CHARGE D'AFFAIRES.

8. These officials rank as the lowest grade of ministers or diplomatic officers, and are not clothed with much authority or power, excepting when authorized to act in the room of a minister of higher rank, whose place is for the time being vacant. In this case consuls have been authorized to act in place of ministers; but not unless authorized to do so by the President of the United States.

SECRETARIES OF LEGATION.

9. Secretaries of Legation may with propriety be noticed under the general head of ministers, although they are not ministers of any grade, but are appointed by the same powers that appoint ministers, and accompany them merely as their secretaries. In the absence of a charge d'affaires, they are sometimes authorized to act in his place. The position is not one of great dignity, nor is the compensation large.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Consuls.

1. CONSULS are officers not peculiar to our government. They are known and employed by many, if not all of the civilized nations of the world, and are recognized by the law of nations. Their duties and fields of action are always in foreign countries—never at home. Although they are the agents of the gov ernment that employs them, yet many of their duties. require them to act for and in behalf of the private citizens of their country who may happen to be within their consulate.

2. The Constitution provides that the President and Senate shall appoint all our consuls. The President signs their commissions, which bear the great seal of the United States, and which prove to the government where they are sent that they are duly appointed and authorized to discharge the duties of consuls at the ports or places to which they have been appointed.

3. In order to show the nature of a consul's duties, such as the laws impose upon him, we will state the substance of several acts relating to this subject.

1. Whenever a vessel belonging to a citizen of the United States arrives at the port where he is stationed, it is his duty to receive the ship's papers, and to see if they are all correct.

2. It is his duty to provide for sick, disabled, and destitute American seamen, and to send them home by some vessel going to the United States.

3. He must hear the complaints of seamen, and settle disputes between the captain and men; and for good cause he may discharge the whole ship's crew.

4. It is made his duty to receive and take care of the personal property of any citizen of the United States who has died within his consulate, and to send any balance which may be left after paying his debts and necessary expenses, to the Treasury of the United States, to be held in trust for the legal claimants. He must also give notice to the Secretary of State of the death of such person.

4. For the purpose of carrying out and executing certain treaties made between the United States and China, Japan, Siam and Turkey, consuls to those countries have been empowered with judicial functions. They were allowed to act as judges, and to try and punish citizens of the United States who had committed crimes there. These, however, were extraordinary powers in special cases, and by no means common to the consular office.

5. In the absence of a minister or diplomatic agent of the United States, the President may authorize a consul to perform the duties of such foreign minister; but these powers are rarely conferred on them. Their ordinary duties relate to commercial affairs, and to such as are before stated.

6. A vice consul, or deputy consul, is one appointed to act temporarily in case of sickness or absence of the consul. His powers, while acting, are the same as those of the consul in whose place he acts. Every consul is required to give bonds for the faithful performance of his duties.

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7. Our commerce has been extended to almost every part of the globe, and for this reason we need a great number of these officials. Their services are required at all great seaports, and at many smaller ones. Their compensation varies according to the amount of business to be transacted by them, from $7,500 down to $500. Some do not receive any salary, but are allowed the fees they are authorized to charge for their services.

8. A consul is to some extent a representative of his government, and is therefore treated with consideration and respect. An insult to him is looked upon as an insult to his country, for he is a kind of general agent for his government and people. It is his duty to give them all such information as he possesses in relation to the laws and practices of the country to which he is sent, which it would be important for them to know whether at home or abroad; and especially is it his duty to look after the interests and welfare of his countrymen when they are within his consulate, and to see that no wrong or injustice is done to them by the people or government where he resides.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Treaties.

1. IF two individuals enter into a written contract or agreement, in which each agrees with the other, to do, or not to do, certain things therein stated and specified; these individuals or parties to the contract, as they are called, perform an act which is most like a treaty between two nations, States or powers, of anything we can think of as a comparison or illustration, if called to answer the question "what is a treaty."

In one case two individuals make the contract; in the other two nations or governments make it, and it is called a treaty, when governments are the contracting parties.

2. Treaties have often been of great service to the world, both in ancient and modern times. By these negotiations, wars have been prevented, friendly relations maintained, and commercial intercourse kept up, advantageously to both parties. Treaties may be negotiated by any persons properly authorized by their government to do so; and any government may authorize such persons as they see fit, to perform these important acts. In many cases the ordinary ministers who represent their governments to other governments, negotiate ordinary treaties. But in cases where something of an extraordinary character is to be arranged, special ministers or commissioners are sent for this express purpose. This was the case at the treaty of Ghent, (so called from the name of the place where