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2. For one-half of the expenses paid by him for the Government steamer from Cronstadt to St. Petersburg, on his arrival.

3. This sum, expended by him at benevolent concerts given by Count Brenkendoff and Princess Galitzin

$22.20

21.50

4. For overcharges in bringing the currencies of Russia and Hamburg into dollars and cents

46.40

5. For payment made by John Miller, of London, and included in his account against the legation,

John Samson

6. For attending the baptism of the infant duke at Zurko, the imperial village, 15 miles from the capital

7. For expenses of attending military reviews, etc

8. For overdraft on the London bankers on account of salary.

9. For expenses of office rent, heating and lighting the chancery, and wages of an office messenger .

5.32

12.17 324.36 572.03

2,471.80

In support of the first item above named, the memorialist states that upon taking charge of the legation at St. Petersburg he found the library destitute of all the books and maps therein specified, with the exception of a worn-out copy of Vattel's Law of Nations, and that the books, maps, etc., purchased by him for the use of the legation were necessary for the proper performance of its duties, and on his return to the United States were left by him for that purpose.

In support of the second, third, sixth, and seventh items, the memorialist shows that the expenses thus incurred were rendered necessary in compliance with the etiquette of the Russian capital, and that a failure to observe that etiquette would have materially lessened the efficiency of our minister at that court.

The eighth item, which was for his salary from the day on which he had audience of leave with the Emperor until the day of his departure from St. Petersburg, is supported by a reference to precedents in the cases of Mr. Dallas, one of his predecessors at the Russian court, 1839, and of Mr. Cass, our minister at Paris, in 1842, in both of which cases the salaries continued for some weeks after the audience of leave.

In reference to the ninth and last item the memorialist shows that an office was necessary for the preservation of the public archives and for the proper transaction of the duties of the legation; that on account of the territorial extent of the city of St. Petersburg the services of a messenger were indispensable to the legation, and further, that similar allowances are made for the missions at London and Paris, at both of which courts the expense of living is far less than it is at St. Petersburg.

The Secretary of State, to whom the memorial was referred by the committee for information as to the facts set forth therein, under cover of a letter, dated 24th of January, 1847, inclosed a statement from the Fifth Auditor's office, setting forth the several items disallowed in the settlement of Mr. Todd's account, with the reasons therefor, and also copies of letters from Messrs. Webster, Upshur, and Buchanan, while they respectively held the office of Secretary of State, together with a copy of a circular letter from the Department of State, dated July 25, 1845.

From a careful examination of these several documents, and a comparison with statements of the contingent expenses of our foreign missions, contained in the published executive documents, it would appear that such allowances have heretofore been made to depend upon no determinate rule, but rather upon the existence of such peculiar circumstances in each case as in the judgment of the Secretary for the time being justified them.

In the opinion of the committee the books and maps embraced in the first item were, under the circumstances, essentially necessary to

the legation at St. Petersburg; and having been purchased by the memorialist for that purpose, and left by him on his return to the United States for the use of the legation, it is but just that the amount thus expended by him for the public benefit should be reimbursed.

The committee are also of opinion that the amount of expenses embraced in the second, third, sixth, and seventh items, resulting from a compliance with the etiquette of the Russian court, necessary to the efficiency of our minister there, and involving additional charges, should be allowed. And further, that the charge for office rent, heating and lighting the chancery, and wages of a messenger, are, under the circumstances, just and reasonable, and should also be allowed.

In reference to the charge for loss in exchange embraced in the fourth item, the Secretary of State, in the letter above mentioned, says: That actual losses by exchange are allowed by the accounting officers of the Treasury on the rendition of accounts and vouchers to sustain such charges.

And with regard to the charge contained in the fifth item, it appears, from the statement of the Fifth Auditor, above referred to, that it was not rejected, but only suspended for want of satisfactory explanation. As no special legislation seems to be requisite in order to a proper settlement of the two last mentioned items, the committee deem it best to leave them to the action of the Department under existing laws and regulations, without any legislative instruction.

With regard to the charge embraced in the eighth item, the Secretary of State, in the letter above mentioned, says:

The general rule as to the termination of the salaries of ministers is, that they are to cease on the day of the audience of leave. If that rule has been departed from in particular cases, it has been on account of some peculiar circumstances attending them.

In this case the existence of such peculiar circumstances is not sufficiently clear to the minds of the committee to justify them in overruling the action of the Department, and consequently they are not prepared to recommend its allowance.

In accordance with the views above presented, the committee report a bill authorizing the settlement of the accounts of the memorialist, and the allowance of the charges embraced in the first, second, third, sixth, seventh, and ninth items, above mentioned, and recommend its passage.

[See p. 695.] February 28, 1857.

[Senate Report No. 432.]

Mr. Weller made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the petition of Frederick A. Beelen, secretary of the United States legation to Chile, praying to be allowed the difference between his present salary, $1,500 per annum, and $2,000 per annum, from July 1, 1855, to January 1, 1857, have had the same under consideration and now report:

It appears from the petition that in August, 1854, Mr. Beelen was appointed secretary to the legation of the United States in Chile, with

a salary of $2,000 per annum. That he repaired to his post at once, and continued in the performance of his duties up to January 1, 1857. That some time in September, 1855, he received a communication from the Department of State informing him that under the construction given by the Attorney-General to the act of March 1, 1855, "To remodel the diplomatic and consular systems of the United States," his salary as secretary of legation at Santiago would be only at the rate of $1,500 per annum from the 1st of July of that year. That the law reducing his salary thus had the effect of an ex post facto law upon him. That the lowest cost of reaching his post from the United States is $500, and the same amount paid in returning home makes a sum equal to two-thirds of the salary for a whole year. That he is the only officer in the diplomatic service of the Government whose salary was reduced by the act above named, and prays that he may be allowed the difference between $1,500 and $2,000 per annum, the amount of salary attached to his office when he accepted it, from July 1, 1855, when the act referred to went into effect, to January 1, 1857. The statements of the petition are fully sustained by a letter from the Department of State, dated February 23, 1857, in which the Secretary adds:

That the reduction of Mr. Beelen's salary from $2,000 to $1,500, whilst he was at a remote capital and in the actual discharge of his official duties, has always been regarded by this Department as a case of peculiar hardship, which was aggravated by the fact that it was not in the power of the Secretary of State to inform Mr. Beelen of the construction placed by the Attorney-General upon the law affecting his salary until after the law was in actual operation, of which Mr. Beelen could not, therefore, be aware until from fifty to sixty days after the reduction of salary took place.

