The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-16

thing but occasional draughts OF blood from
pure plebeian source could keep them in exist
ence-so deficient in ability toat they could
never carry out their own schemes without the
aid Of the class they oppress,so devoid of the
higher, nobler qualities Of human nature, that
with all the advantages Of the highest culture
and commanding opportunities not one out Of
the number has ever risen to the front rank ia
any single walk Of intellect This, nevertne
less. is the class which, for q century or more.
with occasional Interruptions. has governed,
and still continues to govern, the civilized
world.
The Consular System OF the United States.
TO show the inequality of our present detec-
tive consular system as compared to that OF
Great Britain, we have publsed in another part
Of this paper table (No. ~ Of the consuls Of
both countries, with their salaries.
This table proves that the whole amount Of
salaries paid out to consular agents by Great
Britain in 1852 Gas far as the same could be as
certaned) amounted to the sum of about
$563,705, while the total amount of fees re-
ceiyed by about one hundred and seventy-five
American consuls amounted to only about
Slll,000. The salaries proposed to be paid out
to the one hundred and twenty nine consular
agents provided for in Mr.. Campbell's bill,
referred to below. amounted to $l60, 500: the
heaviest sums being embraced for consular
agents to Great Britain and her colonies.
The British statistics given were compiled
from "Dietrichsen Hannag's Royal Almanac,
published by authority" III London in 1852 In
making comparisons we have followed the
alphabetical order Of the English list, instead
OF the American arrangement.
In the British column will be found many
consulates which are not contained in either ofthc
American columns. Aud again, the American
catalogue embraces many not to be found in the
British enumeration. Hence the British column
has been given ss nearly entire as possible. and
the American given where they correspond. The
British list gives thirty vice consuls at large
for Italy, which were omitted because no
salaries or fees were given, and we had moth
ing to correspond with them in the American
list. Were these added to the two hundred and
ninety-one consular agents given, they would
swell the number of British consular agents to
three hundred and twenty-one. The compa-
rison in every respect will show the utter in
significance and imperfection Of our system.
For instance, while England, through her
eighteen consular agents in China-costing in
salaries not less than $60,000-is enabled by
extending their judicial and other powers to
give the greatest expansion to her political and
commercial influence in that vast empire we
have, at this critical moment but three con-
sulste officers receiving paltry fees for their
services, and leave the mission Of an ambassa-
dor open Tor months.
Still the spasmodic efforts which have been
occasionally made il Congress for the revisal
of our present system, however well intended,
have uniformly and sgnally failed.
The bill prepared with this view by = COM
mittee Of the House of Representatives in 1916,
vived by the Hon John A. Rockwell in 1913.
contemplated some important changes.
1t proposed to reduce the number Of consular
representatives and to pay fixed salaries 1t
provided for the appointment of seventy-five
consuls, the aggregate pay of whom was to
be about 1888 500, &hd fifty -four vice consuls,
with an aggregate pay Of $4,000; or for one
hundred and twenty nine consular agents orall
nnds, at total cost of $l6O,5OO. The number
of consular agents would thus have been re-
duced from about one hundred and seventy
five to one hundred and twenty nine, which we
think was defect in the bill, and calculated
to injure the public service.
Instead Of reduction. in the number of con-
sular agents, the growth and exigencies Of the
country require the consular force to be aug
mented
But, while it reduces the number Of officers
employed, the bill proposes to increase the ex-
pense Of the consular system by about $4,000;
the salaries assigned them exceeding the present
aggregate amount of fees by about that sum
The people would not object were the num-
Der of their consular agents Increased even
at cost OF 100000 or 100000 per annum
over and above the amount of fees receiv-
ed. provided the duties Of the consuls were
enlarged and enforced. Their services to the
political, commercial. agricultural end manu-
featuring interest Of the country. il properly
performed, would greatly t;c,gi tie value of
their ssla,iea..
The salary q 500 per annum to vice consuls
is too little. II should in no case, be less than
from 81 600 TO $1,000. otherwise the services Of
suitable men cannot be procured
Consuls to the following places were to be
invested with diplomatic powers, viz.:-Tangier,
Tunis, Tripoli Athnes, Alexandria, Leghorn,
Rome, Basic. Hamburg, Bremen, Frankfort
on-the-Main, Honolulu, Muscat, Bay Of Islands,
Montevideo, Guayaquil, Guatemala, and Port
au Prince.
II was provided that no person should hold
the officc Of consul longer than ten years, nor
he recalled under four years, except for cause
satisfactory to the Senate. No consul was
to absent himself from his post longer than
thirty days, without permission Of the State