The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-22
AMERICAN DIPLOMATS ABROAD.



the Expenses OF the Americas Legations
LE1TER Prom Mn. RIvEs.
LEGATION o. THE UNITED STATES. !
PARIS, November q, 1850.
SIR-In the situation In which am placed here,
feel il my duty, with reference 10 the Interests Of
the pablo service, to present to You Some sensdsrs
tioDs Of practical character, founded on my own
experience, in regard tethc present arrangements Of
orr diplomatic ests bli .hment.
The total inadequscy 81 the pay allowed to the
Ministers Of the United States Al the two principal
residences in Europe (LDndon and Psrs) to meet the
necessary and unavoidable expenses in their efcial
position, is fact which 10, ] believe, universally
Recognised. But the injury which thenoe results
tions abroad is thing which Is not so we'll under
stood, - indeed it only be realised in its full
extent by those vhs are placed in position 10 soc
and feel IT, The three items alone Of house rent,
fuel and carriage-hire nearly absorb the whole pay
Of the minister here, leaving him dependent upon
his private means for the ordinary subsistence and
housebeld service Of his family and if TO this DO
scaea me e1psne o. snss n wn,sa 70
voidable, the burden becomes insuppertabls to any
but man Of very large private fortune, to which
class few Of ear public men in America belong,
and to which il is certainly not the policy Of
Institutions to eonfns the perfornaass Of high
public trusts.
:. Social Intercourse with the members Of the
diplomatic cerps, fo!iori,. with the members Of
the government to which he 10 accredited, both .
means Of information and Of personal influence, 10
expressly sSjoned BY the standing instructions
which an American minister receives when he leaves
his native shores; and yet how 10 this Intercourse
to be maint aimed terms consistent with his self
respect the dignity Of the country he represents
but by recprocatiDg from time to time the civities
and Inequalities that offered to him in the form
which the ussgcs Of society have established
Besides the valuable eject Of these mutual oourts
sizes in smoothing the way for the transaction Of
more serious concerns, it an undeniabo fact in the
present age Of the world that the of
shT0Ad and the davraA Ia vhich H. mn
be able to impress it, opinion advance Its inter
eats in the general conduct Of international affairs,
depends in DO Email degree on its social, veil
political repre- sentation in he great centres Of
derr civilization letters and commerce. Paris and
London are the great centres Of our interna
tioDA intercourse, rs they Of the businsss asd
politics Of the world; and in each Of them the ex
PeDses Of an 0ioia residence, aud the variety and
extent Of our relations have immeasurnby increased
with tie progressive Importance Of our couatry,
stree our present diplomatic arrangements
tsbebeo, n ere than hafa century ago. This change
Of cIcumstai ces requires correspon ding change
the provision made for the support Of these mssons
if il be intended to msintain them upon footing
Of ffciency equal 10 their i'm oortauce.
TIE United States il the only country in the
world in which she ssme star dard of support is ap
piled Idiscrininately to all its foreign missions Of
The same nominsl grade. without regard to their re-
lative importance or expsnsiveness In England
they have graduated tcse Of diplom attic salaries
and for the most part in the same rack Of diploma
tic fervlce rar girg fren $4,000 TO El0000, and ad
justed, acccreirg 10 the testimony Of Lord Palmer
ston, upon the combined considerations Of the in
Portance OF the mission and the expenses of res-
dence" If our diplomatic establishment was re-
formed upon tho same principle, its aggregate cost
10 the ration would probably be no greater, while
the more importapt mi.siens would be rendered
doably efficient by . more adequate provision for
their support.
The dplom a.is representative Of England here 70
eeyes an annual salary Of fl0 0O0 with large fur
nished hotel, and additional allowance of "a 600
every three OF four years, to renew the furniture
to be expended in kome other way at the discretion
Of the incumbent. Without amir q at 30 high n
star dard Of external represen ,asion ought the
N MISTER Of the United States to have annual al.
lossrce Of onethird, At least, Of that amount, to
enable him to maintain reciprocal social inter
course with the members OF the government and Of
the diplomatic corps, in . style OF manly asd be.
coming republican Hospitality, equally removed
from he uearnets Of parsimony on the one hand
and the 0stentaiien Of extravsgance on the ether.
TIE United States have nov taken rank with the
most powerful nations Of the earth, and the just
pride OF the country requires tsat its equality
should be recognized BY some Of the more usual
outward and conve ntiCnsl signs Of national ipfu.
eDce ard power, we'll as by it's intrinsic and dor
MsDt energies. Feeling how much its weight
abroad in AL questions, whether Of general par
ticua in crest, weula be increased by greater re-
CARA e there con.iderasiops, have been urged by
rehse Of public duty, and earnest desire to
the dignity aud character of tho country suitably
upheld in all respects, to bring this subject to your
notice ~ one Of POI nspent end national interest
and in full persuasion that If you should take the
same view Of the question as I have done. mes
sure OF great and generally scknO slsdged iupor
tsDce to the public rervice will IT last, receive its
corsumnaiion under the auspices Of an enlightened
and responsible recommendation that cannot fail to
attract the attention due to it.
inclose herewith the examination Of Lord Pal
nerston before committee of the House Of Com
mons, Deferred to above,) rs cor .aning full ex-
position Of the system upon which the dipsmaic
service Of the British government is organized and
soIdusted, and as embodying in . very striking aud
In t0reetlDQ the Of of tho
able and experienced foreign seereare in Europe,
to the principles and considerations which the eff
siency Of that branch Of the pabc service depends
1t contains, also, very ample aahsntic iaforma
ton rs TO the expenses OF diplomatic residence IN
Paris, aid shows likewise the great Importance AZ
tached by the Btish government to their relations
PalmeIsson, the keystone Of their foreign policy"
If good relations with France be of such vital in
teress to England, IL concerns us less, it would
feen, IN view Of the vicssituaes 70 which rela
exposed, to cultivate by . eoo-tsnt exchange Of
kindly Offices. the friendship Of our ancient ally.
have the honor 20 be, with great respect. your
most obedisnt servsnt, W RIvss
Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary Of State.
TESTIMONY or LORD PALMERsroN.
Extract
IN reply to a question from The chairman Of the
con mi.tee the witness gave the following list Of
diplomatic salaries allowed by the British govern
Ment,- >.
The ambassador nj Paris has ETC, 600; the anbss-
taSor At VieEna $4,000, bat that will bs reduced,
OF course. when it becomes mission; the amhassa
dor at Constantisople has $1,000; at Ut. Peters
burg &c 600; a; Madrid. E6 600; at Berlin, G5 000
at Warrington, Ca, 500; At Naples "a 600; at LA
bon CA oC0; at Rio Jsnerio, "a 600; 1T tas Hague
93. COO; at Brussels 9S,900; at Turn, E3 6O0 at
Munich. CD GEO; at Copenhagen. E3 GOO; ~ stock
helm, ca, 600; 1t Hanover, G3 600; ~ Frankfort,
e. COO; .. Athens e., 800; in Wurte mberg E2 000
in saxeny, e. 600; in Tuscany sE2 000 in vi zer
Land, E2 COO; At Mexico, c3 GOO; and 1t Baesos
A.res, co 600. The allowances to the charge d af
faiYse in the American States mentioned is .e3G5
each 1t i daily allowance, which comes to that;
it 10 fl day fer their diplomatic duties, In sdti.
ten to their consular salary
Mr. CobdeL--rhe salary Of eur ambassador in
France is considerably than tina. Of any Other
ambassador
1t IL sen eshst higher. The ontft upon the drst
appointments is Ga Goo. Then if ambsssad or ID