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Light-houses,

buoys, &c.

Neat cattle and hides.

2494.

been specially and distinctly authorized in writing, under the signature of the Secretary of the Interior, and in this case the responsibility of the Government will be limited to the amount named in his letter authorizing the same. No claim for indemnification or for compensation will be entertained, unless accompanied by such letter of the Secretary of the Interior as is above contemplated; and no indemnification or compensation will be allowed to any inventor, or other person presenting an invention, unless there be an appropriation by Congress authorizing such payment. No indemnification or compensation will be made in any case, unless the invention be adopted, or some advantage inures therefrom to the public service of the United States; and the Government of the United States, through its appropriate Department, will, in all cases, be the sole judge on these points.

INFORMATION AS TO LIGHT-HOUSES, BUOYS, SHOALS, ETC.

438.. Consular Officers are expected to report all matters that may come to their knowledge affecting the navigation of waters in their districts, or that may be of public interest or advantage. All notices of the erection of new lighthouses, removals or changes in those established, the discovery or survey of shoals and reefs, changes in channels, the fixing of new buoys and beacons, and all subjects that concern the interests of navigation, should be communicated promptly to the Department of State. If published notices are sent, two copies should be furnished; and if they are in a foreign language they must be accompanied by accurate and trustworthy translations.

IMPORTATION OF NEAT CATTLE AND THE HIDES OF NEAT
CATTLE.

439.. The statute prohibits the importation of neat cattle R. S., secs. 2493, and the hides of neat cattle from any foreign country. It is provided, however, that the operation of the prohibition may be suspended whenever the Secretary of the Treasury shall officially determine, and give public notice thereof, that such importation will not tend to the introduction or spread of contagious or infectious diseases among the cattle of the

United States. He is required to make all necessary orders and regulations to carry the statute into effect, and to send copies thereof to the proper officers of the United States in foreign countries. The President also is authorized to suspend the operation of the statute, by proclamation, thirty days after which its provisions shall be inoperative. In connection with the provisions of this statute Consular Officers may expect, as heretofore, to receive notice of the orders and regulations issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, and of any proclamation by the President that may from time to time be made, in which their several countries are concerned.

440.. When the importation of such cattle and hides is permitted, and invoices are submitted for certification, it is the duty of the Consular Officer to make careful inquiries as to the district from which they come and to satisfy himself that no contagious or infectious disease exists therein which could be communicated to cattle in the United States. If such disease is found to exist, he is authorized to refuse the Consular certificate, reporting the case without delay to the Department of State. If no disease is found, he will grant the certificate according to the usual form of invoice certificate.

Inquiry to be

made before certify.

ing invoices.

ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT POUCHES.

441.. The frequent abuse of the pouches and dispatchbags of the United States makes it necessary to call particular attention to the matter which hereafter will be permitted to be transmitted by these means.

442..The following matter only may hereafter be transmitted by Consular Officers in Government pouches to the United States: 1st. Correspondence and packages addressed to the President or Vice-President of the United States, or to either of the Executive Departments of this Government, or the heads thereof, or to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 2d. Letters, newspapers, and printed matter intended for either of the Assistant Secretaries, the Assistant Postmasters-General, or the Assistant Attorneys-General, or for any of the clerks of this Department. 3d. Invoices required by law to be transmitted to the United States 4th.

Government

pouches.

Transfer of United States stocks.

No fee for witnesses, &c.

Unclaimed letters.

The private correspondence of the Consuls addressed as provided in paragraph 157.

VERIFICATION OF POWERS TO TRANSFER UNITED STATES
STOCKS.

443..All powers of attorney in a foreign country for the transfer of any stock of the United States, or for the receipt of interest thereon, shall be verified by the certificate and seal of a Consul, Vice-Consul, Commercial Agent, or ViceCommercial Agent, if any there be at the place where the same shall be executed. (See Form No. 88 for a general form for the authentication of a signature, and No. 89 for a certificate that an Officer is qualified to administer an oath.)

444.. But no fee is to be charged for witnessing the execution and taking the acknowledgment of assignments of registered bonds or stocks of the United States, or of powers of attorney to assign such bonds or stocks, or to collect the interest thereon; it being apprehended that such charges might affect the value of our securities abroad.

