The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-09

,,-,i, ~ ~ $1,000 4 az funiskiug u sspples 70 sailors
~ abolsAag s oy-eetags spoa nt sss advanced ey g9s
srnnai tor her rs and = aoTtng ne e9ses q consul %
The thres principal Of fees under the present sys
TEN win continue under the bill changed merely IN the
mode Of collection and viii be-
lst a Of onehaf per cent tonnage Of vessels
ga the fee paid BY captains for shipment and discharge
Of seamen abroad and
sd the fee for swearing Of invoices before the consul
Under me b rhaf Sgl Be As guards upon tAe Jas eoilse
ton and return Of these fessT
First The four dollars fee for receipt and delivery o.
ships papers changed 70 onehAf Per cent on me ton
mage o the vessel The Secretary Of the Treasuy report
OF the commerce and navigation Of the country a. anefent
foreign ports will afford complete yerincauon OF the
collected in this way In five minutes at his desk
the Secretary Of the Treasury calculate the ees collect
ed from this source by any consul abroad.
Second Every captain OF vessel about 70 sail on Tor
egn voyage now gives bond 10 bring back his semen to
their own country. ON his return TO home port nc
places ON record the conss certificate Of every seaman
shipbed or discharged abroad This makes easy the yer
cation Of the fees collected from this source
Third All invoices sworn 10 abroad are now examined
and entered Of record by the collector at the home port
He has only multiply the number entered from any Tor
egn port by dollars the fee for swearing to them ana
he has the amount collected any consulate abroad
VA he returns under ne bi Be sufficient to eet Ae sr-
: peIlse ~ he consular syStelH
Under our existing system there immease eorruptons
and frauds upon the aud actual outlay from the
Of about $4,000 for eensu at ports where the
fees from commerce furnish no support
Under the present bill the consular system viii support
itself save this outlay Of $4,000 and in addition, $40
600 at least OF the fund wasted under pretence OF
protection to destitute seamen.
This calculation Is based upon the following elements
First The be collected from the tax on tom
mage OF vessels under the bill will be, calculation In
the aggregate little less than that realized from the
OF four dollars for receipt and delivery Of ships pa
Second That on shipment and discharge Of
abroad will be paid by the captains of vessels and Will
nearly double what is received from the same source
Third The number of invoices sworn abroad, and the
fees arising from them will be greatly increased for there
viii be why the foreign merchant should desire
to avoid showing the consul his business, and be will
his invoices before him.
Take however the returns under the present system
the in those likely to be collected under
the bill and upon this base calculation
There were in 1853 two hundred and ten consuates
and commercial agencies under the government OF
these only one hundred and thirty-one returned any
OF fees These returns amounted in that year to
Sl53l96 10 AS the fees collected now the property
OF the consul and there is law but only instructions
from the State Department requiring statement Of their
amount but little reliance be placed the correctness
OF the returns have met any In the service who
considered them correct AT some consulates evil
dence that the actual yield has been three and in some
cases, five times that returned fair estimate would
probably be to double the aggregate amounts But to be
entirely safe increase them only threefourths making
the yield from fees under the bill S26s,os5 s3f.
The expense under the bill will be S27l,450
From this take fees collected and leaves the cost to the
treasury, S3364 l6.
Under the present system there is paid Of the treasu
ny annually for salary to consuls, S2Ts00.
Showing saving TO the treasury in this particular I'M
der the proposed bill, of at least S2s,435 81.
If to this be would be right but one
fourth$4000o Of the 100000 expended for destitute
seamen and have by the bill an annual saving Of
435 ga
Mr. Speaker have gone through the explanation
of this bill. have desired to be brief and with this
view have confined myself to mere statement of its pro-
visions.
In submitting this diplomatic and consular reform to the
action of the House the committee has discharged abo
rous duty They entered with reluctance for they
knew il to be of a character members would have little
leisure examine and that the provisions Of any bill they
proposed could he easily misrepresented
In behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs now earn
estIy ask the House to adopt il.
1t is utterly useless under existing system, 10 request Of
thai committee opinion upon the Legality Of any claim that
il preferred against hs government b one ~ he foreign ser
CLAIM depends upon precedent or the discretion Of the Secretary
Of State These claims multiplying with each year,
and they viii continue to multiply to fearful extent
less there positive law defining the duties be dis
charged and fixing their proper remuneration Last ses-
sion about thirty thousand dollars We're expended in meet
ing these demands They into the House without
explanation, get attached general appropriation
bils--no knows how--and pass--no knows
up our aggregate expenditures each one
future This should be- 1t is great abuse 1t reflects
dscredt upon those in the foreign service subjects them
personal humiliation and Is entirely opposed TO the
Mus OF our institutions
Mr. Speaker in all that have said have avoided refer
either to party to individuals
This national reform, equally affecting every portion
Of the country and until Is accomplished good OF
all parties engaged in the foreign service will participate
alike in the popular prejudice that exists created by
the abuses of q defective system.
have also, avoided any reference the foreign pol
icy of government either in the past present Its
discussion has nothing to do with the reforms Of this
bill
Although embarrassed by ealousies in our early rea-
tons with foreign powers we have found in our remote
ness from the conflicts of Europe and our geographical DO
son at the head of great continent advantages which,
with the CAUTIOUS maxms of Washington, destined be-
yond doubt to make us the commercial and political
tire of the world.
In sixty-hve years have grown from few compare
lively feeble settlements into great empire Civilization
has within this period poured its light into our great cen
trail valley and forests have disappeared cities sprung