CLASS V.—COLONIAL, CONSULAR, AND OTHER FOREIGN SERVICES. (Hansard, 4 August 1875)

§ MR. J. HOLMS
, in moving the reduction of the Vote by £ 3,565, said, a Select Committee had sat upon the question, and it was understood that where the increase of expense was rendered necessary in certain cases, an endeavour should be made to reduce the expense on useless Consulates. He thought the time had come when a reduction might be shown. He would instance the cases of Alicante, Mogador—where there were very few, if any, English at all—and Elsinore, and also those of Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, Callao, Valparaiso, Odessa, and Tiflis, respecting which he hoped to hear some explanation.

§ MR. BOURKE
, in reply, said, that no part of our Civil Service had undergone so thorough an investigation as the Consular Service, which had come out of the inquiry with very great credit, it having been shown that the members of that service had performed their duties with considerable advantage to the country. Great pains had been taken by the Department to carry out the recommendations of the Select Committee of that House, which had sat some time since, to investigate the position of the service, and in accordance with those recommendations, the number of Consular posts in many places had been reduced, to enable Consuls to be appointed in more important positions. That Committee, however, had admitted in its Report that many of the Consular posts were underpaid, and the increase in the charges in the instances referred to by the hon. Member were sanctioned after a most careful inquiry, instituted with the view of securing additional efficiency and economy. In each case the increase had been made on the recommendations of a Departmental Committee which had been sitting for the last two years. With regard to the case of Mogador, that post had been raised from a Vice Consulship to a Consulship in consequence of the Consular and Magisterial duties being of an important character, and experience having proved both in this case and in respect to Elsinore that the duties could not be efficiently carried out by trading and unpaid officers. With reference to Alicante, that was a Consulate which the Government hoped eventually to reduce, but they thought it would not be desirable to do so in the present state of Spain, especially as the Consul was a valuable and experienced officer. As to the cases mentioned in South America, the Consular duties there had increased, and it was found necessary to afford the Consuls at the posts alluded to additional assistance; and, after mature consideration, it was deemed expedient, in the interests of the service, to afford this 532 assistance by appointing salaried Vice Consuls rather than by granting the Consuls increased office allowances or salaries; but the question of economy had not been lost sight of. As to Odessa, there was only a net increase of expense of £ 150 a-year; and with reference to Tiflis it was a point of such commercial and political importance that it was thought to be very important that a Consul. should be appointed there. He hoped the Committee would be satisfied with this explanation. There might be cases where reductions of salary might be made, and the Foreign Office was anxious to carry out all possible reductions, but it was necessary to do it with scrupulous care. New markets were opening all over the world, so that it became advisable to have British agents to look after our commerce there, and, in fact, they had received several communications from places abroad requesting that the British Government would appoint Consuls at the ports of those places, and, commercially considered, those applications were deserving of attention. He therefore feared he could hold out no hope of reducing the Consular posts, but he trusted the Foreign Office would be able to regulate the matter properly, so that it might be found practicable, with a due regard to efficiency, to reduce some salaries, at the same time that other salaries might have to be increased. Lord Tenterden, the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign Office, Mr. Alston, the Chief Clerk, and Mr. Wylde, the Superintendent of the Consular department, made every effort to secure efficiency in the Consular Service, and also to reduce the posts whenever they found there was a redundancy. The latter gentleman took the greatest care to keep down our Consular establishments to the lowest level that was compatible with efficiency, and in the recommendations which he made to the Secretary of State went into each case laboriously and conscientiously. Much time was taken up in seeing whether reductions could be made, but this was a matter which had to be dealt with very carefully.

§ MR. WHITWELL
, referring to the recommendations of the Departmental Committee, said, that many of them, but not all, had been attended to by the Government. The subject of proper representation of the interests of British 533 trade and commerce in foreign ports was of the greatest importance. To be represented by thoroughly competent Consuls was of great importance to this country. He thought that Consuls were frequently appointed whore their services were not needed, and in places where there were Vice Consuls the office of Consul was a mere sinecure. He should vote with the hon. Member for Hackney (Mr. J. Holms) if he should think it necessary to go to a division, which probably he would not.

§ MR. SERJEANT SHERLOCK
agreed in the opinion that it was of the greatest importance to the trade and commerce of Great Britain and Ireland to be efficiently represented abroad. Disapproval had been expressed of the appointment of Consuls to represent British interests in foreign countries the language of which they did not speak; and there was certainly much force in the objection.

SIR GEORGE BOWYR
thought it could not be expected that Consuls should know all languages, and in many instances they doubtless required the aid of interpreters.

§ MR. RAMSAY
disapproved of money voted by the House for a certain purpose being applied to some other object, and hoped such a thing would not occur again.

§ MR. DODSON
thought the Committee were indebted to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Hackney (Mr. J. Holms) for bringing this question forward, and to the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs for the explanation he had given. He hoped the question would not be pressed to a division. He trusted the Under Secretary had specific reductions in view, though he did not ask the hon. Gentleman to name the places

§ MR. BOURKE
said, that the subject just adverted to had occupied his attention, and he should continue to bear it carefully in mind. As to the cases of Odessa and Tiflis, they constituted a portion of a great scheme of Consular appointments which had been carried out, and in which a saving of £ 1,400 a-year had been effected.

§ MR. SWANSTON
took exception to a statement made by the hon. Member for Hackney (Mr. J. Holms) that there were no British subjects in Mogador. So far, he said, from that being the case, 534 there were a great many British subjects and a great trade there.

§ MR. J. HOLMS
explained, and expressed regret that the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary for the Foreign Office had not given the Committee more detailed explanations and information in reference to the matters to which he (Mr. J. Holms) had called attention. He hoped, however, that in the next year the subject would again be brought before the House, and with the permission of the Committee he would now withdraw his Motion.