The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-06 00:00:00

THE DIPLOMATIG SERVICE.

BEPORT OF% THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
The select connuitteo appointed to inquire into
the constitution and efficiency of the present diplomatic
aerrice of this country, have con►idered the matters to them.
referral, and have agreed to the following report :
Having examined witnesses of all ranks in the diplomatic
service, and several persons who have filled high ale- in
connexion with the admioistration of the departmett of
Foreign Affairs, and having had the advantage of th,
re-
ports on the diplomatic service, of other countries, and of
the opinions of the principal agents of the govern:4(.4
abroad, transinitted to the Foreign-office in answer to the
circular dispatch of the 2:dh August, 11460, your committee
have agreed to make the following recommendations to the
house :

1. That there be two chums of extruiustion previe%l to
admission into the service--a iirst awl secood—the
date selectiug which ho will undergo ; if he pass the lint
he will be exempted from any further examination.
2. That the attachinhip shall, for the future, be regarded
as a probationary period of four years at the molt, six
months of which shall be spent in the duties of the Foreign.
office.

S. That at the expiration of his attacheihip, if his cha.
racier ►od conduct are approved by the minister under
whom he has been placed, the attach.: shall be nominated
secretary of a certain ch.'s, and be paid as such. It h un-
derstood that a commhsion be issued to every member of
the diplomatic sert ice on los first appointment as secretary,
so as to give him a cLim to calculate his pension from that
date.

4. That exchanges between member,' of the diplomatic
body and clerks in the F.lreimi-ottice client,' be allowed,
under the sanction of the secretary of state.
5. That the present regulations, with regard to leave of
absence of ambsuisadon and minister:, appear to press upon
them with undue seventy, and that the attention of the
secretary of state may be advantageously directed to this
subject.
6. That whenever it is practicable and fit, a residence for
a term of years should be secured for the British embassy or
mission. The rent and rcpain to be defrayed at the public
expense.
7. That the attention of the secretary of state be directed
to the eateries and allowances of the larger adagios's, with
the view of considering whether they are adequate to meet
the greatly increased expenditure of living at the principal
European capitals.

THE EXPORT DUTY ON RAGS.

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE

This morning the report of the select committee
appointed to inquire into the above duty, and the evidence
heard by them, wen, issued in a parliamentary blue book.
The committee refer to the evidence of several paper
makers, to show that the portion of their trade which is
engaged in the manufacture of white paper for
printing is in a state of unprecedented depression
—mainly due to the competition with foreign
paper—the cheapness of the latter being due to
the prohibitions on the export of rags from the countries
exporting the paper. The committee think there are
serious obstacles to obtaining supplies of rags from more
distant sources where these export duties do not exist ; and
the inquiries for a new fibre have mot as yet with little
success. The disadvantage as to the cost of his material
under which the British paper maker labours when brought
into competition with has continental rivals, appears, in the
opinion of the committee, to be permanent, so long as there
are restrictions upon the trade in hie raw materials, and a
free exportation of his material to America ; and the most
disastrous consequences must ensue to the British paper
manufacturer unless some step* are speedily taken to place
him on terms of fair competition with those of the Continent.
Even before our reduction of the import duty upon foreign
paper, foreign paper makers were able to compete in the
English market with our own manufacturers, while the
effect' ofi the reduction of the duty was, of course, a very
large influx of foreign paper.
The committee further report " that at the present time
the British paper mauufacturer is paying a price for raga
and other paper•making materials ;minuend by means of
foreign export duties, while he is called upon at the same
time to compete with paper manufactured in countries that
prohibit or tax the export of rags. That during the last
session of parliament, when it wu proposed to assimilate
the customs and excise duties upon paper, it was announced
to the house by her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign
Affair*, that the Emperor of the French was willing to
remove the prohibition noon the export of French rags,
but instead of a removal of the prohibition there has been
substituted for it a duty of 4f. 17s. 2d. per ton, which is
stated to be equivalent to a bounty of about 7t. per ton on
French paper exported to this country. That the removal
of the excise duty on paper will not plea the English manu-
facturer in a position of equality with his continental rivals,
so long as the export duties on rags remain in force abroad.
The committee, therefore, recommend that the British
government should continue strenuous exertions to effect
the removal of all restrictions abroad upon the export of
all paper making materials."