee. There was hardly aissingle Consul there who knew the language of the country in which he lived. Many were appointed to the office on the decline of life ; and in one instance a Consul was assassinated by his servant because he could not sufficiently explain himself in the language of the country. He would not go over the ground traversed by the Hon. Mem her for Shrewsbury, but he would make one observation with respect to his (Dr. Bowring's) Report Oil Candia, as it had been referred to by the Hon. Member. When he was travel ling in Syria it was his privilege to fall in with3lustapba Pacha, a man of most extraordinary character. The ineirmation he had sent :with respect to Candia he found confirmed by this personage, and he therefore added that report as a kind of addendum to the report upon Syria; although it was not neces sary for him to do so, yet he felt assured that with reference to M. Anglais it was of great value. He ( Dr. Bowring had seen that report translated into foreign languages, arid he had great pleasure in having received testimony from other coun tries of its value. The Hon. Gentleman the Member for Shrewsbury went out of his way to refer to a Report he (Dr. Bowring) had made with respect to tl:e French accountancy. He would say that the French accountancy was the most perfect in existence. The Right Hon. Baronet ( Sir James Graham) had applied the principle with great advantage to the accounts of this country. Sir. R. PEEL said he wished to say a few words, not so much with reference to this subject as with reference to the e(en b rsth r , o ieeerd u: Nß.a l at i no.s t Gentleman f h a n i r tr j s ' which bo w oi h fc h fh a t : h, d , oelhitrieageri gentleman fsopreitv''Prilotfhtahte Icon. motion. a p i e i e e l c ) ul h i a a d r a n p u i t )bd i n ng tm t e o nt do in v, l unable to speak of the personal appointed ; he must therefore refer to the general question upon which the Hon. Member grounded the motion he had Inseught forward. He alluded to that motion which implied a direct opinion, and which required that House to affirm that orsinion --that great inconvenience and injury had arisen to the public we.fare from the civil affairs of her Majesty in foreign countries being carried on by two distinct , ervices ; and that with a view of advancing those commercial interests which at this moment so much occupied their consideration, it was expedient that inemures should be forthwith taken to blend the consular with the diplomatic body. That was, that the House should express and opinion without any qualification that the diplomatic and and consular functions ought to be united in the same person. He ( Sir R. Peel) was not prepared to give his assent to tha'. proposition. He was not prepared to affirm, without qualifi • cation or reserve, that in all CiI3CS the dip'omatic anti consular functions must be in the same person. Questions of this kind should, of course he decided by authority. Now, so far as authority was concerned, he could find no authority which held it to be necessary that these two functions should be united, except the speech of the Hon. Member. ( Hear, bear, and a laugh.) Because in the first place he found that in 1825 this very question occupied the attention of the House, and then they were called upon to form an opinion upon the sub ject. If he were asked to name . two men who were most cake,- rable or not that the diplomatic _ ) fe od s r i drn thee r a t ni h au e mo he should name Mr. Caning be united in the same person, - lilted to form a judgment on thr a s n q d u c e o s m tio m n e , r w ei h al et f h u e n r et i i t o w ns a s s h d o e u s l i d - Binh had d s quite a b n ro d u "e at that time, clear, therefore, that upon consideration and diplomatic functions their opinion was that the consular years s ate() a Committee of that g A b l t r. inupont Huskisson, hi s u a b n j e tl e t he by found hme t , t v h o a that e a n ought to bo disunited. Some su'ar establishments. It comprised House was appointed fully to state of many of th indivi duals d e i e v n i duals perfectly well qualified g es m sta ent on the sub- Sir J. Graham, Lord Stanley, at number of names of corn- Thompson, together with a Warburton, Mr. 3PKenzie the mercial men, Mr. Hutt, Mr. _ • himself, Mr. Ferguson, Lord Hon. Gentleman Dr. Bowring , . ject. On the Committee were L o or s •d ir Pa H lm v er i s v t i o a n n , , Lo A r l d r. L . Lowther, Sir pointed solely to inquire into the cons . and in that Committee, (hence was brought before whether it was fitting to unite of that evidence the question of N . Mahon, and a number of others. flunisarCdoempamrtiratteenet.wastavpi. Report of that Committee was no-. . a f re that Committee appeared to The principal inquiry be n whether or no the question the consular and diplomatic functions was fully g f o v n e tr u i r nto o . f The be directed to the the consular establishment s hould o f e• But the weight of autho rity Trade or under tie Foreign-oilic considered that Con ul should correspond with the Board be o u r n T d r e a r de, th a e nd it w o l a ie rd th er was against this, and it was theF.4. the consular itte.eudcormteaninteodnihe names of department should be continued under ofth e e igafiee.The question was duly considered as to the union diplomatic and capable of forming aj and diplomatic the subject, c m o e n n su p l e a i r fe fu ct n i ;tions, and that Committee and that opinion was, that the consular functions should House of Commons be s cpa rate. appointing g a portion Considering,so of t far as iauthoritysdy tie erit, considerthe this subject, there was no one authority in favour of the motion brought forward —viz., in favour of a motion for the consular to be blended with the diplomatic functions. lie ( Sir R. Peel) must say the House of Commons ought to be cautious in affirming a ,resolution in favour of a proposition of this kind. t o the part of the proposi tion which s t a t e d that men should be app o i n t e d to these offices perfectly calculated departmentlatedtoe in which duct theiebomtbmeeyrcairael affairs ofw with h e country t in the placed. There might be circumstances in which it might be perfectly fitting to employ men whose attainments did not extend to commercial transactions. On that ground also he should refuse his assent to a universal proposition like that pro posed. Looking to the reports, he could not see how the pro position could be carried out. He looked at the different con- wrote again, stating that intrigues and such like were at work. Again, he said, of his Majesty's sincere intentions he had no doubt, but he was afraid of the intentions of the Minister of the Interior; he doubted also his Majesty's confessors, and he was alarmed at what was being done by the Duchess de Berri. Here he would ask the House whether, if that were not diplomatic correspondence, what was? He. e a man had interviews with the Prime Minister • nay, more, he had audiences of the Sovereign ; he h a d to frustrate the Ambassadors, to compete with a Royal Duchess ; and he ( Air. D'lsraeli) must say that this appeared to him to be a diplomatic correspondence. If it were necessary for this man to have interviews with the Prime Minister, to have audiences of the Sovereign, to frustrate confessors and Duchesses, why did they have Plenipotentiaries and Secretaries of Legation there? He believed himself that the transactions which had taken place with reference to the commercial treaties of Naples were transactions which, when better known and understood, would produce a deep impression on the public mind of this country. He was quite sure that when the Noble Lord succeeded to power in 1830, and brought with him untie stalled talent, that the great historical knowledge which he pos sessed, in addition to hie abilities, were great recommendations to the Noble Lord. He believed that if there were two can didates for public favour, the aristocrat would immediately be the favourite ; he believed that was the general feeling in the country; for example, he read the other day, that the great soldier of the age was net merely a soldier of fortune, but he was the son of an lri.h Peer—that was mentioned. If such a system were maintained—if it were pursued indi vidually, it must 1 ad to political disaster ; if pursued on a general scale, it must