The Express.
London, England, 1858-10-01 00:00:00

CONSULAR SERVICE AND APPOINTMENTS.

This morning was leaned the report of the select
committee of the Roues of Commons appointed to inquire
Into the consuls/ service and comolar appointments. The
report Itself accepts. ten folio pages ; but with It are minted
the minutes of evidence and appendix, forming in ell a balky
" blue Mole of 762 kilo peen The committee recommend
the immediate accomplishment of the following object. :
1. The establieboast of mach a system of consular educa-
tion and promotion as may tend to prevent the employment
of any bat British subjects se °mauls, v:ce-oonattle, or inter-
preters, in the portion of the world cunplising Northein
Attica, Eastata Europe, and the Levant.
2. The prohibition of ell commie to engage in trade, or to
accept commercial agencies (except in such came as the
Foreign-olnce may specially determine to be advantepoue
to the public interest, with a view to the opening or develop-
ing of sny new trade), and the appointment of respectable
persons, already engaged in commerce, as British consular
agents, in places where the premien of a salaried British
official is not required.
3. The diminution of the present number of vice comb In
Europe, end the gradual abolition of their license to trade.
4. Such an crganiestion of the consular service as may
divide its member into separate classes, receiving salaries
adequate to their position, and without any farther reduction
than that of the income-tax; sty augmentation for special
esmios or peculiar oircumstmutes to be made in the way of •
special allowance. . .

6. The appropriation of all fees, 6:rept in the cases of un-
paid consuls to the public account, the expenses of the office
being regulated and defrayed by the government.
Your committee an of opinion that the consoler inattao-
tions might be revised with advantage, and that the pablia-
lion, the commercial returns from our consuls,
in an Improved form, might be of considerable benefit to the
public. _ . .

Your committee recommend that the classification of con-
sular officers referred to in th. ir report, together with the
scale of salaries decided upon by the government, should tie
laid before parliament.
Your oommittes are unwilling to separate without express-
ing their gratiflostion at the testimony borne to the worth
and character of the gentlemen now on the oonsular establish-
ment of this country. Little disposition has been mutilated
on the part of oorporate bodies or of individuals to substan-
tiate befits your committee any accusations of misconduct
or mal-administration, although eepecidly invited to do so ;

bat the lose charges that have been brought before than have
been of much me is leading them to general inferences and
to such oonclusions as will, they conceive, for the future pre-
vent even the suspicion of molt occurrent-vs. Other effects
of the proposed reforms may not be so 'mantillas or so promi-
Dent, but your committee trust that they will result in
• sound and permanent orpniestion, in the tame economy
which justly remoleratee tmclent service, and iu the content-
ment of the Akers engaged end of the ooantry that employs
them.