The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-14

and Secretary or Foreign Affairs, Which, on the ioth o
December of the year. changed into the presn
Department and Secretary OF State
The Secretary OF this department 70 be appointed 10y
the President and to correspond with our eonsus and
minister's and attend such other matters respecting
foreign Affairs the President should assign TO his de
partment On the 22d December, 81 Pnekney, OF South
Carolina was nominated by General Washington minister
to London and Governor Morris OF Pennsylvania minister
to Paris.
1t upon these nominations that the Senate discussed
the policy of permanent special missions 10 foreign
courts under the confederation. Permanent mis-
sons preferred and Pnckney and Morris confirmed
The first act Of Congress after the formation of the gov
ernmen, making appropriation for diplomatic intercourse
was passed July lst, 1890
IL authorized the President draw from the treasury
annual sum- exceeding $4,000 for the support and
incidental expense OF such persons as he should commits
sion in the foreign service.
The amount of salary TO be paid each left to the
Presidents discretion except that iexclasiye OF outfit
which not to be than years salary min
lister penpotentiay should be paid than $4,000
charge more than $4,000 nor the secretary OF the minister
more than ~ 800
These sASss and soutHls continued unchanged until
May ls 1870 when Congress raised the allowance for sal
AIRY the secretary of any legation from 81 $50 TO
$4,000 and confined the allowance for outfit to ministers
penpotenay or charges on going from the United States
TO any foreign country.
General Washington exercised the power granted by
Congress, aud appointed ministers and consuls abroad
with the highest salaries permitted by law. Having lived
under the English diplomatic and consular systems they
were followed in their appointments in rank except that
no ambassador was sent or received.
the personal representation Of sovereign and differs from
minister in that the latter represents his nation
The actual diplomatic grades WESTMINSTER penipoen
tiary and envoy extraordinary minister resident, and
charge daialres with secretaries for each legation
In 1902 under Mr. Jefferson these systems had been in
existence little more than ten years and comprehended
ministers penpotentiary France England Madrid and
Portugal and secretary TO each egaontour ministers
penipotentiary, and four secretaries OF legation.
minister resident and secretary of legation to the
Hsgaeone minister resident and one secretary of ega
ton.
There the same time in service abroad two
Of commissions under the sixth and seventh articles of the
treaty with Great Britain with agent attached making
in diplomatic service eighteen persons.
There We're consuls general at Amsterdam Agiers, Tu
mis- Tripoli and Morocco--iive consus general.
Two agents for the reefof American seamen at Lon
don and the other at Kingston, Jamaica-two agents
There one consuls three vice consuls and four
commercial agents in the consular servce-sixty-hve per-
sons.
Making in the foreign service OF the government abroad
in all eighty-th persons.
Total expense Of their salaries Sl05591 II.
The consuls general saaried consu and vice
suls and commercial agents, were supported by fees.
From 1900 to the present time diplomatic and
suar systems have remained without important modfc
tons. In that period have made great advances in
wealth and power
Population 5,305,s25 23,l9l,s76
Area of territory s20,6s0 2,936,l66
Exports S70,9 ,7S0 SI5I, ,S9S, ,720
Imports sol, ,252,76s sl7s,l ,3ls
Tonnage 9I2,402 1885, ,454
Seanen 10000 140, 900
Commercial treaties with nations. 10 n na.sass zoe
Expenses of government 74ll,37o 4s,oo2, lss
Expenses OF foreign service $4,000 4l2,789 n
Such has been the development in fifty years Of the in
particularly affected by foreign intercourse
My time will not permit to enlarge particular points
bat call attention to the fact that coming into existence
the first great neutral power of the earth-wh political
institutions antagonist in principle those Of other gov
ernmenswe adopted their machinery for foreign inter-
course and that during period of sxtyfv yearsthee
political generations-we have maintained it without inn
portant modification.
2. That within the same period other governments with
whom hold intercourse, have greatly modified their
systems and Great Britain whose system partc
ularly copied has several times lin lsl5l6'25-'303 81
and 5o thoroughly revised and changed hers in many inn
portan particulars have conform to the require
g. That every President of the United States for the last
thirty has been embarrassed by the defects of
foreign system That every Secretary of State during that
period has desired its reorganization and that almost every
Congress through regular and special committees has re-
ported in favor of its establishment upon basis.
A. That the commercial interest of the country has
peatedly protested against the ncompatiby OF many OF
its provisions and their nadequacy the
of extended trade that the captains and of
vessels abroad have constantly complained of its unequal
and oppressive operation; and that ministers and
sus under whig and democratic administrations those in
the actual and those the past service of the country have
united in its condemnation.
5. That at many governments where represented
ministers have been without right of admttnce the
royal presence and forced yield in dignity and position
to the representatives OF petty and comparatively nsgn
ing adopted the grades of diplomatic rank established
the treaty of Vienna in 1875 and followed by all the other
governments Of Europe modification simplifying dplo
matte grades and involving sacrifice of principle in
creased expenditure.
g. That while those OF ministers who accept dplo
matte position merely for the sake of foreign travel and
who remain abroad only long the novelty Of the life
charms aud return home before they have acquired
knowledge of the language, a familiarity with the pub
lie and feeling OF the nation which they have been
accredited extravagantly paid in salary and outfit
equal TO S2l 900 for single year ahroadothers of the
grade and the court whose services, from
longer residence abroad and intimate knowledge Of
foreign matters may he supposed be Of least equal
value, receive at the rate of only $4,000 year.
Z That, while of cousuls amass fortunes
king, in instances, from $4,000 $4,000 YEAR
others, at points of much Importance, struggling
with very bare support
g. That with spreading into every sea, and
citizens establishing themselves in trade upon almost
coast the world round and with legal provision for
their protection the for its execution defective
to make law but little in many cases. than
instrument in the hands OF citizens OF foreign for
our injury.
These evils the committee have thought originate chiefly
in two causes:
First Our having adopted system cumbersome in its
details and unsuited the Of institutions
the degree OF discretion it has conferred upon the Exec-
tive
Second In having retained this system originally
adopted without modifying il either the require
ments of development the changed spirit OF the
age
am not insensibe Mr. Speaker 10 the difficulties with
which the committee have to contend in eecting the
forms proposed by the bill they have reported
am that the very just and popular prejudice
-. a..