Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-22

to dine tomorrow at q table with 5000
pounds sterling upon it and the next day
We return the civility by inviting the same
company to dine with us upon earthenware.
Depend upon it, that nation which places its
own ambassadors at the tail OF the whole crea-
tion cannot expect itself to be soou at the
head"
This policy Of starving its diplomatic ENJOYS
has been followed by the United States con-
sistently from the start. 1t was well known
that Col. John Z. New could have been minister
to England if he had desired-so great were
the obligations of the President to him. But
he preferred to be made consul general to
England because there was money in the latter
office, whereas to be minister would have
ruined him. For, pray remember, the consul
genera!ship at London is worth something like
$500 year. without any of the expensive
social obligations which devolve upon q
minister at the court.
CoNsULs HAVE NO SOCIAL POSITION.
To understand this it must be made clear, to
begin with, that a consul general to England
and tine same thing is in great measure true
of other countries-has no social position
worth II entIoning by reason merely of his Of
fetal station. That is to say he is not re-
ceived at court at all, and. although he may
enter what is called genteel society, he is not
invited to the houses of the nobility. The rea-
son for this Is that any one who occupies a
consular post is concerned not with diplomacy
exactly, but more nearly with trade. He is on
hand for the purpose of attending to the BUSH
ness purely of people from his own country.
and correspondingly he takes rank with the
merchants and snch folks.
II this state OF affairs has its disadvantages
IT also implies certain very decided blessings.
For example, the consul general at London or
Paris is not made the recipient Of costly civil
ties, which, in the nature of things he would
N md Inaa NJ
appear at court, nor does he set up for q high
flyer OF fashion. and no one expects him to
give balls and dinners. Thus he is enabled to
devote the gains of his official situation to his
own purposes, and if he Is frugal he mar accu-
mulate pile.
For an American minister to foreign coun.
try Of Importance, if England be taken az an
example, this Is altogether impossible. The
government OF the United States considers that
1t Is doing liberal thing when it gives its en-
yoy to Great Britain S17,5 a year for salary.
Out OF this sum he is expected to support his
family, maintain an establishment and provide
Tor all incidental expenses. This last item is the
troublesome one. To realize this just consider
what Minister Lincoln is obliged to do with the
income mentioned at his command or peces-
city he must live in the most expensive quar-
ter OF London. This means the taking of a big
mousse that costs small fortune in itself to
rent. The same thing Is true of Paris, where
Minister Reid at present rents a mansion, not
somewhat in excess of his entire pay But that
Is only the beginning. 1t is not so much that
the minister is thrown into fashionable society
and on that account obliged to be swell what
ever the expense may be. The chief trouble
is that he is compelled to keep I'D his end as it
were. with his fellow diplomats from other
countries. They show him cvilities which he
cannot do otherwise than return and this i'm
plies great expense.
OTHER GOVERNMENTS MAKE ALLOWANCE.
England and other great powers are accus-
toned to make allowances to their envoys
abroad for such expenses as these, which are
altogether of public rather than Of a private
nature. For instance. Sir Julian Pauncefote
at present res dent in Washington, receives
$4,000 year salary, in addition to a large
money provision for entertaining, besides
which he has his residence free, at the corner
OF Connections avenue and n street Also a
legal adviser is allowed him at the expense of
the home government and various other equip.
ments are supplied. Such is the happy condi-
tlon OF minister from u foreign nation to this
country.
To go on, Minister Lincoln is obliged to keen
a great house open for general hospitalities
He represents one of the greatest nations of
the world and must do his part becomingly.
de must be surrounded by certain amount of
visible gorSeouSness, and the ladies Of his
family are not thought to be suitably attired
unless their dresses imported from Paris
and cost at least $500 per gown. For any great
occasion the gowns are necessarily expected to
be brand new. So far as the minister himsel
Is concerned, there is no extraordinary expense
as to costume. He may appear in reQula.
ton evening, though that point was made a,
one period almost n question for international
dispute. At that time Mr.. Buchanan was min.
lister to England, and he refused to put on the
conventional gold lace and other such finery to
appear before the queen. The master of cere-
monies at the court, Sir Edward Gust, pro-
tested to Mr.. Buchanan that though the
queen might put up with this infringement OF
etiquette the people Of England would con-
| slider 1t a presumption" If he appeared before
her majesty without the regulation dress. Mr..
Buchanan was angry at this and, not knowing
! in what costume to appear, absented himself
from the opening Of parliament by
the queen, which occasioned a prea,
outcry by the London newspapers He
| thereupon wrote to the Department. Of State
| in Washington, saying that he had no stars OF
| orders to bespangle his coat like the diplomats
| OF the other nations, and that he did not know
how to supply himself with the desirable dia-
monds unless he should hire them for the &C.
casion, which proceeding he would regard al
unrepublican. In taking this attitude he acted
| in obedience to the circular issued by Mr.
Marcy in 1858, suggesting that all diplomatic
| representatives Of the United States would
do best to appear in foreign courts in
the simple attire OF American citizens" Mr..
| Buchanan wrote that 80 far as he could observe
| the simple attire OF American citizens WAS pre-.
cisely the garb worn by the upper servants a,
the courl. and SO he made up his mind finally
| TO wear sword, in order as he said, to dis
tinguish him from the pam pered hunkeys
| Congress assumed q certain discretionary con
| troll over this matter when it passed, in 1867
an order forbidding ANY diplomatic official
| to wear any uniform or costume not previously
authorized by Congress-" Certain authoritiei
have since held that this implied that min.
lister from this country abroad ought not q
wear any clothes at all unless authorised by
act OF the national legislature; but the posi-.
bility Of an ENJOYS going around in his buff OF
foreign shores, upon the strength Of this law
has not thus far been realized.
| CONSUL aESERALsHIP PAYS BErrHR.
| Now, to explain why q consul gensralshir
to such country ss England il 20 much more
remunerative than the situation of minister
| II Is all matter Of fees. The consular Officer
| Is entitled to any fees which are not paid C
him in the line OF his official duty to this gov
eminent. IL he Is located in q great center oil
| population like London he must of uecessit,
be constantly called upon to record pa
pers that have to do with Transaction
Dy American citizens regarding propert!
| In this country. In that way and mani
others Of kindred nature his services ar,
necessary and on each occasion Of the sort b,
exacts compensation OF 10 shillinzs and six
pencc-s2.50. In France notarisl fees arr
enormously higher, and consular officer maj
| render his situation very profitable. His func
| tons are notarial, and q notary In PARIS ordi
narily charges go for afiixing his seal to . doc
| ument and calls in two witnesses ct elO each
The situation Of consul general TO England
now held by Mr.. John C. New, has q salary at