lead to political calamity. Such was the desire of the late Government to extend this system, that they could not let even the Duchy of Lucca, in Italy, escape. Why might not some member of the Florentine Legation have done the business of a Minister at Lucca ? Might nut an attache to that Embassy have ridden over the Duchy, and made his statistical report on it in the for mof a letter ? Nay, he might have drawn up his Report in a letter to a lady ? ( Hear, and laughter)—and have it presented through the agency of his fair friend at the next ball given by her Majesty? lu Switzerland it had been thought necessary to have a report on the state of manufactures in that country, and a special mis ion had been sent out for that purpose. Now the Minister Plenipotentiary had been an old Consul-General, so that the usual excuse that a diplomatic agent was unfit for the execution of commercial duties would be of nu avail in that case. The report had been ma*, but neither the Minister Plenipotentiary nor the Consul-General had furnished any information. In France we had a Consul-General with a salary of 1,000/. a year—a diplomatic establishment costing us 10,000/. a year— and a consular establishment, consisting of 15 full Consuls, costing us 4,0001. a year. In 1831 the Government was de sirous of obtaining information- as to the manner in which the public accounts were kept in France. Now of the diplomatic assents none of the consular body could supply the information. The Finance Report was made, and it stated that from the accurate manner in which the public accounts were kept in France fraud was impossible, every security being taken against mal versation. The Government was justified in the course it had pu"sued, if they had no confidence in the diplomatic body, or in their consular agents; but possibly the diplomatic and the consular bodies might not share in the confidence of the Government as to the perfection of the mode in which pub:ie accounts were kept in France, and that might account for their want ofzeal ; and, in justice to those Gentlemen, he should state that the very day the Report was printed, news arrived in Lon don •of the defalcation of M. Capiles, one of the public ac countants, who had gone off with something like forty millions of public money. The consular body in these circumstances might have some reason for holding back the information. It was a notorious fac', that when treaties were made, Commis sioners were always appointed. In the year 1831 or 1832 two Commissioners went to Paris for the purpose of making a treaty, which was to be laid on the table after Easter, but it was not yet laid on the table of the House, and he sup posed it was maturing. With regard to the late change in the Government, he was glad that the country was not deprived of the services of •a gentleman whose labours were attended with such benefit to , the country—he meant Mr Bulwer—and if the treaty were concluded it would be owing to him, and his considerable powers of diplomacy. With regard to the report of the state of the manufactures of Switzerland no useful information was obtained, in consequence of the age of the Consul there. The same might be said of Bel gium and France. He now came to Austria, where, beside hi, Excellency and the Secretary of Legation, there was a variety of unpaid attaches—gentlemen who were learning their profession—and he did not see how they could be better employed than in obtaining information on the state of the manufacturers and artisans in the various countries where they resided. The House would perhaps allow him to allude for a moment to the state of our diplomatic establishments in the countries to which the Zolverein extended. He found that in the districts in which that union operated we had five diplomatic establishments, with an expense of 20,000/. a year. Of all those places, the one in which a man ot capacity might render the most %pitiable service to his country was Leipsic. The Noble Viscount opposite had appointed to the Consulship of that city a Mr. Jacob Hart. Now, if the Noble Viscount had searched England over, he could not have found a person more unfitted for the office. He (Mr. D'lsraeli) did not ask who Mr. Hart was, who had recommended him, what might have been his relations with the Noble Lord, or what might have been his original pursuits ; but he would sim ply state his belief, that considering everything that appoint ment was a disgrace to the Minister who had made it. That, however, was only a specimen of the consular system ; and in justice to the Noble Viscount, he felt bound to say that he was not sure that in some other place a similarly disgraceful appoint ment might not have been made, because consular appoint ments seemed to be considered as a refuge for the destitute. All the men of broken reputations were made Consuls.— (Laughter. ) There was some unfortunate member of a great family who could do nothing, and therefore he was made a Consul. Why did the public treat the consular establish ment with contempt ? Because, although it cost an immense sum of money, and if properly conducted might be of great service to the country, there was no party or faction which was riot represented by some member of that establishment. What was there in the stirring streets of Stutgardt, or in the bustle of Munich, to prevent the Consuls from devoting a few momenta to the service of their country? Yet what was the position of the Right Hon. Baronet when he came into power? The information which he wanted ought to have been found in the archives of the embassy ; but that information being wanting, Mr. Meek was sent on a rambling, scampering ex pedition for five or six weeks, for the purpose of preparing that Report which had been laid on the table of the House. He thought he had now laid before the House the condition of every country from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, but he might say more—lie thought he had referred to every country from the Nile to the Elbe, and he believed there was not a sin gle town between these two rivers that had not been visited by the officers of the late Government. There was only one other country to which he intended to call the attention of the House, and that was China, where they had sent an officer to discharge the duties of Plenipotentiary. The officer to whom he alluded was Captain Elliot, and when he (Mr. D'lsraeli) said that of ficer was not competent to discharge the duties imposed upon him, he believed no man would say he spoke with any degree of bitterness against Captain Elliot. It was his (Mr. D'lstaeli's) opinion that Captain Elliot had failed in discharging his duty, but the real secret was not so much the inefficiency of Captain Elliot, as it was the position in which he was placed by the Government. There was a vacilating power between political and commercial interests entrusted to him, and he did not know which of them it was his duty to attend to—it was the divis'on of duties which brought Captain Elliot into the fatal errors he had committed. The late Government recal:ed Captain El liot as a species of punishment, but what did they do with him afterwards? They m de him a Consul, they sent him out toTexas as Consul—( Hear, hear)—he was put in a position of great difficulty ; but the old official habits of the Noble Lord led to the re-appointment of the officer who had committed th ese errors in China, and amongst the names published in the last September Dispatch of 1841, containing the names of General O'Leary and Mr. Fonblanque, was also the name of Captain Elliot. He thought he had shown the House such facts as would enable them to form some idea as to how our consular stablishments were arranged and carried on. There was only one more point on which he thought it his duty to touch. It was said. that a Consul must have commercial knowledge. Consuls formerly had the power of examining the registers and cargoes of ships; but since the Consular Act of Canning, a Consul could not examine the register or cargo of a ship ; he hail not, therefore, the power to examine ships' papers. In old days, a Consul used to clear a ship, pay harbour duties, and do a number of other duties which now they did not perform. That, however, did not constitute the duties of a Consul, who was a superintendent of commercial interests. The fact was he performed no com mercial duties whatever, though he had to defend the commer cial interest in the same way as an Ambassador. There was no difference.between the duties of a Consul and the duties of an Ambassador, but the difference of degrees. The plan which he (Mr. D'lsraeli) prop-wed was, that in every metropolis where there should be a diplomatic mission, the consular department should be conducted under one head. Also that every Vice- Con , el should bear the relation of an attache to the British Minister in every important place. If the House adopted this resolution it would be found to operate for the benefit ofthe country at large. He believed it would be the commencement of an era that would lead to the foreign service of this country obtaining a character very different from the one which it had hitherto maintained.