The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-22
THE PAY OF OUR DIPLOMATISTS IN
EUROPE.

In compliance with resolution Of the SEN
ate, on the Alb November, 1850, Dir. Webster
lat that time Secretary of STATED addressed a
circular letter to all of our Ministers in Europe,
enquiring into the expenses of their several
missions, &c. The object Of the Senate was
TO adopt graduated scale of diplomatic sa!a-
RES based upon the combined considerations
of the importance Of the mission and the ex-
penses OF residence. Replies to this circular,
from Nr. Lawrence, at London Mr.. Rtves, at
Paris, Mr.. Brown, at ST. Petersburg; Mr..
Folsom, at the Hague, and Mr.. Barringer, at
Madrid, have been published. They all rep
resent the salaries as toe low TO allow of the
imcumbents living in such style as becomes
The diplomatic representative of great coun-
try. In fact, to judge from their statements.
residence abroad, in diplomatic capacity, is
a short and certain road to bankruptcy.
Now, there is no nation upon the face of the
earth SO well able 10 pay its servants good
salary, as this is. The very worst species of
economy, moreover we take TO be that which
places the representative of the nation in for
eign country, in such q condition that he must
either live shabby or break. We hope, there
fore, that large addition will be made to the
salaries indicated, and to those Of the charges,
all of which are represented TO be much too
low. Apart from the fact that shabbiness in
evtably degrades government in the eyes of
foreigners, it is well known that minister can
he fer more useful by keeping up a continued
SOcial init ppIv with the II "a f iOna
ries of the government to which he is sccredit-
ed but with his brother diplomstists from oth-
er countries. More is frequently done towards
the settlement of great International questions
during the friendly intercourse Of single IN.
diplomatic dinner than by all the formal notes
which have passed within the preceding year
1t is very common, when this subject is
preached, to hear Of DIR. Franklin and his
homespun suit. If all our diplomatists were
as renowned in the world of letters and of phi
losophy as DIR. Franklin and if, besides, they
had with them the novelty of first mission
from new country still in the throes Of a sue
cessful revolution, there might be some weight
in HE objection. But the gloss Of novelty
has long since been worn of. We are great
people, and have been represented in every
court in Europe for sixty years. Besides.
there are no mole Franklins, nor men who,
like Franklin, can pretend to dispense with
the adventurous advantages which may be
supposed proper to their stations.
A very important fact seems, hitherto, to
have been entirely overlooked. When the
salaries TO these offices were fixed, money was
twice as dear as il is now, and, if the importa-
tons from California and Australia continue,
three times as dear as it is likely to be few
years hence. They ought in all justice to be
raised in proportion, for what sense can there
be in requiring a man to do that with nine
thousand dollars, which he was required to do
when each of those dollars was worth two, as
things stand at present?