National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-08-03
unless he can secure it through fraud,
chicanery AMI violence. These the Re-
publicans propose to guard against.
THE CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC SER
VICE

The ex-Confederate House, in its frantic
efforts at economy, ESQ called,) has at
tempted to destroy the consular and diplo-
matte service. Ssm Randall announced
that ''forty millions could be saved, and
acting upon this he has struck, like blind
rattlesnake in the dog days, at the estl-
mates made by the heads of the Depart
ments, cutting them down without regard
to whether the public service was injured
or not. In this way the pay-already too
little-of many of our ministers was re-
duced. But it was in the consular service
that the House more particularly dis
played its ignorance and imbecility. Large
numbers of consulates were abolished, and
the committee seemed to have no rule to
guide them in the work of selecting those
to be discontinued. They did not contine
themselves to those where the fees failed
to pay the salaries, but merely drew their
pens through a certain number.
Our consular service is now one of the
best organized in the world. 1t has been
so arranged that American commerce and
American citizens are properly protected in
every part of the globe. As a rule, the
consuls are men of character and standing,
who reflect credit upon the country and
the flag. All these considerations have
gone for nothing. There is another that
might have had some weight, but did not
Since the Republican party came into
power the consular service has been so ar
hat ,arOJIrnac ontr1al innnnn
over and above all expenses. An exami-
nation of the report of the Fifth Auditor
for the year ending June 80, 1875, shows
that the amount of fees received by the
consuls was $697, 98S.49. The salaries and
expenses for all of the consular and diplo-
matte service during that year were $751;
1863 II; for hire OF clerks at consulates,
$26, 777.71. The amount expended for the
relief of seamen was $44, 1864. The
amount received for extra wages for sea-
men, &C., was SAT, 174.76. Paid for pas
sage of seamen and for difference IN ex-
change was $17,6O9.S5. This shows, to
recapitulate, that the amount received YVES
$745, 1925, and the amount paid out
which includes every expense for minis
tiers, consuls, clerks, office rent, clerk hire,
the transportation of sailors and citizens,
and all expenses incident to the consular
and diplomatic service, was $500, 237.31,
leaving balance paid into the Treasury
of $114, 925. 81. The amount received over
expenses in the year ending June 80, 1874,
was $12o, 665, and, while we have not the
figures before US, we hive reliable inform
alton that the balance in favor of the De-
partment is still larger for the year ending
June 80, 1876.
In the face of these results, showing as
they do that the we'll organized consular
service pays not only its own expenses but
those of all our Ministers abroad, and
large balance into the Treasury, the ex
Confederates propose to disorganize and
virtually abolish the system, and they have
the impudence to call this economy. The
Senate has so far properly refused to agree
to the proposed destruction of the consular
system, and it should continue to refuse.
1t has already conceded too much that will
result in positive injuryto the Government,
and would be justified by the people in
having refused to listen to the false cry of
economy" raised by the Democrats in the
vain hope that they may, through such
means, obtain more power.