a greater sum for the same, than four thousand five hundred dollars per annum to a charge des affaires; nor a greater sum for the same, than one thousand three hundred and fifty dollars per annum to the secretary of any minister plenipotentiary. And provided, also, That the president shall account, specifically, for all such expenditures of the said money as, in his judgment, may be made public, and also for the amount of such expenditures as he may think it adviseable not to specify, and cause a regular statement and account thereof to be laid before congress annually, and also lodged in the proper office of the treasury department. SECT. 2 And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be in force for the space of two years thereafter and no longer. This Act was continued in force in subsequent years, with additional appropriations for specific purposes of foreign intercourse, and the Act of May 1, 1810, included Consuls to Algiers and other states on the coast of Barbary, the salary being limited to $4,000 for the Consul at Algiers and $2,000 for those at other states on the Barbary coast; but they were to have no payments whatever for outfits. By this Act, also, the President was authorized to make foreign ap pointments during the recess of the Senate, to "be submitted to the Senate at the next session thereafter, for their advice and consent." Other Consuls were not, at this time, in receipt of regular salaries, their payment coming from the fees of office which they were allowed to collect. In 1792 (November 5) Jefferson made a report on the subject of expenditures as follows:* Estimate of the fund of 40,000 Dol. for foreign intercourse, and its application D D 1790 July 1. to 1791 July 1. a year's appropriation...40,000 1791 July 1, to 1792 July 1 do 1792 July 1, to 1793 Mar. 3 being 8 ...40,000 months..................27,000 -107,000 1790. July 1. to 1791. July 1, actual expenses incurred..21,054 1792. July 1. to 1793. Mar. 3. the probable expenses ..43,431.09 may be abt....... Surplus unexpended will be about....... ..26,300 .16,214.91 -107,000 He estimated the ordinary expenses of the different grades of diplomatic missions as fol lows (dated November 5, 1792):* Department of State MS. archives. Estimate of the ordinary expence of the different diplomatic grades, annually. A Minister Plenipotentiary D Outfit of 4500..... 642.85 Salary..... 9000. Salary. 4500. Extras.... 350 To support the present establishment would require A reduction of the establishment, to bring it within for Paris, Minister Plenipoty. D the limits of 40,000. London do 12,307.13 for Paris, a Minister Plenipty. 12,307.13 Madrid Resident. 5,653.56 London do 12,307.13 Lisbon do 5,653.56 Madrid, a Resident.. 5,653.56 Hague do 5,653.56 Lisbon, do 5,653.56 Medals to foreign ministers.. 654.60 This question is further elucidated by the following (dated April 18, 1793): The Secretary of State thinking it his duty to communicate to the President his proceedings of the present year for transferring to Europe the annual fund of 40,000 Dollars appropriated to the department of State (a report whereof was unnecessary the two former years, as monies already in the hands of our bankers in Europe were put under his orders) Reports That in consequence of the President's order of Mar. 23. he received from the Secretary of the Treasury Mar. 31. a warrant on the Treasury for 39,500 Dollars: that it being necessary to purchase private bills of exchange to transfer the money to Europe, he consulted with persons acquainted with that business, who advised him not to let it be known that he was to purchase bills at all, as it would raise the exchange, and to defer the purchase a few days till the British packet should be gone, on which went bills generally sunk some few percent. He therefore deferred the purchase, or giving any orders for it till Apr. 10, when he engaged Mr. Vaughan (whose line of business enabled him to do it without suspicion) to make the purchase for him: he then delivered the warrant to the Treasurer, & received a credit at the Bank of the U S. for 39,500 D. whereon he had an account opened between "The Department of State & the Bank of the US." That Mr. Vaughan procured for him the next day the following bills. d £ 200 averaging 4-738 the dollar, or about 22 per cent above par, which added to the 1. per cent loss heretofore always sustained on the government bills (which allowed but 99 florins, instead of 100 do. for every 40. dollars) will render the fund somewhat larger this year than heretofore: that these bills being drawn on London (for none could be got on Amsterdam but to considerable loss, added to the risk of the present possible situation of that place) he had them made payable to Mr. Pinckney, and inclosed them to him. by Capt. Cutting, in the letter of Apr. 12 now communicated to the President, and at the same time wrote the letter of the same date to our bankers at Amsterdam & to |