—( Hear, hear.) If it were carried out, instead of the present imperfect system, we should see one continuous service, well-regulated. we.l-con ducted, well-educated, and the result would conduce to the honour of the Sovereign and the welfare of her subjects. The Hon. Member concluded by moving the following resolution— " That it appears to this House, that great inconvenience and injury to the public welfare have arisen from the civil affairs of her Majesty in foreign countries being carried on by two dis tinct services ; and that, with a view of advancing those com mercial interests which at this moment so much occupy our consideration, it is expedisnt that measures should be forthwith taken to blend the consular with the diplomatic body." Lord C. H ANULTON, in seconding the motion, besought the House to weigh well the plan proposed by his Hon. Friend. In his (Lord C. Hamilton's) opinion it was well calculated to obviatesmainbay, which deep:egrhbos t eyio h nnw e tgahal eei personalities, ita i eNob l s s o,ouebo o nti f r: i the l:l esaosnraapaykrryee.sbdeshe opposite,n ete t ra vi‘svlayset, tern.observations while oi iw avoid,nui would he ehmeuobservationseh indulgea s p oian. olen htheewaisppoinintemffieerets. The subject was one of the utmost importance to the merchants of England, and every thing that affected their interests waa the (mostthe im an p x er io ta u n s ee atetefntthioen subject jeettheie a Ho e u em se : wWohrethny of hereg mercial, apoliti ca l, an d statistical point of v iew , f an d the great advantage that must result to the country t a more efficient diplomatic servic e ex i sted, he hoped he migh t be allo we d t o ma k e a few observations.—(Hear, hear. But before h e en t ere d on the subject, he begg e d t o say that e had no .apprehension that would the uu ll N dd o bm b e l eapkrLeeojarueddyappointments now ai to a t t t h h e e headie public ofn thett interests . toe teForeignsgconsular vin r e Department, the ti s e hich tent of the commercial transaction s o f t h e country, the fra me "- work of their present consular establi s h ment seemed to himto be extremely defective. It was surprising to find hew imper fect was the state of our consular establishments. There was no digest of laws to which consuls could refer or which guide them in emergencies. There had been certaUly a considerable re-modelling of the consular body in the time of Mr. Canning. Merchants had formerly been appo'reed to the offices of consuls ; but the inconvenience of that system had been felt, and a dif. cerent system was adopted. Not only were there no rules for guiding the consuls, but there were act s u n a y l e n ga o uma q ion u nt a ga l nsfitese•l withh the avti whom for assuming the office. It was not necessary that th ere s h ou l d beanyprevwu language, habits, m boos,n a ie n r d c ifael knowledge, they were to reside. The appointment was arbitra r y ; i t was commercial e(the people generally conferred upon persons of advanced age, in broken fortune, who were totally unqualified to eerform efficiently the duties of their office. Were it otherwise the Government would not be under the necessity of sending out a person to collect information; that expense would be saved to the country. He thought the country bad a right to say that if these Geis tlemen were to receive such high salaries they ought to per form the duties well which appertained to their office, or if they did not do that their salaries should be diminished. The arbitary system of promotion which was observed in the con sular establishment naturally tended to prevent young men of ability and talent from turning their attention to the studies necessary to fit them for the office of Consul. There were now 170 Consuls in the Establishment, at a coot of 100,000/. a year, and he thought it would be desirable so to arrange that those who acted with ability, and who were of service to the country should be enabled to look forward to promotion. At present, however, it was notorious that the highest con sulships were given to those who had not been brought up so as to he fitted for the duties required of them. He would now advert to Mr. Wood, of whom mention had already been made THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY MORNING. MARCH 9, 1842 (Hear, hear.) The same principle which applied to Bogota applied to the other States—a Charge d'Affaires and a Consul having been appointed in both. The vacancy created by the res - guation of the Consul at Bogota had been filled up without any increase of expense to the country. The Hon Gentleman avid that the individual he (Lord Palmerston) appointed was not fit for his office. The Hon. Gentleman had his opinion upon that subject, and he (Lord Palmerston) had his own opinion.—( Hear, hear.) He would not have appointed that gentleman if he had not known that his talents and qualifications were such as eminently fitted him for the office, and he was perfectly convinced that the duties of the office would be most satisfactorily performed by him.— ( Hear, hear.) It was said that he did not understand the Spanish language. If no gentleman could be appointed as Consul who did not perfectly understand the language of the country to which he was to be sent, the pubic would be fre quently deprived of the services of many useful officers. A knowledge of any language could be easily acquired, but, above all others, the Spanish language was the most simple and easily acquired by a gentleman of ordinary attainm its; a d by this time he was sure his Hon. Friend, who he hoped had before now arrived at Bogota, in spite of t' - e Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. D'lsraeli). was now perfectly able to speak both Spanish and French —( Laughter. ) However, at Bogota the Consul could not be at a loss for a Si.anish iuterpreter, because it was qui e clear that several persons, even amongst the British merchants there, could be found sufficiently trustworthy to act as interpreters—( Hear, hear)—so that, in that respect, the Hon. Gentleman must have been either grossly deceived by the character he had received of the merchants there, or he had only heard of the first act ot the drama, and then, when the curtain was drawn up, the representation was very different. When the curtain was drawn tip, the Hon. G rifleman found that the Consul-General was sitting in the discharge of his duties with a very respect , ble British merchant acting as his interpreter. He ( Lord P.) controverted the proposition of the Hon. Gentleman. He denied that he gave consular duties to those who were a;,- pointed to act as diplomatists, but he thought that those duties could at least for some years to come be confined to those who had at present been discharging them. Then the Hon. Gentleman, following him (Lord P. ) through every region of the earth—( Laughter)—in r very part of which he had the misfo tune of incurring the Hon. Gentleman's displeasure and disapprobation—(Laughter)— the lion. Gentleman next went to Egypt ; there he found a very respectable gentleman Mr. Parker, who retired very shortly after he ( Lord P.) came iato office. Col. Campbell, and Col. Hodges were then appointed, and he ( Lord Palmerston) might justly say, he was proud of these appointments.--( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman said that Colonel Hodges commenced his career in Portugal ; true it was he did so—he served for some time in the army which placed Donna Maria upon the throne, and distinguished himself in that service, and he (Lord Palmerston) had yet to learn that intrepidity and great valour, high honour, and such general conduct as attached a distinguished officer to the men under his command, were to disqualify such a man from holding a respon sible office. Those things should rather have qu ilified him for the discharge of his duties —( Hear, hear.) Again, the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. D'lsraeli) was totally misinformed with re gard to the affairs of Servia, and he (Lord Palmerston) f It it his duty to contradict the Hon. Gentleman's assertion, when he stated that dissensions or convulsions in that country were fomented by the British Consul there.—( Hear, hear. ) Now he would say that the appointment of Col. Hodges was one for which he (Lord Palmerston) took some pride to him self; and he would add, that the able manner in which he performed his duties in Egypt led him to send him to Ham burgh. They had followed the plan proposed by the Hon. Member opposite where it could be done, and he thought that the diplomatic arrangements of Newburgh might well be left in the hands of those who managed the consular affairs. Now with regard to Mr. Wood, the Hon. Member said that he had not performed his duties. The fact was, that Mr. Wood was not Consul when he first went to Syria, but whilst there he per. formed services of great importance to the Government in which he was ergaged. Whether the Hon. Gentleman re gi etted the expulsion of the Egyptians from Syria, he (Lord Palmerston) did not know, but those who did consider that as a step of good policy, he was sure would acknowledge that Mr. Wood had rendered great and efficient services to the accom plishment of that object. Again, the Hon. Member spoke in terms, which he (Lord P.) thought might have been spared, with regard to the Consul at Leipsic. That Consul had some diffe rences with some of the local authorities at Leipsic, but he had reason to believe that those differences were made up ; and he (Lord Palmerston) would say that Mr. Wood had furnished them with some most useful statistical information relative to that place. The Hon. Member then entered into a lung statement relative to the system pursued by the late Govern ment in sending Special Commissions to inquire into and re pot ton matters of a statistical nature. He (Lord Palmerston ) must say that he considered that practice must useful and bene ficial. It was all very well to say you thave Consuls here and Ministers there, and attachees at anoher place, and what do yon want with any other assistance ? He (Lord Palmerston) was of opinion that they might have good Ministers, good Consuls, and deserving Attachees, and yet they might not have that details d information which was fit should be acquired for the benefit of the Government at home. It was possible the greatest industry might not acquire necessary information. Oi this the lion. Member had given them a specimen to-night—he had made them a speech which showed a good deal of indus try in a particular way, and yet he had shown such a la mentable want of information as would not enable him to obtain any support for his motion. But were we the only people who adopted the course which the Hon. Member con demned? They would find that at the time of his ( Lord P.'s) Hon. Friend's mission to Prussi I, with regard to the Com mercial League, France and the United States sent over similar envoys, though they had at the time most able and efficient ministers at Berlin. Again, tha French sent Special Commissioners here to examine and report on our system of customs. The United States also sent Commissioners to more than one country in Europe to obtain information with regard to the Post-office system. If we were wrong, then, we went wrong in good company. We went wrong in company of the Right lion. Baronet opposite, and the Governments of France and the United States; and so far from that being any reflec tion on the diplomatic ministers, or the consular ministers, he thought it was only another proof of the desire of the G overnment to o b ta i n the most accurate information. Again tke Hon. Member was wrong in thinking that Consuls did not make reports of important information, both statistical and commercial ; for it was the duty of every Consul regularly to send home reports of this kind to the Government; and the Hon. Gentleman was wrong again when he said that these reports were not read by the Secretary of State. He (Lord Palmerston) would say that when he was Secretary of State, he read every report which arrived, from that furnished by the highest Consul- General to that sent in by the lowest Assis tant- Consul in the service.—( Hear, hear.) It certainly was very laborious reading, and took up a . great deal of, time ; stilt it was a great mistake to imagine that because there was a Clerk in the foreign-office who was the Superintendent of the consular branch, that the Secretary of State did not give the same minute attention to those matters which it was his duty to give to every point in his office. 'I he Hot.. Member then thought that it was unnecessary to have sent the person who was deputed to Naples for the purpose of settling the com mercial tariff of the two countries. Speaking of the Minister of Naples, he (Sir R. Peel) would say that he had always per formed his duties with intelligence, integrity, and zeal ; and he ( Lord Palmerston) was one who would not say so if he dill not think so. The censure of the Hon. Member, then, was mis applied ; and it would be, indeed, advisable, if the hon. Mem ber would make himself better acquainted with the facts before he entered into these questions. Mr. Macgregor was sent to negotiate some alteration in certain clauses in the tariff; he discussed the question of the treaty, but had gone farther than he was instructed to do, and the general arrangement which he had thought should be accepted by her Majesty's Go vernment, was one which he (Lord P.) did not think it his ' duty to sanction ;he believed, in consequence, that the treaty had not to this day been ratified. Again the Hon. Member objected to the seeding of Mr. Macgregor to Sicily. Her Majesty's Government having sent Mr. Macgregor out to revise that ta riff, and that they might receive the most detailed accounts from him, which could not be contained in written despatches, it was his duty to go to Sicily that he might obtain most per fect information. He (Lord Palmerston) felt it his duty, in in justice to the consular body, who had been much censured, and whom it was the fashion of Gentlemen in that House, who were wholly ignorant of the matter of which they were treating, to censure—to say that though there might be some hss per fect than others, yet, taking them as a body, there was not a more able and efficient body in Europe. Ile ( Lord Palmerston) felt much obliged to them fur their assistance, and he thought there could be no doubt that they had rendered the greatest service to the country.—( Hear, hear.) As to the Government being ill-informed, he would say that, during the time of these Consuls, the Government of England had been better , informed than any other Goverment in the world ; that might appear a bold assertion, bat he said it most deilberately.—(llear, hear.) The motion of the Honourable Member being, he (Lord Palmerston) believed, only an occa sia.n on which he might retail the complaints of those hunch eds of disappointed candidates for consulships against the more successful candidates, he need not, perhaps, have gone so much into the matter contained in his speech. He thought, however, that he had shown that that part of the Hon. Mem tier's scheme, which consisted in the very reverse of the words he had made use of, viz., " giving diplomatic power to consu lar had been f o ll owe d out b y the Government as agents" faras possible. It came across him that there were two persons whom the Honourable Momber criti cised (if whom he (Lord Palmerston) had yet said nothing, though it was his duty to do so. The Hon. Member said that we had a Consul-General in Venezuela, but instead of his residing there he was living at St. Petersburgh, and the Consul was dying at Liverpool—a very pretty antithesis, but well suited to the rest of the Hon. Gentlemans' speech. What was the fact ? The Consul-General having completed a most important treaty, applied to him (Lord Palmerston) for leave of absence which he obtained, but said the Hon. Member ' he was living at St. P e t ers b urg h ; per h aps, he was, because having his family living there, and taking advantage of Isis leave of absence, he went there.