The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-12-15

ton Of fees although Mr. Buchanan is of opinion that
Commerce should not be taxed with any consular fees
yiepg as il does, sufficient revenue to ente il to
exemption from such impost. But he doe not think
II prudent at present TO advise total abolition He
therefore recommends the collection Of fees for the
pose of partially rembusing tho Treasury for the sal
nes Of Consuls He thinks that one cent per is as
much as should be charged, although would require
one cent and half per cover he expenditures of
the Treasury in the practical adoption this plan The
present system of charging horizontal rate Of fees on
all vessels OF what tonnage charging no more on
vessel OF one Thousand tons than one Of three hun
dred, he looks upon extremely unjust This rate
being established by law every master of vessel will
know the OF the fees he has TO pay, and posi-
BILE imposition be pactsed, either by the Consul
his empoye e At the time, he remarks that in all
probability would be unjust even to nsruate that any
Consul at present in the commission of the Government
in the habit of extorting exorbitant fees. But still
under the present system there is always danger of
such extorton
The spirit Of institutions does not permit that
Government should allow American citizens to be tried
for crimes and ms1emeanors committed in such coun-
tries as China end Turkey by the arbitrary laws and
before the arbitrary tribunals of those countries Accord
ngly in treaties with those nations it is stipulated
that the American Consul resident at the place
whore such crimes and msdemeanors are CON-
uon to try, adudge, and punish American citizens Of
tending against the laws of those countries At present.
this treaty stipulation is absolutely null void no law
OF Congress being in existence to indicate the powers
and duties OF our corsuls in such cases No American
consul in China would dare to hsns an American cit.
Gen. even guilty Of the worst crime that can be ina
gned as there is no warrant for any such Judicial act
contained in the laws prescribing the powers Of Amer
can ccnsuls Our merchants and other cz ems resident
n a,tI,-
as in the event that crime committed by American,
be not visited with punishment as stipulated by the
treaty the Chinese, who accustomed to see sunma.
ry justice executed will be very apt to take the punish
men Of the offender into their hands very naturally
arguing that there IS no reason why American Du-
ring Chinese should not be punished as well as Chi
nese njuring American. Another evil arising from
the want of law clothing the consul with criminal u
risdicton, is that the Chinese authorities seeing the i'm.
punity with which Americans ansgress the laws of the
Empire will be slow to punish crimes committed by nc
tives against the property or persons of American
citizens.
To remedy these evils, Mr. Buchanan recommends the
enactment of code regulating the powers and duties of
consus both in civil and criminal cases. This is mat.
ter of immediate and urgent necessity as the lives and
properties of our citizens in the Celestial and Ottoman
empires, are by of the nonexislence of such
code, and the consequent ncapacy of our consuls to
punish crime, in extreme and hourly danger
The report depores the hardshps and frequent
acts of injustice to which exposed by unjust
and selfish masters of vessels For all those manifold
evils it suggests complete remedies.
The last subject Of which il treats an organized sys
tenn Of consular correspondence 1t suggests the ap
pointment of some suitable person carry on a regular
correspondence with consus to coate their letters
and journals for publication at stated periods and to at
tend to this duty alone the two consular clerks alrea
dy employed overloaded with business Such cor.
respondence would be productive of advantage to
science and literature, and would furnish our citizens
with accurate knowledge of the habits religion in.
sttuoDs statistics and productions of remote countries
concerning which, have, at present, but vague and
indistinct Impressions.
This admirable plan, of which give of course but a
treasury annual outlay of but seventy or eighty
thousand dollars-a mere trias, when the ncalcuabe
advantages its operation would confer commerce. and
the absolute and immediate necessity of of its pro.
visions are taken into consideration
is singular fact, that while acts of Congress have
been accumuatng, session after session. on Compare
lively unimportant matters Legislation on this 10 CON-
the most important Of all subjects has been sti mt
ed and careless Almost the only rule which at present
guides conss is that prescribing the gliding of the
sword-h the depth of ther gold lace, and the cut of
their inexpressibles.
trust that the entire mercantile community will be
aroused on this subject vitality important to their in
erests, and that they will not fail impress upon Co n
gress the expedency Of the immediate adoption o.
Mr.. Buchanans plan. GALVIENsIs.