, 1870-04-14

which Is quite no.e.ou. hess: 70 vhien 2, at:sa,
~afs 6alSs sS1n sas al n 81 H. Bse!ox
Consul b Eetaored tac oee Of the Consulate, 70 70
ife ofdec prcmtsex Nj, Blgelow bccame Minis
ter, md NJ. EIcolay succeeded him Is Consul, TIC
o11ce OF the Consulate aiming n thc piaSe 10
msde. nj. BlgeioE was succeeded IS Minister bJ
General Dt1, and went home 70 AnaGEacs wlta ~
UNDERSTANDING, II is said WITH II. Siso!a{ a1on! nad
sut66orsties, s9a66 ras ordered 70 he con-
s:ructed, and this street took 70 try putiaing N
which the Consulate was located LAat year an
uppraiscment taccoE1ing to custom p1eyalen! N
Fafis) "a made ty the French authorities. et tue
damage to the business, &e, OF ~ various oSso,
away. The on1ec Of tac consulate WA tten re-
Rue tu cardtrai Fesch.
was about Is eco frances or s. ooo aad thts amnunt
srpoii,e @ d T:h * X %e.sss Msnras c. lis Ssate9s
nl,n II g = dspossed a aSoas octooF ~ isas NJ
Nicolay kept hs accounts, both pnhaie aud ptiyate
together, IN such q manncl that Il Tonia be 3e
tne government mud which 70 him.
The amount does not appear In any way on
the book Of the Consnlats-aor there anI rec
been, to the government, which should justly re-
ceiFe any cmoiument a1tsiug from such conttn-
genc{. Mr. Digtlow, T Z sAtd, elaimed toe anonnt
which had been patd 1,o0o> rs belonging to hun
MI. NeolaJ also CLAIMED Il, AID, besides, had pos-
session OF the money, and sonlc sharp correspond.
encc passed between theM On the subject: but OF
1ss unal dlspoaiu1n hare no knowledge, other
than that 1t was not returned TO the government
"There arc other matters which. at this late day,
i would be useless 70 bring up, but Il = ss,dsnt
thar In former times there was much Of what
4 FEE g ,e ee1 ne Beneat Of .he
The allegations and Implications here arc,
that while Consul at Paris tooka long lease
Of an Office for tho Consulate in tho name and
for account Of the government !; tl.t in the
course at ti,o my le@se advanced in value !;
that tie city of Paris, having occasion to ap-
p1pprlate the premises for public purposes,
compelled Nj. SiculAy to remove the Consult
ate, And paid one OF both Of us $500 dam
lease, which i, 00u ono or 10th of Us put into
cur pockets, instead OF paving oyesto tho gov
ernUeut, Ii your agent gives you to under
stand that We should have done.
did rot suppose there WAS any person IN
the United States Consular service who would
deliberately cunvitk himself OF such gross
Ignorance of the lava relating to tho instsl1a-
ton OF Consuls IS isDetrayed In the paragraph
which have cited
The Consul at raris is, or, at least. WIS,
$500 ! Eear for Office rent. He took such an
office az he pleased. where ho p!eased, within
the business part OF tho city. and paid what he
pleased for it, bnt c1clusively upon his own
responsibility. The government had no more
concern witf the condisiona Of his lease than
with bis debts to his tailor or his butcher. II
suitable accommodations could he found for
$500 year, very wau; if not, it WIS al tbs
etnao to the government. Tho Consul had to
pay the difference out Of bis own pocket.
When the tripicate syBtem Of invoices waa
introduced III 1sG2-'63, the business at that
tta$n &IA&T
myself under the necessity Of providing for it
moro spacious quarters. I WAS fortunate
enough To find = very desirable apartment for
the sum nlloEed by tie government, but
could not have il for shorter term than
twelve years. Though Knew should not re-
main Eo long in Paris though I could not
know whether the location had chosen would
suit my successor, OF whether l might not be
left liable for part or all Of the rent when l
WEE OH the oppoaitc side of the Atlantic, and
be compelled to look up tenant under great
disadvantages, took the lease. with Ill its
Eieks, and Transferred the Consulase..to No. 70
Rus Nc1e1ieu.
When Mr. Nieolay arrived, suggested to
him that be had better allow me to assign my
lease TO him, 81 did not care to be Responsible
for the rent Of the Office after ccasing 10 occu-
py It. Mr.. Ntcolsy declined to accept it. He
occupied the premises. however, until they
were appropriated to the public use: The city
Of Paris awarded me IS, 900 as indemnity fnz
the Interruption Of ruy lcasc. General Star
| ring pretence that this indemnity belongs to
the Federal Government involves, by pecessa.y
implication, the further assumption that il Mr..
Aicolay has chosen to quit the premises in
Question, the Federal Government could have
been held to indemnify me against any loas of
rent might have sustained, either while Wait-
| ing Tor new tcnant or from being Obliged
! to under.lct thetn on 1esa favorable terms II
is difficult to sag which Of these Propositions IL
| tho moro Absurd There mrs some
| other insiuuatiou. against the former Cousule
1t Paris sc.ttc,ed through this report, appsr.
emily in aid Of m appeal to Congress for N i'll
crease in TIC salary q the present incnmben.
As these insiuuaGons relate to operations
which, 70 far All my administration Of the Con,
s1llate Is concerned, were conducted under and
u strict accordance with the e1prnss instruc
and received their unqualified approval.
shoulA be wanting il respect to them, as vel
as TO myself, il permitted tnrsnlf to ts gun
rnoned to the defence OF them by any less
competent kuthnsity.
address this communication to you, NJ
| Secretary, because an officer Of the govern
! ment responsible to you, wholly uuqualihet
for the duty assigned 10 him, and 81 reckless
| Of other mems regulations a. Of hiH own, has
in An official document Addressed to you, b.
| you communicated to Congress-, md By Con
steas printed at,a circulated to the e1tremitie,
=
!! mo- I know there is no adequate reparaho,
for the mischief he laa done thAt the recort
he has been permitted to make ia now . per
tnAncnt ono that thousands who will sec thi
report will never have an oppo1tu
character: and tlla} every yoar It en-
dures will diminish the faciIisses for correcting
the false Impressions 1t WAS Intended to props
gate. But such reparation, II any, as il ma,
he in your power 10 make IN tho promises
feel that hayo not only right to ask Of ron
but th.t sou have too nice sense Of jussic.
to deny ME.
Tho time may come, though trust it vii
not. whom your public character, stainless an.
enviablo as Il il, may be temporarily at tn
mercy Of official iusoence- offer you M op
portnnity Of showing how you would expect 4
be vindieated by yonr SUCCESSORS. vcrr trul.
| and respectfully yours Joux DleELow.
! Hon. GEonaE S. Boutwell,, Secretary Of til
T1easu1y.