—(Hear.) He was an able and most valuable public servant ; he had been a long time at his post, and certainly deserved the leave of absence which he obtained. But then the Consul at Puerto Cabello died at Liverpool some time ago, and a Mr. O'Leary had beev appointed in his p'ace. Mr. O'Leary was a naturalized subject of America; he spoke the Spanish language, and by a long residence in that country .knew something of the people. How could we think of appointing such a man—one who spoke the language, and was well acquainted with the country ? He ( Lord Palmerston) must ask the Hon. Gentleman to give up his case either against the ConsUl at Bogota or at Puerto Cabello. He would give him his choice, but he mint give up one or the other. But who was General O'Leary ? He was a British subject, though by long residence is South America he had obtained the privileges of a South American subject. They were not very difficult to obtain, for, after living there two years, they gave it to you and said, " you shall be an American subject." General O'Leary became an Ameri can subject, he served with great distinction in the Colombian army, and he ( Lord Palmerston) was quite sure that he was perfectly competent to take care of British interests at Puerto Cabello. And he would now give the Hon. Member a piece of information, rmation, it was, that this Ameri c a n su bj ect was not acting a Consul-General in the room of Sir H. Porter during, his absence; here then was a double . charge that this person, who understood their language. and was well acquainted with the country, should be appointed to perform the duties of his chief. He (Lord Palmerston), should not trouble the House much farther, he thought he had gone through the names of all those whom the Hon. Member meant to make his victims. If h e h ad omitted any he hoped the House would judge of them by those whom him had defended. He could only say that it was fair warfare for Hon. Members on one side of the House to say what they pleased against Gentlemen on the other side; and anything personal against him (Lord Palmerston) he might have urged with any degree of antitheses, or any point of epigram he chose, because as •lie Right Hon. Paronet said, though now out of office, he had aright to defend himself ; hut he thought it not very be coming for a Member of that House to draw into the matter per sons who had no connexion with the part —persons sensitive of their characte r , more so perhaps than lion. Members might suppose —and whose power of serving their country depended much on the weight their characters bore.—(Hear, hear.) He would therefore beg of the Hon. Gentleman that while ha gave him the fullest permission to turn his steel on himself— ( A laugh)—while he gave him the amplest liberty to attack him, he would, i n b e h alf of those who were serving the country in official situations, entreat of him to spare their feelings, and that he would take pains to make himself acquainted with the facts on the subject before he stated in that House what 13 star departments—he found that in Calais, Paris, Havre, Bou logne, Oporto, and many other 'daises, there must be Consuls, and the men ought to be qualified fot the office. If he was told that the men were unqualified. he should readily believe the a Brain's functionary should be employed to watch over the com mercial interests in those q 'assess, but how could they unite the consular body with it ? How could he affirm a resolution that the consular should be blended with the diplomatic holy ? !t was a universal unqualifiedproposition. He would take the ease of a great country such as America, where he could 0. - tow that it was necessary to have a consul where there was no diplomatic functions. Now, if this was so, how could they affirm a proposition uniting the consular with the diploreatia body ? lie took the case of Archangel, ‘l arsaw, and ether placet, to which the same argument applied; and this was an other ground why the House of Commons should not affirm a proposition that the diplomatic and consular bodies should be blended. At the same time he should be sorry to oppose a pro positi in that in some cases they should be blended. There were many cases in which, in his opinion, they ought to be ' blended ; and there were many cases in which they were blend ed; and he thought that in every ease where they could be blended, and thus save an additional expense, they ought to be united. But it was impossible to lay down any general or universal rule. He thought it should not be in the discretion of the Executive Government to determine in what cases those functions ought to be united, but that they should have the power in particular cases, where those func tions could be united ; for he thought it would be a saving of the public fund , . He could not deny, as was stated by the Hon. Gentleman, that one situation disqualified the party fur the other (as we understood). It was important to the mer chants and trade of this country that the persons appointed to the office of Consul should be duly qualified. With regard to the question of api - ointmint, this subject would be duly con sidered, and with respect to the union of the two functions he could assure the Hon. Member, that when they could take place they would, and he (Sir It. Peel) was glad to have that opportunity of making that public advertisement to all those who might hereafter apply tohim for appointments—(Cheers)— to say that he would not interfere with consular appointments upon political grournds,and he took that opportunity of stating this for the information of all those who had a di:position to apply, or who expected an aepointment.—( Laughter.) Every ap pointment ought to be inquired into and certificated. No appointment ought to take place except they could be justified on the grounds of comtnerc al knowledge and fitness of the party. —( Hear, hear.) This he hoped would be received as an answer.--(Laughter.) If he could get this thoroughly known, he should be willing to resign any particular advantage as a Minister, and consider himself amply compensated in getting rid of these applicants.—(Cheers and laughter). He could only state that he was fully conscious of the importance of these appointments, and so far as he could he would see that they were given to persons fully acquainted with commercial affairs. He hoped the Hon Gentleman would not press the Reuse to affirm a resolution of this kind, as it was contrary to opinions formed upon the fullest inquiry. He hoped.the Hon. Gentleman would not press his motion to a division, but if he did it would be his ( Sir R. Peel's) duty, founded on con viction, to give a negative to the proposal. Lord PALMERSTON said he certainly was anxious that the Right Hon. Baronet and some other Members of the Go vernment should state their view 3 of the proposition made by the lion. Gentleman the Member for Shrewsbury, because the speech of the Hon. Member in bringing forward the motion was ostensibly principally directed to a change in the establishment in which he (Lord Palmerston) was no longer responsible. He agreed with the Right Hon. Baronet who had just sat clown, that no grounds whatever had been shown by the Hon. Gentleman making this motion for the proposition which he had submitted to the House. He (Lord Pal merston) would say that he never heard a speech which was so little supported by evidence, and which was more sup ported by assertion than by proof, than that by which the motion had been introduced to the House.—( Hear, hear. ) The Hon. Gentleman had toll them that the subject had occu pied his attention for several years; and he had particularly considered the appointment of Consuls. He (Lord Palmer.. stun) was afraid this was but an unprofitable employment, so far as enlarging the mind was concerned.