New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-05
TIE CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC BILL

SOME QUEER NOTIONS OF THE HOUSE COM
MrrEE on FoRE.GS AFFAIRS.
Washington April Special. The Diplomatic and
Consular Appropriation bill and Chairman Blounps
accompanying report presented last week by the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs ara highly Characteristic
Of the popular" branch Of this LID Congress. An
mspection OF them gives additional evidence Of the
prDvincallsm and narruwre,S OF the vast majority Of
the members Of the present House. The report OF
Chairman Blount opens v!;h an argument against
continuing the diplomatic service a. all, but a. no
announcement may bc expected in this direction from
the senate the President, he says the committee mas
ccntentcd itself with po>ponins needed reforms AT
this point" speaking OF the Consular service. Chair
man Blount says:
sour Consular system presents many points Of AT
taetyeness OF most substantial character. worthy Of
rho most coroful study Where We haze neither trade
nor shining a cOn~ui's occupation Is unseviceable
10 the country and should he dispensed with. Where
these arc small his services entltle HIM To but H''
comren alton and they increase I'm importance th'y
become Of greater value. requiring men OF more aol'l
10 obnln whom must ofer higher compensation
Acting on this principle the committee have I'it uh-
disturbed the salaries al the important points OF foreign
trodc reduced II where the business was small enough
to Justify IT, tang out Of the Salsi1ed lists ana
placing them fees.'
But the first reduction in the table which fo)w' Tue
above cstract shows that the committee arted on u
widely different principle. TIE principal COnsates
General al London Paris, Havana and Rio Janeiro-
through which Is conducted the largest part 81 TIE
foreic, commerce Of the United stHte,-are all cnt
from s6 coo to $4,000 a year. The same treatment
bcfcl the Consulate at Liverpool. but. paiadoNh"S
the Office was raised to "A Consulate General step
which was neither asked for nor desired by the We
p,rtment Of state. table made part Of the report
MS an exhibit shows that in the year ended June 30
lsoI the Offices turned into the Tnted stntes 1reiy
consulor fees rs follows: Havana s20,3b7; LONDON
SiGOos: Liverpool, $34.3i0: Paris. S30'44' hiO
Iondro ~ 49, Whether By Ignorance o: design, the
bill makes no provision for C)nSulai''"e0eIUl at
Vienna W ere the United states bias maintained one
for more than seventy years. A. Vienna Is not IN
cudcd I'm the list OF reductions caimeds Is charitable
IA suppoSe that the omission was accidental. The
Consulate General ut Halifax, after an existence OF
forty wears Is also accidentally or intentionally abo
ishtd.
The bill takes some unaccOuntabc liberties With gen
eraly received geographical notions. Munich Is trans
ferred from Germany to England TIE island of sano
Dominc, is returned spain although Hnyti has been
Repullc since 100. with bief interval. wien it
was an Empire but net Spanish
The Central American mission is split up By this bill
GuatemaI, is made an independent mission, beUg de-
tnched from Costa Rca Honduras. Nicaragua aud sal
vador Fut the secretary Of Legation and Consul
General will have 70 spread himself over wide cX-
font OF territory the requirements Of tie bill
lie is 10 be- says the document. Secretary OF Legation