LETTERS UNCALLED FOR.

445.. All letters except as below, addressed to the care or in the custody of Consular Officers, remaining uncalled for for a period of six months, are, on the first days of January and July in each year, to be forwarded directly to the PostOffice Department as dead letters. The packet should be securely sealed and addressed to the "Post-Office Department, Dead Letter Office, Washington, D. C.,” and should be forwarded as other official matter. It should be accompanied by a letter of advice showing the number of the enclosures.

446.. But letters intended for officers and seamen of the Navy in the Pacific and Asiatic squadrons, and letters intended for the crews of whaling vessels, may be retained one year before transmitting them to the Post-Office Department. Upon returning such letters an endorsement should be made on each, stating the reason for detaining it beyond the six months above prescribed.

447.. Instances have occurred where dead letters returned from Consulates have been found opened, and where the

stamps have been detached. As the post-mark is frequently indistinct, the removal of the postage-stamp often deprives the Post-Office Department of the means of ascertaining where such letters were originally mailed, without opening them, which, under treaty stipulations, it has no authority to do with letters mailed in a foreign state.

448..Consuls are therefore instructed to take care that letters received by them are not opened by unauthorized parties, and that they are not despoiled of the stamps which they may bear on their arrival at their Consulates.

LETTERS DETAINED AT FOREIGN PORTS.

449..It is provided by statute that the Secretary of State may empower the Consuls of the United States to pay the foreign postage on such letters destined for the United States as may be destined at the ports of foreign countries for the non-payment of postage; and that the amount so paid may be credited in the account of the Consul with the Department of State. In carrying out this statute Consular Officers are instructed that they are authorized to state the amount paid for such postage in their postage account with the Department, but that it should be entered as a separate item, in order that upon its repayment by the Post-Office Department the proper appropriation may be credited.

PRESENTS AND TESTIMONIALS FROM FOREIGN POWERS.

age.

Payment of post

R. S., ec. 4014,

timonials.
R S., sec 1751.

450..Consular Officers are forbidden by law from asking Presents and tesor accepting, for themselves or other persons, any presents, emolument, pecuniary favor, office, or title of any kind, from any foreign government. This statute is substantially the provision of the Constitution in this respect. It not unfrequently happens that Consular Officers are tendered presents, orders, or other testimonials in acknowledgment of services rendered to the subjects or the governments of foreign states. They are, however, prohibited from accepting them until authorized to do so by Congress, to which body all requests for permission to accept them are referred.

Consular uniform. R. S., secs. 1226, 1688.

Consuls acting or

foreign States.

CONSULAR UNIFORM.

451.. No uniform is now prescribed to be used by Consular Officers as such, and none is authorized by statute or regulation to be worn by them. The use of a uniform or official costume, unless previously authorized by Congress, is expressly prohibited to Diplomatic Officers. It is provided, however, that all officers who served during the rebellion as volunteers in the Army of the United States, and were honorably mustered out of the volunteer service, may bear the official title, and, upon occasions of ceremony, may wear the uniform of the highest grade they held in that service. They may also, on like occasions, wear the distinctive Army badge of the corps or division in which they served. These provisions are held to apply to Consular Officers whose service and discharge from the volunteer Army bring them under its terms. Apart from them, however, no authority now exists under which a Consular Officer may wear a uniform. The former regulations in this respect have been rescinded for many years; and while a uniform may under some circumstances be useful to a Consul, there is no authority to permit it to be worn, except as above provided for, and it is believed to be advisable that he should abstain from its use.

CONSULAR OFFICERS ACTING FOR FOREIGN STATES.

452..Consular Officers are sometimes requested to discharge temporarily the duties of those of other countries during the absence of the latter from their posts, or for other reasons. It is usual as a matter of comity to accede to such requests, but they should not do so, unless under urgent circumstances, until permission has been granted by the Department of State. When a Consular Officer is performing the duties of a Consul of another country, he acts solely as the agent of the foreign government in the duties he may perform. He is responsible to it for their discharge, and that government alone is responsible for his acts in relation thereto. Such fees as he may receive for his services are not required to be accounted for to the United States, but he receives them subject to the regulations of the foreign govern

ment.

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