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


times too the protection this gives has been extended for
consideration those entitled 20 H. and IA some in
sanoes American citizens have been manufactured al -
The bin before the House Is framed to remedy these and
similar evils While Il Is founded upon conviction
Of the evils of merchant conss and system Of ices il
does not however entirely abolish either II goes only 20
the extent that the English system has gone Consuls APP
pointed where there Is comparatively little trade, and
where consular duties occupy but portion Of their time
and where there is complaint against IT, either from the
foreign government citizens allowed %
trade and es though eqUaliEed and reduced Ia amount
10 he collected for the government
This is necessary because IL would be impossible 70 pass
b imposing the entire support Of consular sys
The present bin contains the germs Of system that
/ be perfected IN the future
Whenever all fees under government ciioes o. every
kind shall be abolished think they should be they
be easily abolished under this bill and without affecting in
/ any way the value Of its other provisions
Until that time arrives however Ars are ynard snder
nt e,0 rhaeA ca scaafy Prereaa hs Prsst dsrers,oa
from the treasury INTO rioae hands Qf as
ieed u ne ay " fees open As ~ s souaf,y
Where government offices remunerated by fees there
is constant disposition means of
private profit rather than Of the public good There
generally three guards upon the abuse
First Precision in the of the Gee and definite
ness in the subject and the service for which i is to DO
eaacted.
Second The intelligence Of the party paying as to what
s really due and hts capacity to resist imposition when
attempted.
Third The absence OF personal interest in the amount
paid by the who collects L. the restraint OF public
opinion upon h conduct and liability 20 punishment for
extortion.
The present system N lettag ices Bg Ansrican eoasuls
abroad Is pioa any n these guards The fees ia
definite IN character and they generally propor
toned q ne toymass required BY Rs coasa himself and %
he charges established IN he port whes ne Is located
He is made Judge Of the occasion when his services
required and then directly interested Ia increasing the for
maltes OF trade and the port regulation OF his locality
and IN having the authorities levy many and as high
fees upon the commerce Of his country possible.
The persons upon whom he leyes his fees are, from
character and pursuit the most helpless class Of American
citizens The sailor proverbally houghtess and igno-
rant pays the most numerous and heaviest fees Of the
i consul
Some these fees the nature Of commissions upon
the sailors wages involving calculations impossible for
him TO make, and Others of them both in subject and
amount, purely at the discretion of the consul.
The consul at a remote locality placed almost beyond
the reach Of public opinion and disposed be corrupt
finds almost any abuse justified by the practice Of the for
egn government
The difficulty of bringing home to him the evidence OF
his extoron in any particular case the mpossbiliy Of
perpetuang testimony without his aid and the time that
necessarily eapse before his conduct be inquired
into through the State Department places him almost be-
yond the fear of punishment
And dsY 10 insure erfortoa, He dsc proedes that all no
collects shall into has pocket thus creating direct
posve interest IN making his office agency purely Of prt
ra gain The position has been generally sought and not
unfrequenty conferred expressly for this object and in
proportion TO its yield is the danger Of removal the
sus desire to accumulate is stimulated by the uncertainty
! of his tenure of office
could instances Of the manner which the
interest Of the rights OF seamen and the honor
of the have suffered under outrageous abuses
of existing service which, II certified
/ beyond question would seem almost incredible
The subject however is exhaustless and my time limit
1 ed wH hergore only mention briefly Qf keSe
evils, as they affect commerce. sedmen, and The government
At present every vessel touching foreign port where
there is American consul pays him least four doll
lars The vessel hundred tons pays as much
OF three thousand This operates discriminating tax
against commerce with countries contiguous aud in favor
fwealthy capitalists engaged in distant trade For
pie: vessel Of two hundred TONS making twenty voy
ages in the year between Boston any Of the New Eng
land ports and the British provinces or between New York
nd nd MexIp
pay eighty dollars while vessel with valuable cargo
and Of two thousand TONS sailing distant port in
China or the East Indies would pay only -four dollars
Under the bill this charge proportoned the tonnage
For notaral service consns allowed 10 charge
the OF the country in which they reside and are
sequeny interested in keeping these rates high pos
sibe At some points where facilities for business
great the tax for extension of protest for example slight
at Others, measured by the rates Of semcvilizcd
try where writing Is science and materials for 1t scarce
is AS The actual labor dependent upon
locality necessarily discharged by the consul there
no good reason for this difference in the charge
For example, for extension Of protest at Liverpool the
charge hs been about nine dollars at Glasgow eleven
dollars at Calcutta, thirty-two dollars at Melbourne
thrtyfve dollars; at Gibraltar, sixteen dollars and at
Halifax Nova Scotia, twenty dollars at st Helena and
i Bermuda, eight dollars.
In Spain, at Cadiz and Malaga, eight dollars and at
Havana seventeen dollars and at Maanzas in the same
island twenty-five dollars.
So in France at Bordeaux, twelve dollars; and at
Favre and Marseiiies, eight dollars.
SO at Panama. twenty 10 thirty dollars and at Carha
gena, in the country eight dollars
Under the bill, the amount paid will not 20 TO the
sui and he viii have no interest IN charging than
reasonable
Administration upon the estate Of citizens Of
try dying abroad Ia duty often imposed upon consuls
As his employment in this way Is not however strictly
quired by law, but generally at the option Of the parties
interested Ia the estate OF the deceased the bill imposes
charge equal TO that paid at home for similar service in
der TO prevent his being burdened unnecessarily with bus
\ ness of this character.
The proUoas o the b regulating Ae rights n Hasiers ot
gesstis and such haze been found pgiua5is
experience and intended protect the sailor from many
impositions Of uhich he IS thc suLyect
The fee levied by consus upon the shipment discharge
Of In foreign port is under the BILL be paid by
the captain Of the vessel Whenever the captain of
American vessel discharges American AZ a for
eign port he is now obliged 70 pay three months extra
wages Two months Of this goes 10 the sailor TO aid him
in getting home and one month paid TO the consul
to government fund for destitute Upon
the wages thus paid seamen consuls have been In TIE
habit OF charging from and half FIVE per cent Az
sailors generally bad cacnators great imposition has
been praced upon them in oyerchargng this percentage
BY the bill this commission and other fees paid
by the sailors abolished
II Lder tie bH consGs at important points not prmii
% Be interested ih those pho board furnish supplies 0r
destiNis sean1ea.
This guard ia required from the fact Of many United
States consnls In the Pacific keeping hospitals for and
lodging, seamen and under present system paying
themselves for their support sick destitute out OF
the fund made up from the two months paid for dis
charge Of and, where that u not sufficient draw
ing upon ths United States treasury and receiving COM
mission Of five per cent upon their BILLS as u Tor moneys
j advanced.
The operation has been this The consul required BY