The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-20
LITTER YHox ABBOTT LAWRENCE.

Offices without ostsntstios and With an eye to judi
sious economy, am free to confess that my OK
pepses in these particulars should not be taken
guide in fixing the salary for tins mission. There
fore, without troubling Sou with them, | will only
say that after carefully examining the items of my
expenditure, with vie~ to ascertain the cost Of
living in London in the position v hich the minister
Of the United States is Obliged co occupy, am de-
cidedly of the opinion that the present salary is in
adequate
The rent of furnished house in London ia con.
vsnient and proper location would not be less than
from .e700 10 $500 a yoAr Horses and carriages
wsuld cost from e225 TO .e250 year; and to meet
properly these ana all other expenses growing o1t
Of the position, would require, in my judg meut, an
annual salary Of twent, thousand dollars. dee N
it proper TO add that my own expenses have exceed
ed these sums
have tho henor to be. sir, your obedient servt.,
ABBOTT LAWRENCE
Hon DANIEL WEBSTER, Score AIRY Of State, Wash
pgton, ID. G
LETTER FROM wM RIvEs
LEGATION OF THs UsIrED STATES }
PARIs, January 8, 1852
SIR received, three or four weeks ago, your
circular Of the 4th November last. commune Stag
resolution Of the Sena relative chs expedien,y
Of adopting grsduated scsl Of d1ons attic salaries,
based upon the com bnsd com Of tbs im,
portsnoe OF the M ssion an The expenses of resid
ence, and requesting me 10 transmit the Depart
Dent at my earliest conveneucs, stai.ment Of the
expenses incident 10 my residence In an official
character at Paris The lase lmo ortant Dol tic Al
events here, have fer time diverted my attention
from this subject. Blu proceed nov, as far US the
nature OF the subject admits Of It, To furnish ans
wer TO yopI II qUules
As you desire that the information should be
"speoi6e and accurate" II will be necessary to en- er
into sone detel Of the prr cipal items Sb,ch enter
INTO the expense OF a tesiienc. hare. The drst and
most inporiantis that of hou,e rent; house Of
rep cabie tize ard sppe 4ucs, neatly but uros-
tepta'iousiy 'urni bed, csnbot be rented here in
convenient quarter o. rhe city, for less than from
three 70 -four thoufsDd dollars year The hire of
plain carriage ana pair of horses by the wear is
from twelve to fourteen hundred dollars Tue ex-
Pepse Of fuel 10 aso = very heavy charge here
weed alone, for the most part, il burnt here asd
the price OF THAI is from fourteen to teen dollars
the cord. Considering the Heightened portion of
the year, (from eight toni oashs) during which
FIRES are KEEP up here. the EXPENSE of this item
Alene In household eopss ing of nal. q dozen
personf, with the usual number of servants averages
lccoIoiDg TO my experience about twelve hundred
lonsrs year.
TIE exp Dse Of the daily subsistence of family
In Paris may be judged Of by the price of the co n
mop articles wnich enter iuto It's consuu ption--
butchers meat, for example, beng fifteen per
pound and double that prica for the delicate por-
tioDs; hsm from thirty to forty the pound and
apair ct fowls nine francs. or dollar and seventy
hye cents of the currency Of the United States and
other things ia like even greater proportion
According to this scale OF rigorous and una voida-
Bile expense. the mere ordinary subsistea,o of
household coDstituted as above mentioned, could
not be thort of the annual sum Of three Thousand
dollars
The four items above mentioned, of house rent,
esrage hire, fuel, and ordinary Subsistence, form
alone nP gregate exceeding the annual salary al
lowed to a minister Of the United States. But to
these must be added as expenses equally obligatory
and inevitable, the annual hire and clothing of scr
wants which cannoL be estimated ~ less than from
twelve TO fifteen hundred collars; the expense OF
lights which. during the long nights of one half of
the yesr in this latitude, ia very large iten wash
ing and common groceries forming together, for .
family CONSTITUTED rs Rave above supposed another
arr nf tut< ppt tnf
three thousaId collars annually
If to thee two aggregates he fnrthar added the
personal expenses Of the minister and his family,
which in q piral Ike this, snd in the place they
must occupy in its society, always under the
control OF his tastes choice and the expense
which neither his feelings biz duty allow him to
avoid, Of exercising becoming hospitality 70 his
oour tJymtn as ~el a. recpr cstIng the civiiities
offered 10 him by his colleagues OF me diplomatic
corps and the public fuBc1ousries Of the govern
nent 10 which he ia sccredi ed, (tems Of which the
minimum, according % my experience, would be
another ANN al sum of three thousand uolars,) you
bave all the data IT, is in NY power 10 supply for
estinatDg he expense 10 noeDt 20 Official resi-
dence here in the character Of foreign minister,
maintained within est limits decent re-
gard for his pos ton permits
have the honor 70 be, with great respect, your
obedioDt servant. w @ RIvEs.
Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State.
LETTERS FROM NEIL BROWN
UrITgp STATES LEGATION.
EIR-I have tie ho1 or 10 sekno rledge the receipt
IF your circular of the November last. Ia giving
she in'orms ion therein required. laoor uDder the
difficulty Of not wing oeeu be bat little over one
year. and therefore have nor made full test OF the
expenses Of living Besldss this, my family have
not been with ne excep, a portion Of them, and
that only for few week during the lasi summer.
Ny expebses during he fret year we're, as near
as can estimste usem. about SIX thousand dollars
In this were embraced articles Of . permanent
nature which will not have % be purchased again,
and which viii operate in some sort . credit
subss qu.nt years But this will be more than csuH-
terbaspced ny The increased hospitality which Gus
ten here enforces after ne frst years residences.
These expenses are mace up 81 house rent, furni-
ture or furniture reDt. carriages or carriage hire,
servant hire living, with its incidents. and extra
clothing adapted 70 the climate all Of which items
count more than either NJ London or PARIS re.
gard my style oflvirg az medium one Itwould
be difficult TO reduce 10 With ,ectsblity, and
difficult 10 exceed IL without bankruptcy. With
my family here my expenses @oald absorb my
whole salary. aud prossoy exceed it. "A man Of
fortuSe would spend more thsn bis salary, and not
be considered exravsg.nt man without for
tune lie com pelled To assure his steps Making all
these allowances aud considering, also, my i'll
health curing the greater portion OF last nser,
which o0DbDed ne To my room, state that my ex-
ptnsts have been and viii he six thousand dollars
per anbum, and probably mere This IL rs full o
statement 40 | an able 70 make aud have no
hesitation w tsypg. sbst. from = proper regard to
NE usefalness and dignity Of the mission, veil as
justice 70 we lncum holt whoeser be may be, the
salary osgbt to he in ,resstd n the informant IN
sous ht has any references tbe Secretary Of Lega
ton, state thai ne does po, sr canpot live upon
the preseDt salary I.r,qures and will contipus to
require. Dot lees than three tho ssasd dollars per an
nun for that othce at this oourt. aud IL he have
fariy 1t viii require more St Petersburg Ia an
physically and u every respect M Artificial city-
ntibcisy bulls ana artincially tustained Il ds
SepdeDt for ell its supplies dissent regions; the
heceseares Of life are exoro'antly high, while the
hsfes and habi's ~ toe place are extrsvagant
have the honor 20 be, with high consideration,
rour obtdicpt servant NEIL s. Brown.
Hon. DAEmL WRBsTpp g. g.,
Ext act
LOCATION OF 1HB URiTgD SrArPs
ST. PETERSBURG, n bruar, 40 1852