The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-09-27


act to take effect from and after any law
of the United States to the contrary nowithstand
ing.
r rF. REPORT fngtTrE Ve y
On the ls of August 1854 Mr. PERKINS from the Com
mitee Foreign Affairs made the following report
company the above bill;
The Committee on Foreign Affairs whom was referred
the bill to remodel the diplomatic and consular system
Of the United States beg leave to report
Your committee to whom was referred a bill remodeling
the diplomatic and consular establishments OF the United
States having given to il the consideration due its import
ance respectfully report it back the House and
mend its passage.
of properly organized diplomatic and consular establish
ments and the repeated efforts in the early history OF
government to secure hem your committee have thought
that brief review OF the operation OF the existing systems
for the last twelve yearsrom lsl TO lS53with sim
pie statement of the provisions of the proposed bill would
be the best argument in favor of its adoption
On the LIST of July, I84 the United States had full mis-
sons at London Paris, ST Petersburgh Berlin Vienna
and Mexico resident mission at Consantinope charge
ships Madrid Lisbon Naples Turin Brussels the Hague
Copenhagen, Stockholm Rio de Janeiro, Chilli Peru and
New Granada.
In the latter part of the year l84 the mission Brazil
raised from charg6ship TO that of minister pen
poenary and in 1912 the full mission to Spain reestab
lished In ls43 the mission to China and the chargeshp
to Buenos Ayres established In ls45 the mission to
Austria reduced TO chargeship and the commission
to the Sandwich islands established In ls4s full mis-
sion authorized TO the then so-called German empire
and charg6shp established to Ecuador Bolivia, and Cen
trail America In l549 full mission created to Chill
and that the German empire discontinued During the
last session of Congress the missions to Central America
and Peru raised to the first grade and resident mis-
sion to Switzerland established
There twentyeght legations of the United States in
foreign countries Ten Of these at the opening of the pres
emf Congress represented by ministers plenpotent
ry two by ministers resident fourteen by charges daares
and two by commissioners.
The ministers penpoentary receive at the time of their
acceptance of their appointments outfits OF $4,000 EACH
nf Oman Tho nict
dent receives salary OF 1000 and the other outfit OF
$4,000 and $4,000 salary The charges receive outfits OF
$4,000 each and salaries of $4,000 One OF the commits
soners receives $4,000 outfit and $4,000 salary, and the
other SIS salary Each of representatives in the
diplomatic branch of the public service is allowed Unfit
equal to three months Of his annual compensation
We have also secretaries of legation with salaries OF
$4,000 EACH dragoman with $4,000, and an interpreter
with $4,000.
The expense Of conducting foreign diplomatic inter
course for the twelve fiscal years terminating on the 3o
of June 1853 amounted $3656 204an annual average
cost for that term of 1904 6S3 &C.
The proposed bill eevates all United States missions to
the grade Of envoy extraordinary and minister penpoten
ary and provides secretary for each Representatives
below this grade are by the etiquette of the rank
sriced in their influence with the government to which
they accredited The letter of credence of charge
daares addressed merely to the minister OF the foreign
department. and the presentation Of the bearer of it to the
sovereign chief OF the State is matter of courtesy In
the of full minister the presentation is matter of
right charge datfares requests, minister may de-
mand audience AT the astidious courts the ad-
| IL
favor his government The false position in which this
places representative is not only humiliation to himself
but the occasion often Of serious Inconvenience to his ma
ton important objects To be accomplished with the
cabinet the good will of the ruler greatly facilitates them
and this be best secured by personal intercourse In
his social his official intercourse the representative less
than minister is likewise subjected to embarrassmens
Regarded merely fnconay, with no higher or other
duties perform than the taking of the archives OF
his country, ministers plenpoteniary from the smallest
States enjoy superior consideration and take precedence Of
him in society.
The bill provides secretary for each legation and this
required both by the services to be performed and by
prudential considerations Without such officer the
absence Of the minister from his post temporarily
through illness other cause leaves the government with
out representation
The existing system of outfits to foreign representa-
tves does accord with the principle upon which other
public servants are compensated and by the bill 1t IS abo
shed 1t has proved unequal not demoralizng in its
operation it pays for services in advance Of their per-
ormance minister may ask for his recall whenever he
chooses and he has served but one Gay as such he can
not be required TO return to the treasury his outfit
There instances where in the space of four years
ministers to comparatively unimportan courts have
ceiped lG GOO and in 22500 in outfits Of the
S3656204 which Diplomacy cost for the twelve years
ending the 30th Of June 1885, the sum of $685. 800 was
drawn for outfits.
The scale of compensation provided by the bill to
ministers and secretaries has been graduated to correspond
with the Importance Of the duties to be performed and the
expense of living at the respective capitals 1t desirable
that the salaries of representatives abroad should be
liberal without being extravagant.
Our diplomatic establishment if remodeled in the
ner and with the salaries indicated will cost annually
050oonly Si5si6 "a than the average cost for
the last twelve years OF outfits salaries and contingent
expenses Although the number of legations has been
considerably augmented and several OF them raised since
1884, it is thought that foreign intercourse may be
conducted for twelve years, commencing with the LIST of
July, 1853 in the proposed for not larger
than that expended for the twelve years preceding that
day.
Our consular estab simepi Imperfect 1t is defective
most important particulars Repeated attempts seye
been heretofore made in Congress to remodel its provisions
but without success All the great interests OF the Union
less themselves with its agency, and
quire its Improvement Some Of copsps are better
compensated than any officers of the government whie by
far the gfsaef number receive nothing like just remunera
lion for the services performed This inequality the bill
proposes to remedy by disseminating the system of COM
pcnsaton by fees and the substitution of salaries In i'm
portant commercial ports and in large manufacturing dis
cts conus not to be permitted TO transact business
The Withholding from them of this privilege necessary
to prevent ppdue advantages in trade their country
men.
In ports with which we but little comeycc and in
interior places where there is comparatively expectation
to the United States they may carry business Those
from whom this privilege is withheld provided with
higher salaries than hose not excluded from trade but
without any distinction of grade
We have this time but one consul general commits
stoned such, and by the bill he /. reduced ordinary
consul In countries where consus received COM
mercial agents 60 be appointed
The salaries proposed by bill 10 cpnguls and
cial agents, prepared with much after consultation
with the State Department are considered Just aud called
for by the public Interests
The amount Of fees received at al. on consulates in
1852 the returns for 1853 being completely aecer1ip
to the reports OF the State Department Sl53laG To-
to this may be added $4,000 for the salaries cerkhire
houseen and contingent expenses during the year
OF the eonsulates at London Basic Constapnopie Alex
in GanIi Eub- han Arnoy