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) If the Hon Gentleman had taken the trouble to have studied the written law of nations, or any materials which would really throw light on the subject, he thought he would not have made his motion, or if he had made it, his well known ingenuity and talent would have advanced better grounds than those he had laid before the House. That mo tion was to transfer the consular duties to the diplomatic agents; yet if any thing more strongly fixed in his mind more than 'another, th..t was that one. Consuls had perfot med their' duties to the satisfaction of all; and yet the lion. Member came forward with his usual talent and activity with a new system, which was to unite the consular with that of the diplomatic body. Upon the entire ques tion it was quite manifest that the Honourable Gen tleman opposite had brought forward his proposition for the purpose of enabling him to enter into details and criticisms upon the appointments which he (Lord Palmerston) had made. It was true that every man, no matter what posi tion he was in, thought himself competent to make a good Consul—every man, as the It ght Hon. Baronet had said, whether in the army or navy, or pursuing a mercantile life, or in legal pursuits, no matter what, he thought his former course of life fitted him for consular duties. That also would lead persons to look with a little more caution than they would otherwise probably have, and when there was a great number of candidates, several muss be disappointed, and it was not unlikely that those who had been selected should be the object of criticism. With regard to the question itself of con sular appointments, he was surprised that the Hon. Gentleman who had turned his attention to it should not see from the nature of the thing that it was impossible his proposition could be acted upon. The lion. Gentleman proposed that the Am bassador should perform two-fold duties, that there should be Consuls who should act as Charges d'Affaires, Vice- Consuls who should be Attaches. It was plain that the lion. Gentlemen understood very little about the duties of those offices. The duties of Consuls were in many respects to tally different from those of diplomatic agents. he Consul's first duty applied to the adjustment of all shipping affairs, and to the settlement of di s p u t es b etween t h e crews of our ships and their masters ; to attend to all complaints made by British subjects who want to those places for the purposes of trade. The Consul was charged also with attending to the distress of British subjects, and to supply them with means to enable them to return home, and to protect them against the local authorities. These were the duties which were to be per formed by the Consuls, and in their nature they were wholly different from diplomatic duties. It was true that in places where there were no ministers, the Consul would have duties of a diplomatic nature to discharge. It might be said that then his duties were political, and in some respects that they were of a diplomatic character. How was it possible that the Government of this country would permit, suppose twenty or thirty diplomatic agents from different foreign countries, to bedispersed throughout this coun try ? If the Hon Gentleman's proposition were acted upon, those agents must be multiplied throughout the country. Surely the English Government would not permit their allies to send so many agents to this country—it would be a depar ture from international usage. It would either indicate cir cumstances calculated to excite suspicion, or it would show an inconsistency with the arrangements of the country. The diplomatic agents act by letters given to them by the Govern.. ment who appoint them. They hold their offices during the pleasure of the Government which sent them out. They act not only by the letters of credit they had obtained from their own Government, but also by the exequatur which they ob tained from the foreign Government, which might be with drawn at any time without any reason being assigned. The Honourable Gentlemen (Mr. D'lsraeli) had converted all those Consuls into Charges d'Affaires. In the first place, the Honourable Gentleman had been totally in error in attempting to do that, for there was no such thing as a Charge u'Affaires wkere there was a British Minister, the co-existence then of a Charge d'Affaires, and of a Minister in the same place was riot c ,mpatible according to the nature of the things. But according to the Hon. Gentlemen's pro positions there would be 20 or 30 Charges d'Affaires in a place where there could be no possible communication with the authorities, and the Hon. Gentleman could invest them with powers, which they could not possibly exercise. It was plain then, the plan proposed by the Hon. Gentleman was so incon sistent, that if the Hon. Gentleman read the report to which he had referred, he (Lord Palmerston) was sure he would have derived much more inf mmation from it titan the Hon. Gentleman did by watching the appointments made by the late Government.—(Hear, hear.) It was pet fectly true that there were many cases—(and the lion. Gentleman felt the difficulty of it)—ia cases in which the two characters of Consul and diplomatists were combined; first when there were no diplo matist agents to a place, and secondly from motives of economy. When questions arose upon the local authority, it was the duty of consular agents to interfere. That was the case with the consular service. be Hon. Gentleman adverted to the manner in which those appointments were made. He (Lord Palmerston) was not then speaking of the Government to which he belonged, but he wished to state that the Executive Government had not been inattentive to the general principle which the Hon. Gentleman wished to be pursued, where that principle could be pursued consistently with the diplomatic cha racter, and that the consular duties could be properly fulfilled first. The lion. Gentleman said he wished to render a prroper tribute of approval to the Consuls in the Levant. Ile said they had rerformrd the duties of their office with satisfaction, but he (Lo-d Pahnerston) totally disagreed with the observa tions of the Hon. Gentleman. He said there were two species of duties which those Consuls had to perform, their consular duties and diplomatic duties. The Hon. Gentleman said that the consular duties were of an inferior kind, and that inferior per sons were appointed to discharge them, but that the diplomatic duties were of a superior kind, and that a superior class of men were appointed for them. That he (Lord P. ) did not at all admit.—(Hear, hear.) It was true there existed a great difference between the nature of both duties. There was this important distinction between them : upon the dip lomatic duties depended peace or war with the country, whereas, although the other duties were of a serious charac ter, those grave questions of peace or war could not directly arise:; therefore, with regard to the Levant Consuls, he ( Lord Palmerston) did not see that he need do anything else than confirm the expression of approbation of the Honourable Gentleman for the proper discharge of the very mi xe d duties, which, u n d er th e existing circumstances, they were called upon to perform.—( Hear, hear.) . Then the Honour- Hon. Gentleman went to America.--.( Laughter.) He admit mitted that in 1831 or:lB32—however, he was not quite cor rect as to the dates, because it was not then the arrangements he alluded to had taken place—but he (Mr. D'lsraeli) said that many Consuls were then appoipted with the character cf Charges d'Affaires. Undoubtedly many Consuls were ap pointed by him (Lord Palmerston) with the authority or powers of Charges d'Affaires, but it was in many instances front mo tives of economy that was done. In South America it was quite true that the political interests of this country were con ' cerned in a minor degree in its commercial relations with that country, and, consequently, most of the questions which arose there were of a diplomatic nature ; yet they had more or less reference to the commercial interest of the country ; therefore he (Lord Palmerston) did not feel feel that, with a due regard to the state of South America, it was of importance to have a diplomatic agent there, and it was therefore essential to give a diplomatic character to the Consul-General who had the care of the commercial interests Of that country.