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Goneral attributes attached to the Consular mission.

places within their districts, if the necessity thereof is shown by them and the approval of their Government has been obtained for the persons selected. In no case may such appointment be made without having first obtained that approval. In proposing persons, they will give preference to subjects or citizens of their country and to persons not carrying on any profession or occupation directly connected with shipping.

The Vice-Consuls and Consular agents, thus appointed, act under the responsibility of the Consuls General or Consuls. They can be suspended and discharged by the latter, provided that immediate notice thereof be given to their Minister of Foreign Affairs.

If, however, Vice-Consuls or Consular agents are appointed directly by the Home Government, they do not perform their functions under the responsibility of the Consul in whose district they are stationed, and they cannot be suspended or discharged by the latter.

5°. The mission of a Consular officer is to watch over the interests of the citizens, the trade and the industry of the country which he represents and to promote these interests whenever he has an occasion to do so within his Consular districts. In order to comply with these obligations, the Consular officer will find it, in the first place, of the utmost necessity to be well versed in all the laws and regulations, which he has to observe, in the fulfilment of his duties, with regard to the reports and communications which he is expected to make on all matters connected with trade, navigation and industry; the protection and help he is to afford, within the limits of his jurisdiction, to all his countrymen in the pursuance of their lawful trade in accordance with treaty rights. He must also fully understand

his relations with the mercantile navy of his country, and the Consular jurisdiction and police which bring him into concurrent jurisdiction with the respective local authorities.

and communi

6°. The chief result which is hoped to be ob- Consular reports tained from the Consular reports is that the cations. commercial public shall thereby be furnished with a basis or source enabling it to make more special enquiries and obtain such subsequent data as may be necessary for its operations. These reports may also prove of utility to the respective Government by indicating the measures which it may be in position to take, either alone or concurrently with other Governments, in favor of commerce, navigation and industry.

Keeping therefore these various ends in view, Consular officers will consider the drawing up of the communications which they transmit to their Government in matters of trade, shipping and manufactures, as among their most important duties.

These communications and reports are usually addressed and transmitted to the Diplomatic Agent or to the Consul General, to whom the Consuls, Vice-Consuls and Consular agents generally refer in any case he wants instructions.

munications.

In cases when a communication is deemed by Express comthe Consular officer of sufficient importance to be made speedily known to the Home Government, for instance, as soon as any epidemic disease or symptoms of such appear at the port, where the Consul resides or in its neighbourhood, he forwards such communication directly to his Minister for Foreign Affairs and also to the Government or local authority of the colonies or ports of his country which are in communication. with his port. At the same time the Consul

The Consular
Seal.

National Arms and Ensign.

Consular
Memorandum.

Consular
Archives.

The Annual
Trade-report.

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shall send the communication to his immediate superior Consular officer or his Diplomatic Agent.

Direct communication must also be made, as aforesaid, in cases of an outbreak of rebellion among the natives or any serious disturbances between foreigners and natives, principally when such disturbances have a general scope or tendency to licence not properly controlled by the local authorities. At the same time, a complete report containing all particulars must be sent to the Diplomatic Agent of his country.

7°. The Consular officer uses in official correspondence and for sealing all documents signed in his official capacity, a Consular seal, as directed by his Government.

The Consul is entitled to place the coat-of-arms of his country, in moderate size, above the entrance of his Consulate, and to fly his national ensign, where such is customary.

The Consul officer keeps a memorandum of all his official transactions, and copies of all reports, communications, certificates and other documents. The letters and instructions received must be carefully filed, numbered and registered. The Consular Archives and seal are to be kept together in proper places, and the Consul shall make the necessary provision that the regis ters, letters, documents and seal be handed over in complete order, together with the inventory, to his successor or substitute in case of any vacation of the Consulate.

8°. The Consul will be required to furnish annually a report on the trade of the past year, at the port of his Consulate; which report shall be sent in, as soon as may be compatible with necessary completeness and exactitude, in the manner directed by his Government. It is recommended to the attention of Consuls, not

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to defer all the steps necessary for the making
of their annual report, until the year be actually
expired, but rather to collect the materials, of
which the reports must be composed in the course
of the year. The report in question must treat
separately, as far as the place of residence of the
Consul will allow, of the following particulars:-
I. Agriculture, manufactures, ship-building
and mines.

II. Commerce, export and import.
III. Navigation.

IV. Emigration.

communications.

V. State of the crops and sundry particulars. 9°. Independently of the information, which Non-periodical may be specially asked from the Consul on particular subjects and besides the communications alluded to above, it will be the duty of the Consul, at his own instigation, and at as early period as possible, to communicate to the Diplomatic Agent of his country all matters bearing upon the interest or the trade of his country, having reference to questions not included in his periodical trade-reports. Of such occurrences or facts the Consul shall at once give notice, without waiting for the time when the annual statements have to be sent in.

Statisties.

10°. The compilation of statistics of navigation Shipping renders it necessary that tables of shipping intelligence be sent in by the Consular officers to their respective Government and that they reach in time for the General Annual Trade Statistics of the State, which have to be made up at the end of every year. The annual shipping lists of which the forms are supplied by the respective Government are to be drawn up at the end of the year, in triplicate, one copy to be forthwith dispatched directly to the Department of Foreign Affairs,

Annual list of national subjects.

Mutual observance of treaties.

Duties of the

Consul towards the subjects or citizens of his country.

one for the Consulate General or to the Legation, as the case may be, and one to remain in the archives of the respective Consulate for future reference to parties concerned. On the back part of this shipping list are specified the goods entered and exported by the reported vessels with approximate value of each sort. When there are no vessels to be reported, the columns are filled in with the word Nil, and the document nevertheless despatched as above mentioned. In the column for observations are mentioned the rates of freight and the best chances far sailing vessels or steamers of obtaining cargo for coast navigation or to and from national ports.

Together with the annual reports, the Consul forwards yearly to his Diplomatic Agent, a list of all his countrymen and subjects of foreign States under his official protection, residing within his jurisdiction, with all the data of registration. If there be none, he will mention this in his report.

11°. The treaty being the basis of commercial intercourse, the Consul has not only to look that it is observed by his countrymen in all cases, but he shall also watch that it be fully carried out by the local authorities.

12°. The powers and duties of Consular officers in regard to their fellow-citizens depend in a great measure upon the Municipal Law of their country. No civil jurisdiction can be exercised by them over their countrymen without express authority of law, or by treaty stipulation with the State in which they reside, and no criminal jurisdiction is permitted to them in Christian States. They are particularly cautioned not to enter into any contentions that can be avoided, either with their countrymen or with the subjects or authorities of the country. They should use every endeavour to settle, in an amicable manner, all disputes in

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