THE UNITED STATES CONSULAR SYSTEM: A MANUAL FOR CONSULS, AND ALSO FOR MERCHANTS, SHIPOWNERS AND MASTERS IN THEIR CONSULAR TRANSACTIONS; COMPRISING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN WASHINGTON: . PUBLISHED BY TAYLOR AND MAURY. INTRODUCTION. At the late session of Congress, an act was passed to regulate the diplomatic and consular systems of the United States. This act is of a most comprehensive character, and enters into much detail in relation to consular affairs, prescribing duties to be observed by merchants engaged in foreign trade, shipowners and shipmasters, collectors of customs, and American travellers in European countries; repeals many of the provisions of existing laws, and revives others, intimately affecting the shipping interests of the country, which were adopted more than half a century ago, and were subsequently repealed; abolishes all fees heretofore received by consuls, prescribes a new tariff of consular fees, and imposes heavy penalties for malfeasance and for neglecting the observance of the requisitions of the statute. The importance of these provisions, affecting as they do so many classes of the community, has suggested the publication of this volume for general information. embraces, as will be perceived, in addition to a brief historical sketch of the consular system of the United States, the regulations of the Department of State for consular officers, the laws relating to their duties, forms to be observed in the transaction of consular business, together with copious indexes for convenience of reference. It It is believed that this work will be found useful to persons seeking appointments as consular officers, in furnishing them with information requisite for the discharge of consular duties, as well as to those engaged in foreign commerce. To shipmasters, especially, much of the information which it contains is indispensable under the provisions of recent statutes. In the exercise of their arduous and responsible vocation, they have frequent occasion for the services and assistance of consular officers, which must be rendered in accordance with the laws of the United States and the instructions of the Department of State, with both of which, so far as they relate to their own duties, they should be fully acquainted. WASHINGTON, December, 1856. |