The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-01-23
our Consular system.

! The Secretary of State has made an inter
esting report 10 Congress upon the. consula
system of the United States, accompanied b.
$ Ia bill which if passed, will put that brancl
Of the public service upon totally diferen
basis from that it so long occupied. The mail
feature Of the bill contemplates the extinction
J of consular fees as compensationifor services
} These fees are not just now to be abrogaied
I but they are not to be regarded as price 70
consular services. The consuls are to b,
paid fixed salaries out of the public Treasury
and the fees Of Office are to be applied to tn,
Findemnifcation of the Treasury till such time
BIS it may be prudent to relieve our commerce
Of these charges altogether. The presen
system is defective in principle, and totally
inadequate to the ends of justice. L has
grown up from the commencement of the
i Government in wrong direction. Under ex.
listing regulations our. foreign consuls, with
few exceptions, are commission merchants
i who obtain the office with view to the rank
it confers and the advantages it brings to Their
business. The public duties of the consul
are secondly and subservient to his private
employment, 1t is now proposed to give him
a fixed salary and prohibit him from engag-
ling in commercial business - thus making
him public officeEin the strictest sense of
the term, and combining him to the discharge
of his consular duties.
The bill presented by Mr.. Buchanan also
reduces the number of consuls. Under the
old system when merchant desired to open
business at point for which no consul was
appoin.ed housed to make application fol. the
o. ice, and as his remuneration depended on
! fees, the request was frequently inconsiderate-
lily granted. The numbero Of consuls became
I in time inconveniendy and uselessly large.--
The bill from the State Department provides
for Inc creation Of consular agencies in the
inferior ports, to be under the direction Of
| the nearest consul, who isto fill the office
and be made responsible for The acts Of his ap-
pointee.
These are the ma;n refosmatons designed
BY the bill. Il however defines the duties of
consuls more clearly than they have hereto
fore been done, fixes fees with greatest pre-
GiSioil9 uuu CouuCHSCc luto Ou0 uCt WHuttVSl
pertains to the Office. i suggests the spropri-
ely Of making grades the office, such as con-
sal general, consul and yicegconsul. ".
Mr.. Buchanan urges the necessity OF con-
stituiing the grade of consul general for the
Barbary and Pagan powers; and he, enforces
the obligation Of Congress 10 give to our re-
representatives., in China, and Turkey, certain
powers to Try and punish American criminals
in those countries, as provided for by treaties
with those powers,
The report of the Secretary of State is clear
in statement and convincing in reason. The
pres, mt system has been described as defective,
unjust and inadequate to the necessities of
commerce. 1t cannot be doubted that the
reforms urged would place our commercial
agents u on basis Of greater responsibility
ensure TO our seamen more considerate protec-
ton, and to trade wiser control.-Ficayane.
CAD AND CoMFoRT."-A wing member of
the Illinois Legislature, conceiving il to be his
duty 10 said and comfort" the loco focos, par
ticularly in their present dilemma, recently in
troduced the following resolutions into that
body
'Resoloed By the General assembly of the
Stete Of Illinois, That we heartily approve of
the message of the honorable JAMES X. Polk,
President of the United States, vetoing the bill
passed at the last session of Congress of the
United States, making appropriations for the
improvement of rivers and harbors.
"Resolued further, That the course of tho
President. of the United States in compromis-
ing the Oregon controversy, and fixing the line
of boundary on the forty-ninth degree, after
asserting that our title up to 6fty-four degrees
and forty minutes was 'clear and unquestion-
able,' mee's the entire appreciation of the &C.
neral Assembly Of the State of Illinois"
This applause Of two Of the main acts of
Mr.. Folks administration operated like fire.
brand thrown into the midst f the ''faithfuln
they immediately adjourned, and at the next
meeting laid them on the table.-Nat Int
PETTY FAIR.-We think that the following
which we have picked up in various quarters,
are pretty fair on the average -
81
81 am going-you need not make so much
noise about it," as the cannon-ball said to the
cannon. arft
Why ought the giraffe to be of forgiving
disposition? Because he can overlook almost
every thing. u.
al men are born equal, but one grows fas-
Ter than another" as the man said when he
measured the Irish Giant and General Tom
Thumb. Jlt
The most careful body we ever heard OF, is
he old lady who never blows her nose for fear
II breaking blooJ vessel.
'FYou look as if you were beside yourself,n
is the wag said to the fellow who stood by the
ide of his ass.
young lady at school, engaged in the stu
y of grammar, was asked. if kiss was COM
non or proper noun. After some hesitation,
he replied, SIT is both common and proper"
q .d-o-,a,,. gVour hanor xyos r,-L. .n1 !