New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-26
Our Foreign Consul-,

To the Editor of The Tribune
In my communication few days since, relative
to our Consus. endeavored to show the absurdity
of the proposed reform of Mr.. Lester exhibited
in his work" and with your permission, Mr.. Edi
tor would now illustrate this point by a few in
controvertbe facts The idea Of removing or OBJ
Waiting the difficulties with which our countrymen
are beset in the more obscure Consuates OF the nj
ted States BY salaried officers is vagary OF the I'M
imagination not TO be entertained tor moment by
practical commercial men. have had some oppor-
tuntes for observation this subject. and have al
ways found that where the duties of n Consul were
contided to merchant of standing, that there was
no cause of complaint but the moment that they de
voved upon the person OF an adventurer who EN-
braced the occasion TO seek his fortune, aii conf
dence was lost | recollect an instance in one Of
the ports of The Island of c. aba Of Consul who had
nothing but the perqusites OF his Office to depend
upon for support, and they would not suffice tor
the wants OF n NewI ork beggar yet he was content
to remain there and pick up precarlous subsistence
by squeezing out few extra dollars from every
mariner who was not familiar with the amount OF
fees which he had right 10 claim, and on one occa.
sion he gave to Captain who had claims against
him for money received his account n bill against
the Collector of this port which the Collector very
properly refused TO honor and the Captain was com
PEELED to lose it, Now had this Consul been reg
pectable merchant land they can generally be found
II
DESTROYED him. few years ago in one OF the ports
of Yucatan the duties of the Consul were discharged
by merchant of high minded integrity, and not
the slightest complaint ever made against him
but he unfortunately died something over two
years ago. and the appointment was given To man.
who went there TO seek his fortune" ,rHh0hth0
ing am other business He remained there about
six months, and during that time an American died
in the place, leaving a widow there, whose only
means were the few effects which her husband left
The Consul undertook TO settle the business for her
by collecting the debts. &c and when she sailed for
this city he gave her bill respectable house in
this city for 1900, being pretty much all she had
but when she arrived she found that he had no
funds in this house OF course it not paid
and she is living in this city, and has not been
able to obtain one arhng ol it, although more than
a year has elapsed. There merchants there
who would most cheertuiy have afforded every ia
cy her but the Consul preferred dOtRg the 6Usi-
ness This Consul was succeeded by another, and
in short time his delinquencies were so glaring
and common tcith has 0rH c0untrgmeH, that he
was almost every week summoned before the
Alcalde for debt Indeed, i, became go common,
that the AlcaIde remarked that il would be neces.
sary appoint a special Aic0ide for FL Consul y
.Su Pisdn0s And to cap the climax to the career
of this representative ofthe United States he last
Summer gave bill TO Mexican on a house in this
city who, when he arrived found il worthless, and
as he could not speak word of English, | went
with him before Notary in Walst. and had it
protested; and he returned 10 Yucaan, but has not
been able 10 collect II OF the drawer yet. think
have produced facts enough to show that once make
these petty Consuates sa!aried Offices and there will
be no end OF abuses of this kind. A MERCHANT.