The committee are of opinion that, under the peculiar circumstances of this case, the relief asked for is reasonable and should be allowed. They therefore report a bill in his favor, and recommend its passage.

March 3, 1857.

[Senate Report No. 444.]

Mr. Fish made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the petition of J. C. Tucker, late commercial agent of the United States for Comayagua and Tegucegalpa in Honduras, praying reimbursement of the amount lost and expended by him in his late unsuccessful attempt to enter upon the duties of that office, have had the same under consideration and now report:

The petitioner sets forth in his petition that on the 22d February, 1856, he was appointed and duly commissioned as United States commercial agent to the Republic of Honduras. That he immediately left for that destination via Nicaragua, in which country he was delayed by sickness, during which he was robbed of $500 and the mules purchased for the land travel. That while traveling across the border and through Honduras he was subjected to much expense, extortion, and delay in his progress to the capital, which he finally reached after a difficult journey of 800 miles. That on presenting his credentials he was rejected on the plea that the authorities there were unacquainted with either the signature of Mr. Marcy or the seal of the United States, and thereupon he returned to the United States.

In support of his petition Mr. Tucker refers to the correspondence

between himself and the Department of State, in which the same facts are more fully detailed, together with a translation of the letter of the Honduran minister declining to receive him as United States commercial agent to that Republic.

The petitioner further states that the expenses actually incurred by him amount to the sum of $954, which, together with the $500 stolen from him, and as remuneration for his services, he prays may be now allowed to him.

From a letter of the Secretary of State, to whom the petition and accompanying papers were referred, for such information touching this case as the Department might afford, it appears that Mr. Tucker had previously been in Honduras, had business concerns there, and wished to go back with the appointment of commercial agent partly, if not mainly, for the prosecution of his private business. That on his return to that country, although much alarm had been excited in regard to Americans by what had occurred in Nicaragua, he did not do what he ought to have done to allay apprehensions, and even on some occasions, as he admitted to the Secretary, refused to show his passport.

Further, it seems evident from the letter of the Honduran minister that the refusal to recognize Mr. Tucker in his official character was not absolute, but merely suspended on account of a difficulty which might easily have been removed by communicating with the United States consul at Omoa. But this he declined doing, and abruptly left the country on his return to the United States.

Upon a full view of all the circumstances the committee are of opinion that the petitioner is not entitled to the relief asked for, and they therefore recommend that the claim be rejected.

THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION.

December 22, 1857.

[Senate Report No. 2.]

Mr. Mason made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the memorial of George P. Marsh, late minister resident of the United States to the Ottoman Porte, praying compensation for extra duties performed by him on a special mission to Greece, and for judicial services, under the act of August 11, 1848, have had the same under consideration, and now report:

That the committee, concurringfully in the views presented in report No. 534, made by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 20, 1855, hereby adopt the same, and in accordance therewith report back the bill for the relief of the memorialist, and recommend its passage.

[See Senate Report 534, Thirty-third Congress, second session, p. 678.]

January 14, 1858.

[Senate Report No. 8.]

Mr. Foot made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the petition of Frederick A. Beelen, secretary of the United States legation to Chile, praying to be allowed the difference between his present

salary, $1,500 per annum, and $2,000 per annum, from July 1, 1855, to January 1, 1857, have had the same under consideration, and now report:

That, having carefully examined the report heretofore made in this case by this committee, in connection with the facts set forth in the accompanying papers, and concurring fully in the views presented in that report, hereby adopt the same, and report back the bill for the relief of the petitioner which accompanied that report, with a recommendation that it be passed.

[See Senate Report 432, Thirty-fourth Congress, third session, p. 693.]

February 15, 1858.

[Senate Report No. 65.]

Mr. Mason made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the memorial of J. E. Martin, esq., acting consul of the United States at Lisbon, praying compensation for diplomatic services, have had the same under consideration, and now report:

That this subject was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations at the first session of the Thirty-fourth Congress, and a report made, accompanied by a bill for the relief of the claimant. Upon full examination this committee, concurring in the views taken in that report, hereby adopt the same and present it as theirs, and recommend the passage of the bill which accompanies it.

[See Senate Report 182, Thirty-fourth Congress, first session, p. 684.]

February 16, 1858,

[Senate Report No. 70.]

Mr. Mason made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the memorial of George W. Lippett, United States consul at Vienna, praying compensation for diplomatic services alleged to have been rendered by him, have had the same under consideration, and now report:

That after a due examination of the merits of this claim, and a careful review of Report No. 373, made upon it by this committee on the 26th of July, 1854, accompanied by bill 475, the committee entirely concurring in the views and conclusion therein presented, hereby reaffirm and adopt the same, as follows:

[See Senate Report 373, Thirty-third Congress, first session, p. 669.]

[See p. 632.]

February 16, 1858.

[Senate Report No. 71.]

Mr. Polk made the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the memorial of Commodore Charles G. Ridgely, praying remuneration for various necessary expenditures incurred by him as commanding

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