The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-22
Thc Fees Of the C0nsnls OF the United States
me Nativity Of our Agents Abroad.

me Nativity Of our Agents Abroad.
TO illustrate the real character Of the United
States Consular system and to exhibit the i'm
perft ctions which attache to it. we give the
annexed tabular statement. This statement
was compiled from reports submitted to Con-
the frat by the Secretary of State in
1876, and the second accompanied a message 4
the President Of the United States, sent to the
House Of Representatives on the I'd Of March,
ls49, "in compliance with resolution OF the
House, of the Goth February, lS49 a list of con-
suls, vice-consuls" &c.
Our tabular statement exhibits the number
OF consular stations in l847 the amount Of fees
received at each, together with the citizenship
and nativity Of the persons who in that year
filed the consulates contained in the list.
In many cities it will be perceived that a
great remissness prevailed among consuls re-
garding their duties, and especially in making
regular semi-annual returns. as required by law
A direliction of this kind should not be over
Looked by the government. unless sustained by
y good excuse.
BY the report Of The Secretary Of State, sub
mtted to Congress in 1876, it appeared that
there were then one hundred and seventy-live
consu!ates. eleven vacancies, and ten CONNER
cial agents, four of whom were in Hayti. The
number Of consuls contained in the list submit
ted to Congress by the President in lSH,
amounted to one hundred and sixty, and ten
H..
previous year OF fifteen, owing. in part. to the
interruption of peeceable relations with Mexico
BY the report of the Secretary Of State in
1916. ii appeared that in the year 1915, the
Of the world amounted to So, 6i2 80. BY the
Presidents list in l847, the aggregate amount
OF fees reached 500 g. This sum il equally
divided between the one hundred and sixty con-
suls, would amount to about 5000 Is each. Yet,
what was the fact? The following twenty con-
suhtes of the one hundred and sixty, received
ScO,ot7. More than one-half Of all the fees
received by all the United States consuls
throughout the world. The consulates referred
to were as follows London Liverpool, Glas-
gov, Belfast, st. Thomas, Paris, Havre. Mar
seilles. Havana, Curacao, Matanzas, Trinidad
Mayaeuez, Antwerp. Valparaiso, Talcahuana
Rio Janero, Palermo, Canton. and Honolulu
All these fat consulatcs are usually filed by
citizens OF the United States and chiefly O, the
legal profession. who have been members of
Congress from the interior, or who have distin-
guiahcd themselves by their inscriptions par
fhpr Late ~
fees, but where The relations of the United States
are very important are either filed by foreign
ers, or conferred upon the lowest political hacks,
or upon men engaged in private traffic, who
wish to use the title to subserve private ends;
or upon foreigners, whose nativity, citizenship,
and predictions, are all foreign to our country
and whose ignorance Of our laws, commerce
and productions is only equalled, perhaps, by
the folly of the government who confdcs its
interest to their keeping.
OF the one hundred and sixty consulates in
1917, we end that there were thirty three who
were foreigners, or that is, who were not citi-
zens of the United States; that is, their citizen
ship was put down in the list as unknown"
If they had been citizens Of the United States,
tie fact would have been known and SO stated.
What justice or propriety is there in an admi-
nistration appointing men to fiji important pub
lie Offices. without knowing whether they are
citizens fthe United States Is the country
so poverty-stricken in talents as not to afford
sufficient number of citizens qualified to dis
charge the duties Of a consul?
We find that large proportion Of the consul
latcs, filed by foreigners, had made no regular re-
turns Of fees or anything else. As far as returns
had been received, il appeared that the thirty
three consuls Of foreign citizenship, in 1917 re-
ceived fees to the amount Of s24 ,si3 l6.
OF the foreigners employed in the United
States consular service in 1877, three were
Englishmen, nine Irishmen six Germans two
Frenchmen. two Spaniards, two Russians, two
natives of Demarara, (or subjects Of Great Bril-
tain) three Italians. one Swedc, one Norwc-
gian, one native Of Trinidad, Cor English sub
iect,) one native Of st. Christopher ard one ma
tive OF Cyprus. The fees received by these fos.
cigncrs Of course was gouged from American
trade Or American citizens amounted to some
thing over one-lf,h Of al the consular fees re-
coiyed in every part Of The world
The deficiency Of our ceasular arrangements
WI appear the more striking when We reflect
% the gFea. disparity they beer compared to
other nations, end especially . lie Kingdom
" Great Britain.
IL all lie vas. territories Of he Russian En-