— (Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman was not exactly lucky in following correctly the facts— ( Hear, hear)—or from the information which the lion. Gentleman had received from others with regard to the course which he ( Lord Palmerston) had pursued. The Hon. Gentleman had said that a Mtn - ester had been first appointed by the late Go vernment, and then that Minister had been recalled for the purpose of giving him ( Lord Palmerston) an opportunity of appointing some of his political friends.—( Cheers and counter cheers.) The lion. Gentleman admitted that political adher ents should be appointed to offices, but he ( Lord Palmerston) was very sorry the HOll. Gentleman himself was an exception to that rule._( Laughter. ) Probably, however, before the determination of the Ses ion the maxim laid down by the Hon. Gentleman would be practically carried out in his own per son. —( Loud laughter.) Then with regard to Colombia, tine Hon. Gentleman talked of that as if it still existed as a single colony ; if the Hon. Gentleman knew anything of passing events—( Hear, hear)—he must have known the Republic of Colombia was split several years ago into three different States, namely, first New Grenada, Venezuela, and Bogota. The Minister who was at Bogota was allowed to continue. It was not thought fit to do anything harsh by him, either by re calling him from his place or calling upon him to retire upon a pension.' However, that Minister came home on leave of absence, and after being home for two years, he then intimated his wi-h not to return , b ut , as h e was i n ill h ea lth, that he wished to retire upots a pension. He was accordingly allowed to_ re tate upon a pension, and he wa s no t c alled home, as the Hon. Gentleman said, for the purpose of making room for another. -- - r w(dthlgo forth to the public and inflict pain, and perhaps jury, on the public servants of the country.—(Cheero r. SAIY I'HE said th a t a lth oug h it m i g ht appal` pr" -- 4 tuous in him to rise after the statements made lit, Hight Hon. Baronet and the Noble Lord, he Would I I ; the indulgence of the House for a few reonientso agreed with the Hon. Member who introduced the ID', that improvement" might be made in the consular merits, and he had no doubt that, if the consular body relf,e larger p a y, t h ey wou ld b e more inclined to attend to the2lil matron which w a s ex p ec t e d f rom t h em. Th e Hon. Alera ,, A Bolton might, in such a case, expect an appointment , s'' might exclaim, with the poet : " Ohl fortnnam natam, me Consule, Romani." ( A laugh.) But he could not give his assent to `the 5A ing condemnati ons o f hi s H on. F r i end. The Hon'. spoke of the a pp o i ntment of Mr. Wood and the Syrian ems tion in disparaging terms, but he could not aeree with that opinion. His lion. Friend al.o spoke of the N° bl lirto count opposite in a manner to which lie ( Mr. S.yeelrie eive his assent. H e thought that Noble L or d had - Per,. ty . the duties of his office with great ability, and ttlat s til; t eaty of London he displayed some of that consuninutw for which his illu s tri ous ancestor, Si r William Tem:P. :de " o i sti e s lebrated, wh o conc l u d e d t h e treaty of Nimeguen ability in a former period of their history.-41relr' bes e lie (Mr. S.) was of opinion that the consularA 1 1 , tablishment should be confined within those limitt'ilefi,';;ol l Air. Canning, and he tho ug ht th at th e d ut i es of Consis f tti not be confided to p ersons engage d i n trade. So°°„„,°oo C insuls, he believed, were a ll owe d to trade, and et"9'-bgo wit. The Consul a t V en i ce was re f used the l ib e rty', „c tio was allowed to th e C . nsu l o f T r i este. 'T he same di't",ol? was observed with rega r d t o th e C onsu l s of S t. Peterilm it hi anti Odessa. The l ea di ng o bj ec t o f t h e Consuls 'iVag'fortii been observed, the pr ocur i ng o f commerc i al informa tion country; and that being the case, he saw great ohjeeties s o f, exist in the way of aff o rdi ng suc h i n f ormat i on. The im ,° ' e st Lion was obtained as well for the public as for the Gete r ",.,,,tV and it could not be expect e d— a t l east i t was not Wise private interest of the Consul as a merchant slionl,''.do; varianca, as it was, with th e i n f ormat i on h e was obui afford the public on commerc i a l su bj ects. A ' engaged in trade was also liable to the aceident other persons engaged in trade, and he might rott a bankrupt. And, in hi s o pi n i on , i t was not rig h t t hit 1 0 0 rests of a great nation should be placed in the haft& • f tl persons. He th rew ou t th e hi n t f or t h e consideraff9o 'OO night Hon. Baronet, who might perhaps be induced to is matter into his sts, ions consideration. suet?' Air WILLIAMS ro s e a m id cr i es o f "Oh , oh." He not occupy the H ouse f or any l engt h of time. Theor merely to direct the attention of the House to di°, A C/ a Consul at Craco w . A ustr i a, Russia, and Prussia,. 0 •",,,J0 suls there, and h e b e li eve d if t h e E nglish Governmen t agent in that place, its occupation by foreign troops !'&10 prevented. He had no doubt that the establishment ol," 40 1 at Cracow would be co ns id ere d b y t h e people of Prus",,,,a 0 71 manifestation of the re e li ng , towaids that unhappy of the people of England. Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE•did not rise for tol l" pose of addressing any lengthened observations to the '4Ol ' but there was one subject alluded to by the Hon. Gen e t which, in his opinion, did not receive a sufficient ans, alluded to the unworthy attack made by the Hon. Gel, (P i upon the Minister at the Court of the Two Sicilies. R' o gfr . W. Somerville) in a subordinate situation, had the b ° "01 / . serving under that Mi n i s t er , an d h e was b oun d to statjeit)/ better or more able individ ua l w a s not to b e founu r d foreign service of the country.—( Hear, hear.) The it°P b which the Hon. Gentlem an soug h t to ma k e, by hi s , ° 0 144r tions, on the House was, that the individual had bee° o f by the Noble Viscount (Lord P a l merston ) on acconntop" relationship, and had been placed above others 17,, count of the affinity which he b ore t o bir°,lo . : the fact was, that he wa s one o f the oldest - diplomatic in the service of the country, and he made his way up huu.ble post to the high position which he now heirl."; Irr A hear.) Ile (Sir W. S ) having had the honour t o e' under him, and the pleasure of his friendship, couid„! down without offering that tribute to him.—(Cheers.) of f , , Mr. WARD said that he was happy to bear his testira 1 what had just fallen from the Hon. Baronet, becaus e b : i0 1 1 Ward) was also connect e d w ith t h e Hon. Air. TereP i bu retjl sear 1816. But he would no t h ave a ll u d e d to the of.; all if the motio n of th e H on . M em b er cou l d have b e e ° by any practical result. The Right Hon. Baronet ° l r ot e; had given unanswerable reasons why no person it in its present shape. There was one point to which 11 ,,e p t/ to call the attention of the House, which was, that wr„, o slit, had a diplomatic establishment in the centre of the , e l : 4 l' they should nut encumber it by having a resident Cfaif ir o the capital. The young men attached to the fureig l ,6 matic departments might be accustomed to more at; : i? the commercial intercourse between this country country in which they resided, by making the corr of the Consuls pass through their hands. in ce ° I America a large. establishment of Consuls had been appointed by Mr. Canning, by A ID t▪ o which the country had derived much advantage. had fallen from the lion. Member for Shrewsbury. o f,i hard to the ignorance of the Consul-General of Bor t ' s ifir,; language' of the country, it did not appear to him (Alrf•ift t o be at all necessary for the interests of the cou n . he could such knowledge should be possessed. One of brilliant diplomatists which this country ever PO's" meant Lord Heytesbury, was totally unacquainted * ;$1 • 0 .; panish lang uage w h en h e was at the C our t ° hut that did not in the least disqualify him trout h eL useful directions to th e C onsu l s o f t h e country Whi c _ 4 esr A presented. It was a l wa y s t o b e suppose d t h at con:0 1 '1 1i might be easily carri e d on t h roug h th e me di um oft 04, persons, as interp re t ers ; a t th e same time it va; ; desirable that a knowledge of the language be countries where they were placed should kg. tamed by persons entrusted