In most cases consuls are subjects or citizens of the state by which they are appointed, but this is by no means an in variable rule, and they are sometimes the subjects or citizens of the country in which they reside, or of some other coun try foreign to both. Persons are usually selected for filling the office from among the mercantile class, and it very com monly happens that they are engaged in commercial pursuits at the port where their official residence is fixed. In this respect the English government is charge able with some inconsistency, for while, in many instances, British consuls are permitted to trade, in others they are ex pressly interdicted from so doing. It would be difficult to discover the appli cation of any fixed principle in deter mining the places where either of these opposite rules has been adopted. We be lieve the interdiction to be of modern application, and that the desire of dimi nishing the public expense has since led, in many cases, to the relaxation of what was once intended to be made a general rule, for it is necessary to give a higher salary whenever trading is not allowed. Many traders are willing to undertake the office at a low rate of direct remu neration for the sake of the commercial influence which it brings, and which is frequently of far greater value to them than any salary which the government would give. The policy of this kind of economy has been much questioned.
Stations of British consuls, &c. in 1844 : Russia. — St. Petersburg, Archangel, Riga, Liebau, Wiburg, Warsaw, Odessa, Taganrog, Kertch.
Sweden.—Stockholm and Gottenburg. Norway.—Christiania and Bergen. Denmark.—Elsinore and Copenhagen. Prussia.—Memel, Pillau, Stettin, Ko nigsberg.
Hans Towns.—Hamburg, Bremen, Lu beck, Cuxhaven.
Holland. — Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Flushing.
Belgium.—Antwerp and Ostend.
France. — Paris, Calais, Boulogne, Havre, Caen, Granville, Brest, Nantes, Charente, Bordeaux, Bayonne, Marseille, Toulon, Corsica.
Spain. — Madrid, Bilbao, Coruna, Cadiz, San Lucar, Malaga, Carthagena, Alicante, Barcelona, Mahon, Teneriffe, Santiago de Cuba, Puerto Rico.
Portugal.—Lisbon, Oporto, Madeira, St. Michael's, Fayal, Terceira, Cape Verd Islands.
Sardinia.—Genoa, Nice, Cagliari. Tuscany.—Leghorn.
Roman States.—Ancona.
Two Sicilies. — Naples, Gallipoli, O tranto, Palermo, Messina.
Austrian States. — Venice, Trieste, Fiume, Milan.
Greece.—Patras, Syra, The Piraeus, Missoloughi.
Persia.—Tabreez, Tehran.
Servia.—Belgrade.
Wallachia.-13ucharest, Ibraila.
Moldavia.—Jassy, Galatz.
Albania.—Joannina, Prevesa, Scutari.
Turkey.—Dardanelles, Salonica, Ad rianople, Enos, Brussa. Smyrna, Myte lene, Scio, Erzeroom, Trebisonde, Kais seriah, Batoom, Samsoom, Moussul.
Syria. — Damascus, Aleppo, Adalia, Alexandretta, Tarsous, Beyrout, Candia, Cyprus.
Palestiue.—Jerusalem. Egypt.—Alexandria, Cairo, Damietta.
Tunis.—Tunis, Sfax. Algiers.—Algiers, Oran, Bona.
Marocco.—Tangier, Mogador, Tetuan.
United States.—Portland. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Or leans.
Texas.—Houston, Galveston. Mexico.—Mexico, San Blas, Vera Crux, Tampico, Matamoros.
Central America.—St. Salvador, Mos quito.
Hayti.—Port-au-Prince, Cape Hayden. New Granada.— Bogota, Carthagena, Panama, Santa Martha.
Venezuela. — Caracas. La Guayra, Puerto Cabello, Maracaibo.
Ecuador. —G uayaquil.
Brazil.—Rio de Janeiro, Maranham, Para, Pernambuco, Bahia, Paraiba. Monte Video.—Monte Video.
Buenos Ayres.—Buenos Ayres. Chili.—Santiago, Valparaiso, Concep cion, Coquimbo.
Peru.—Lima, Callao, Arica, Isla. Bolivia.—Chuquisaca.
China.—Under the treaty of August 29, 1842, consular officers are appointed at the five ports of Canton, Amoy, Foo choo-foo, Ning-po, Shang-hae, to regulate the trade between the Chinese and the subjects of Great Britain. Their duties are of course very important in the pre sent state of our relations with China. The consul at each port is security for the payment of duties, and is bound to prosecute for all infractions of the revenue laws.
Sandwich Islauds. — Woahoo.
Society and Friendly Islands.—Tahiti.
The stations of consuls-general, and agents and cousuls-general, in 1845, are as follows: Consuls-General.—At Odessa, Chris tiania, Danzig, Hamburg, the Havana, Austrian States, Belgrade, Constantinople, Syria, Houston for Texas, St. Salvador for Central America, Port-au-Prince for Hayti, Bogota for New Grenada, Caracas for Venezuela, Monte Video, Santiago for Chili, Lima for Peru, Woahoo for the Sandwich Islands. The highest salary is 20001. a-year.
Agents and Consuls-General — For Egypt, Tunis, Algiers, Tangier for Ma rocco, and at Mosquito in Central America.
The total amount paid in salaries to English consuls, &c. and vice-consuls in 1844 was 107,3001. ; in 1835, 61,95c1. ; in 1825, 71,7161.
Under 6 Geo. IV. c. 87, the contingent expenses of the consular establishment in 1844 were 17,0001. They consisted of relief to distressed British subjects, expenses for chaplains, churches, burial grounds, interpreters in the Levant, &c.
The consuls of the United States of North America do not receive salaries, except those for London, Tangier, Tunis, Tripoli, 2000 dollars each, and the consul for Beirout 500 dollars.