The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-21
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
United state. Consular system.

The following interesting report to the House of Rep
r,sentatves by Mr. Secretary Buchanan in reply to call
from that body, upon the consular system, laid be-
fore the House during last week
The Secretary OF State, IN obedience the resolution
adopted by the House OF Representatives the 10th Au
s last referring To him the bill TO revise the consular
system OF the United States" "with instructions 10 make
report to the House at the commencement Of the next
session, consul lar system generally, with such in
formation he may be able to collect and arrange upon
the subject" has the honor 10 submit the following report
II is due both to the House and himself to state in
Rhe commencement that il has been impossible for him.
without negectng the current and urgent business OF the
department., 10 devote the time necessary to comply with
their resolution in satisfactory manner. To collect the
requisite information, and TO prepare well digesed plan
of the reconstruction OF our very imperfect and made
uae consular system, would require the continued labor
|Of competent person well versed in consular duties du
bring period of several months.
consular system, adequate to the protection OF
extended foreign commerce. ought Ia be embraced IN
Isingle law, to which our consuls could upon all
SONS refer.
These officers spread over the whole foreign world
They often citizens who, however respectable, are
not from their previous pursuits, well qualified to exam
Inc and investigate great number OF detached laws,
scattered over statutebook from the origin OF the
government AT distance from their country they do
possess the OF obtaining legal advice to what
provisions OF previous acts account of their nconsst-
en with those OF subsequent date have been thereby
repealed For this and other obvious reasons the Secre
nry would respectfully suggest that the whole consular
system ought to be included in single BILL and all for
mer acts on the subject repealed.
This bill should provide
l. For the number, appointment, and compensation of
I all consus- general, consuls, and vice-consuls.
H. Ii should clearly define all the duties of these Off
and specify the fees TO be received for their perform
ance.
In regard to the number of consulaes these have in
creased beyond what is necessary This has resulted
from the mode OF their appointment and the number
must still continue TO increase until II shall be limited BY
aw Under the practice which has always prevailed OF
appointing new consus at the discretion Of the President
and Senate to any place throughout the foreign world it
was almost impossible to confne these appointments
within proper limits. When respectable citizen went
abroad to establish himself in mercantile business at any
place where consulate had previously existed it inn
medately became desirable object for him to obtain
The appointment of consul at his residence. This
would give him rank and increase his business In such
cases II was difficult to resist his solicitations and
hose OF his friends and thus appointments have been
made in many instances without necessity The policy
Of limiting the number Of consulates adopted by the
present BILL is certainly entitled to appreciation. Their
number is now one hundred and siXty-eight independ
emily Of ten commercial agencies [Staement No /. at
ached to this report This bill provides for the appoint
nen OF seveny-our consuls and fifty five -consus
making in the aggregate one hundred and twenty nine
and even this number might perhaps be reduced with adj
vantage These officers, with the appreciation OF the Sec
eay OF State might be permitted to appoint consular
agents. tor whom they would be held responsible any
place within the bounds of their consuates of sufficient
Importance to require the services OF such agents
i Consuls- General
No act OF Congress authorizes the appointment of con
however whether it would not be proper to establish this
grade at some OF the important ports in Europe
whilst is certain that this would be expedent with re
se TO the Barbay States and some of the ports along
the Leyant In the latter countries rank is often of great
importance, and our simple consus have enoyed the
ame privileges there and for this reason have moi had it
their power to serve their government and their
tymen to the same extent with the consus-general OF
other nations 10 refer to single instance, consul
at Alexandria is deprived of the advantage of holding
personal intercourse with the Vceroy of Egypt simply
at hpor Tho #
NO objection can be perceived to comforting upon our
consus IN few proper cases, especially in semibarbar
Gus countries the title of consul general II would be
only to change the name, without Increasing the expense
| 10 the government
Mode of eompensating consuls
so much has been written and said in favor of changing
The mode OF compensatng consuls that it is
ay for the secretary to enlarge upon the subject He is
very clearly OF opinion that they ought to be compensa
ted as the present bill proposes, by salaries from the
treasury at least at the more important ports, and not by
tees lie Is fully convinced that until this change shall
be effected, and until consuls at those ports with
which we conduct large foreign trade shall be prohib
s a rom engaging in mercantile pursuits we can never
ests OF our extended commerce
Great Britain paysa fixed salary to all her consuIs-
general consuls and -consuls; and, in addition
'hozes them to receive certain moderate fees for their
services The French system Is understood to be the
same except that the fees received are not for the bene
OF these officers themselves, but appropriated to
DINER purposes connected with their consulaes.
Al present our consulates generally held by
MISSION merchants residents abroad The fees attached
I o, mem, except III few instances, yield amount
wholly insufficient for the support of the consul and his
ay they are, therefore, sought after merely to give
me consul rank, and as of increasing the
Hghmens made to him as commission merchant. The
consulate IS thus rendered subsidiary to his private bust
ness and the temptation is great to abuse his public
Iu'l Tor the purpose of favorng his customers If he
should be proof against this temptaon-whch be-
eved to be generally the casestl he is suspected
Merchants who do not make consignmens to him, aud
me masters OF their vessels, will always be Jealous of his
'ohunct consul Is under the strongest obligations,
On ohce OF the government to extend equal protection
10 all Americans engaged in foreign commerce; and he
ought therefore, to have no pecuniary nducement to
'werve from this line of duty in favor Of any individual
ne nlrusted with important public concerns, and his
une ought to be exclusively devoted to them This
would give him consideration and influence with the
authorities at the place of his residence for the benefit of
MS counymen, which he can never enjoy so long as his
le business Many evils which need not be enumera
ca nave resulted from the present mode of compensatng
consuls.
Consular Fees
IN the secretarys opinion, foreign ought
to be taxed with any consular fees 1t has to sustain
competition with the whole world, and through its
ncy we collect the greater part Of the for the
support of the federal government To relieve from
payment OF consular fees would therefore, seem
We ooth polite and just. STILL the present may not be
ueemed propltous moment to cast the whole system
upon me public treasury. In accordance with this view
e DILL provides that consular fees shall continue be
collected for the purpose Of ndemnfyng the treasury in
M Tor the payment OF the salaries of consuls and vice
onsWs IL also wisely proposes to regulate these fees
10 prevent all disputes concerning them between
alS and the persons requiring their services. These
hafges may be rendered still more specific and certain
DG this could be better done in personal conference
WIN the chairman of the proper committee than by enter
| DNg upon such details in this report.