with diplonistic„_td, They could never in this country make diplomacy r, is io po; fession as to induce persons to adopt it, as they 47_„,, r se,`, countries. When one Government in this country °V, another, they. were obliged to have pets"' own immediate confidence, and therefore fori were placed over the heads of others, anct o to situations to which they might not be bt iefy titled. He was inclined t o thi n k t h a t some goUti °a l g a. from the motion of the Hon. Gentleman opposite; ' 4 Ares ed it to a divisio n , he (Mr. Ward) should feel it his vote against it. LABOUCHERE had a few words to say in coot v what had fallen from the Hon. Gentleman . ; The l a vernment had thought it so i nexpe di en t that there'o?) Minister and a Cons u l-G enera l res id ent i n a foreig i tim et ri i that he believed his Noble F r i en d (L or d Pal merstoO ) the situation of Consul-General where theree - WItS a English Minister. This was the case in Paris, Madrid , e ; o , Buenos Ayres, and Naples. He believed there were 0 7_ _!aces where there was a B r iti s h Mi n i s t er , a nd a Cenn ho B r ), l also ; but those pl aces were p ar ti cu l ar l y s i tua t e d. Ham one of those places, where the extensive nature of their e° intercourse required an English Consul. Captain PLUMRIDGE said it was evident that e4l.erY Consul ought to unde rs t an d commerc i a l 'business. 0) was more difficult than that of a captain of an 11 I war, when called on, as he frequently was, to set IS an 1 0 0 0 Consul, and to arbit ra t e b e t ween rime captains ,hf do o vessels and their crews. Th e C onsu l s h a d n o .potier fo d, and he hoped whoever h a d th e a pp o i ntment o f Consulii :4 1 them thi, power. thej? Mr. D'ISR A ELI replied. H e sa id h e h a d to than l oci Viscount for his aspirations for his (Mr. D'lsraeli's) ferment, and if he had learned any of the secrets of the 1 / count's astonishing career by w hi ch h e ha d continue d office with every Governm en t f or t h e l ast twenty- 6 ;109 ( Hear, hear)—he should think the debate had been tl ncil lt some advantage. He di ssen t e d ent i re l y f rom the Pr clues down by the Noble Vi scoun t, t h at t h ey were no t to 09,,r personal character of an appointment as Foreign Minister' #t Government was responsible, and if they ' thought a ne ottj was appointed was not a proper character, they WI it 11 0 ;i power to question the propriety bT that appointment . ~ be been his object to ent er i n t o p ersona l d e t a ils ; • it b" ba d could have adduced four times the number of cases he ; t o l f but he had not instanced any cases of a person al nattlt i c illustrative of the principle he advoc a ted. The I " l ° b b e eel / serted that he wanted knowled ge o f th e su bj e ct, O a ! , t wig', have read the Report, and have studi e d the law or Da od e then he would have seen th a t a C onsu l req uited 1, , :‘ „je t ) But he might venture to say that h e h i d no t erred,as ",. w ed 'tor ° Noble Lord himself, nor any o th er H on . * em ber had tta ° j principle he wished to enforce. He denied that he a t' ha u 'ib 4 character of the Hon. M e mber f or H a ddi ng t on , a nd sOa ted the Right lion. Baronet, the le a d er o f time Hong ., that the responsibility of separating the commercial a n ea pial tic duties of Consuls was too g rea t, y e t no on e bad,, d those duties were. It had be en sa id th a t they ha" t ie/n 4 b,tween captains and their cre ws , an d a tt en d to th e WI:" vessels, but th es e were t o some extent di p l oma ti c acts: l these commercial duties ? What was their comnlete ls 2 o 0i No one had described it. Th oug h th e f ate o f the rn°" - ye' dent, yet nothing had been e li c it e d d ur i ng the deb a t e must tend to advance his view of the question- The motion was then put and negatived without a diviners INTERMENT IN CITIES. usil f 9, rflo Mr. MACKINNON rose to move fo r a Select Ergs consider the expediency of framing som e Legislative rea sce.. ) l . (due respect being paid to the r i g ht s o f th e c lergY) t", evils arising fr om the i n t ermen t o f b o di es within the bs l; 4 large towns, or of places den s ely p eo pl e d. He fa'a,. t rofsi, forward the motion o f w hi c h h e h a d g i ven notice. he th e 0 , 1 should be excused for making a few observation s ° under contemplation. He was first induced to bring tto ale," forward from having be e n a m em b er o f th e Select C sts ted) pointed the Session before last, to in q uire into th e lo P ee , towns, and though the object of the C om mittee Wa i the the same as the present motion, yet._ d he pp ° incidentally came under their view, "!..!-. ba d . 001 thought it of such importance that be o ot t". induced to give it his best consideration. Su ns many persons in the City of London, and severs 'that of high character, had mentioned to him their desi rc . i o eese, jeer should laz brought forward. Under these circkl% if he t i t, fcre, he trusted he should not be thought presurnPtu, u v e 00 0 0 7 vou red to show the House the necessity of the mei'i nre , i n /we'," inn to their notice. For many centuries they had kep t WOO - f and corruption within the walls of large sad P t P he .0 while a'most every nation of Europe had adelSe‘ l , 4 _ nett tached burial-grounds. The object he had in view, I ,7 . 4 in gew - tr Vie sanction of her Majesty's Government, and of the 1 ; 6 ' 0 00 ° of the Church, and that object was to prevent the in citiess dead within the walls of large towns and populous .... ra ptee . , was possible that such a custom could be so long P' s t he Y. ) this country, passed his comprehension ; and would be surprised when he informed them that: . b .' een o bs t O nations of the world a different system of things b , The ancient Egyptians had the custom of burm_li e t os f / 5 the Greeks adopted the same custom ; and the ,It e „T we l v e the same practice. It was one of the laws of til' prec inc , that nobody should be burned or buried within the ,„ be so ii rj town or city. It was impossible for any practice oe OUR to health as the practice they now observe s , , Oo kinf that, setting aside the custom of the ancients, I: Id 00V/ at the injunctions of the primitive Church, they . ° l : vie d • the early Christians did not allow the dead to n!_ it re sti o ! within their towns, or within the church. The • Cist 4 , was buried within the walls of a church was ....I fiaaa ry . Now he would come to the point, by quoting r. "f ated, ti Emperor Constantine, who had been 01 three medicaLmen on this subject. Mr. Oa of t i h ` e dea q effluvia caused in churches by the decom o it °("n Bs sli beneath and around was most pernicious to the ver3 ,ealt h ~,a „ trt tions and inhabitants. The Lance! contained se was universally admitted to be bad. The heads 0 1 feeling 10 1 11° , 1 . ‘ ,4: of this troth. In short, the inhumation of bod e _t . e h ' e l tu rcl a, l! ' a rtritegaa' L 4 ' the city of London, had communicated this _ thtes er o knew this was the feeling of the public at large, n'' a c) felt it his duty to bring forward the subject, con vince w _,.„ ye ed °steel; rejoia: BO WRING, in seconding the motion, . 0 r e. 1 1 r l e e aAd is t l h a e tu rn re a ;v o 7_ld ( ta il k e e ar i . t h u e T r. a ) nd with these few op Dr. country, which was behind every country in Europe fi n e ' s ; effe ct:, had at last taken up this important question. T h eislature io h already resulted horn the interference of the Lee ts jlo in France and Spain, and he looked also for the be." nt for A r legislative interference here. Government gr • Mr. WAKLEY was quite grateful to the wo o c e:d re in t g ha to t tnhoe cemetery motian. pHroephrioepreodrstshheoullidoub.eGoenntrb.inena.ruodrioitttoPto, (Hear, hear)—and also that the Committee should..! „ T o o. lo s heavy charges the poor had to pay iri heard that in a neighbouring cemetery a poor man _ e t, to the •,01 He would give the name of his authority for this s_.*_„ o ,l4 o monopoly's" Gentleman. They should take care that n We e front the proposed measure. the , • 'on that Sir J. GRAHAM was decidedly of opinion some burr,ri_siroe ce5,..100:1 ~s, lt; 1. 41 , P:qlA 1 1j " ttil; , rl ° : i i . t lift; Se - t , 7 ' 4 14/ th 24, 1 41, 1 41 11u0,,' Ntr j r „. 3 . ] rt. 1, 4 'tl9: 401: .t 1 dee 44 41 1 .. 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