The New York herald., 1844-11-22
Our COnsuIs Abroad.

at present for Mr. Ayres seems to plsce very high
Our Consuls Abroad.
The imperiection of our consular regulations ID
so commonly known, and has been SO often tho
subject OF serious complaints on the part OF ship
owners and ship masters, and even on the part OF
high judicial authorities at home, that il ID really
surprising that the matter has always been treated
with the utmost apathy by our government, and
that Congress have not yet deemed u necessary to
act upon a project for new consular system,
which, we understand, has now been before that
body for considerable time.
II has sften been sad and the principle is just,
that we must avoid, much as possible, entan-
Cling curse Ives with the politics. and intrgues OF
foreign nations Our business with them, and
theirs with us, is commerce, not politics. Under
this point oil view our government was probably
induced 10 look upon our consuls as mere COM
mercial agents, who not being considered as re-
gular government officers, and not being supported
by salaries from the public treasury, have only to
rely upon the very moderate and uncertain fees OF
their office, or upon the resources OF their mercan-
tile pursuits.
Perhaps half dczen Of our consuls abroad make
from $1,000 TO $4,000 year out Of their Offices;
perhaps twenty OF Them make from $1,000 to $500
year. But the greatest number OF them (belDg
l56 consus in ally can scarcely pay the regular
expenses of keeping an Office and clerk out OF
what they get from their consulshlps. Our con-
suls are, for the greatest part, merchants, depend.
ing entirely upon the profits Of their commercial
business for their living especially upon cOnsign-
ments irsm the United States; 1t is therefore, Of
primary importance 10 lnem 10 nave the &OOQ
will Of the masters Of vessels, that they may make
good report Of them to their owners and TO do
all what they can TO stop by their official influence
any competition OF other houses dealing IN the
same line of business. This operates IN direct
way against the very object Of the consular instr
tuition, which is to afford an ndlscriminatiDg pro-
lection TO our ship masters and seamen, and 10
promote the commercial interests OF our country:
II happens very often that the Government sends
it's circulars, asking from the consus general or
particular information Of their respective consular
and exact reports to the consular bursau at WASH
ington and how many do not answer at all to the
appeals OF the government When paper 10 laid
on the desk OF a consul, his first thought Is how
much he can make out OF 1t. II the service ID q
gratultous one, much zeal and activity cannot be
expected
Under these circumstances, it is not 10 be won
dered at the little dignity and respect with which
the offices Of American consuls are attended with,
both on the part Of shipmasters and OF the local
authorities Of the country where they reside.
reluctance nee was shown by local authorizes to re-
cognise in ocno~ir the privileges, lmmnnities,
and exemptions, TO which, by the important nature
OF their duties, and by the law OF nations, they are
entitled
The high importance Of the consular Office, and
the weighty utility Of which they could be TO the
generally acknowledged that any discussion on the
subject becomes quite prevalent. The celebrated
dplomatist, Chsteaubriand, says, in his work on
the Congress Of Verona, vol; 2, page y7, the iol-
sadeurs est paxe, ct celuo des consuats Tevenu"
Impressed with this truth, the best organized gov
ernments Of Europe, like England, France, Aus
tria and Spain, have gwen their consuls semi
diplomatic character and respectable standing,
allowing them sufficient salaries, besides the emo
Iuments OF their Offices through which their con-
,uls can sustain the Independence and respec'ably
of their situation. In France a consular oficc
leads often TO the more important functions Of d.
,omatic missions, as 1t is naturally thought that
he extensive and thorough knowledge OF public al
81, (av..t tt.avrf .t fnVat Ia
qnlred in a consular career the most approprl-
l,c qualifications for good diplomatist and nego-
ciator.
II is to be observed that not only salary il al
lowed by our government TO our consus, but that
her legal perquieites and emoluments are far be-
low those Of all foreign consus Four dollars only
are received by an American consul tor the depcst
Of the ship-papers tor each vessel entered at his
consulate, it matters not the description or the size
Of the vessel. BY wise law, intended to create
some income to our consus, and to control foreign
importations, is required that all foreign invoices,
wen for free goods, should be accompanied with
n certificate of the consul OF the district where the
.hipment IS made, to be admitted and entered at
our custom house offices. But the characteristic
careessness OF the custom house officers has rem
dered that law inefficient, as great many invoices
are admitted without the consular certificate. An
American captain, before he sails In his vessel, say
tor instance, for a port in Portugal, must have all
his papers duly legaized by the Portuguese agent,
TO whom he must fork out thirteen dollars. II he
goes to Brazil, his papers will cost from twenty TO
tnlTfy 0OlhrS Dut u EOItukutse, DIdLhinis Die
men, or any other foreign vessel, can freely be en-
tered at our custom house without having one sin
gie line from our consus. il is indeed TO be la
mented that matters Of such importance have been
overlooked so long time by the Department OF
State, the great detrlment OF our shipping inter-
ests, and Of our commercial relations with foreign
nations II is 60 be hoped that the next Congress,
tired, perhaps OF making bad laws in one session TO
be repealed on the following session, and fangued
Of their base and unworthy party ntrigues, and
fights will ultimately come 10 the determination OF
doing some thing slso Tor the real welfare OF their
countrymen, and tor better representation OF their
interests abroad. We would like TO see our Con-
sus taken from among our best educated and re-
spectacle citizens; we would like TO see them sui
Gcicny provided as 10 keep up the respectability
OF their standing, without beng Obliged TO pursue
mercantile avocation; we would like TO see
them well instructed with the law OF nations; with
the navigation and mnIatime laws; with the COM
mercial regulations Of foreign nations; and finally,
with foreign languages, al least with the French;
and our country would certainly be highly bene-
fitted by this change in our Consular system.
X. X. Il.