The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-30


he is sent
With regard to the recommendation of the committee to
abolish outfits foreign minister's cannot think
advisable though he system may not accord WIN
the principle upon which other public servants are com
pensaed and although it may have proyed unequal ana
demoraixing in its operation In certain The com
mt,ee do appear have taken into 'he
situation in which minister Is placed by his appointment
represent the nation in foreign capital lie mas IA INC
first place make his arrangements for leaving nome
which always lead expense let him manage the same as
he may After receiving his credentials and instructions from
the Department of State the minister must pay his travel
ling expenses and those Of his family TO the capital to
which he is accredited Arrived at his post he Obliged
TO take and furnish throughout unless he can OBJ
tain FURNISHED apartments"- thing impossible to pro-
cure in some capitals. Moreover, as the diplomatic ser
vice Of the United States is at present organized the
chances are that nine times out Of ten the minister does
not understand the language of the country Consequent
w. being unable attend personally to establishing NM
self in his legation he is compelled to trust his arrange
ments to an agent who usually considers the new conner
fair game and specuates upon his helpless condition ac
cordingy Thus the taking and furnishing 'ne mouse
the legation become affair alarmingly expensive
In the year $780, Mr. Randolph WAS sent as envoy ex-
,aordnary 10 Russia and was named secretary Of ega-
ton His appointment TOOK place after the adjournment
of Congress- and appropriation had been made Tor AN
outfit for minister to Russia and as the secretary OF
State Mr Van Buren, did not feel himself authorized TO
instruct the bankers of the United States to pay Mr. Kan
doph his outfit he was, to my certain knowledge, COM
PEELED to borrow money to leave home Notwithstanding
that he possessed large estates in vrgna and he would
have been obliged borrow larger sum had not the gov
eminent ordered the "Concord soopOfwa to be htted
out to convey him and his suite to Cronstadt
LII health rendered it necessary for the minister to leave
his post which he did with the permission of the President
residence in St Petsrsburgh OF six weeks ana the
legation was intrusted to charge daaires, which
dignity was obliged support during upwards of twenty
months upon $4,000 the salary of secretary OF legation
Congress by the general appropriation bill OF lsaa voted
me the outfit and the difference between the OF sec
rotary charge but this did not prevent my having
been placed embarrassing situation, as far as re-
garded pecuniary matters during the whole first term
served as charge in the Russian capital In the year l845
was transferred from the legation at Vienna again to St
Petersburgh with the rank of secretary Of legation
though it understood that the minister would be re-
called after my arrival at my post My salary was
consequently $4,000 per annum and had, as far as the
government concerned break up my establishment
at Vienna travel the continent to ST. Petersburgh
take and furnish house. and act representative of the
United States for nearly two years that salary 1t is
scarcely necessary say in that time were
auadrupe that sum- and the $500 rs afterwards voted
me by Congress the difference between the salaries OF
secretary and charge did my outlay by at least
OOO Such has been the with me- more or less for
the fifteen years and an amount greater than all the
denomination of outfits and Of salary as charge
has been expended the attempt represent the country
in COMFORTING with its place in the scale of ma
tons The compensation given to our ministers abroad
under the present system admitted to be inadequate and
as the annual expenditure required by the proposed bill
for diplomatic service will be- that of the existing sys
tenn only Sl5sl6 3D. is equally clear that foreign rep
resenta,iyes in the MAN, will be off under the
than the old system.
This cannot he considered making liberal allowance
diplomatic agents. when it is recollected that the
missions Rome Central America and Switzerland have
been established within the last few years and those to the
other capitals which the United States have been here
toe by ministers and charges dares to
be raised to missions of the first rank
But if the provisions Of the bill not remarkable for
iberay towards ministers it is papable to those who
have passed through the lower grades of the service that
who has the least prospects at home accept the
Office Of secretary OF legation if he intends to pay his
penses out of his salary.
Without referring to other legations it is sufficient to
say that the salary proposed to be given to the secretary
Lima ISL 5OO) the the pay of bookkeepers in
of the foreign commercial houses in this city, whose
board and lodging also provided by the firm in which
they employed. From the greater responsibility at
tached to the Office of secretary Of legation and the posi-
ton he occupies society where officials looked up
to- he naturally be led into expenses that clerks
not subjected to and there could be better proof af
forded of the nsucency of The salary proposed to be
given to the secretary Lima than that merchants clerks
earn about double the amount in pay and board.
II Is undenabe that the secretaries of legation
BODY are the paid officers in the service of the gov
ernmen they not only forced to pay all their
travelling expenses when they accompany the minister
abroad out of their salary, but they must keep up
tain appearance after they arrive at their posts they
considered necessary appendage to the ministers on all
public occasions Moreover the expense of ocomoton
of two persons the class between any given place
is the same could perceive any good reason why
secretaries should not be entitled to outfit and Unfit
corresponding with their place in the legations
The fact that the salaries of secretaries insufficient
maintain them abroad being admitted it is clear that
red virtually disabled from filing the Office unless
they for the time to separation "a ora"
This Of itself should be sufficient to demonstrate the mpo
icy of attaching the Office salary too email to support
its class
We now the salaries proposed to be given by
the bill to consus in lieu of fees and although it will be
readily admitted consuls should be salared officers
they should least be paid according to the Importance
of their posts and the expense Of living at them Without
entering into comparison in these respects between the
posts mentioned in the BILL it is only necessary to refer to
one or two of them show that the reporter notwith
standing the information received from the State Depart
nent is mistaken in several instances For example,
the salaries of the consus at London and Liverpool
are to be $500, Paris $4,000, Havre $4,000 Havana
$4,000 Trieste $1,000 Lepsic $1,000, Panama $4,000,
Valparaiso $4,000, Tacahuano 500 Caiao ST. 900, Tum
bes $500 Why the consus Mt Liverpool and London
should be paid salaries nearly equal to those given to
our minister Grea; Britain why the London consul
II. II