If any unexpected political event occurred in

a state where the Consul resided, would he be expected to give information ? It is part of his duty to give every information upon that subject.

4. — 343. Are not his duties strictly and purely official ; is it not his business to do official acts, and obtain for merchants and ships the due execution of the laws of the country in which the ship arrives ; to make remonsirances to the local authorities, and if those remonstrances fail, to address himself to the minister resident at the capital of the country where he is placed ? Certainly.

5. — 344. Are any of those acts matters for which a practical knowledge of commerce is at all requisite ? Not in those acts certainly.

6. — 345. Then what are the acts that a Consul has to perform for which a practical knowledge of commerce is in Your opinion necessary ? [ conceive that a Consul is purely à commercial agent, ant that the interests of the

BRITISH CONSULAR ESTABLISHMENTS 1835 239

commerce of the country for whom he is the agent, is the subject malter upon which he is positively engaged,

7. — 316. Did not one of the preceding questions enumerale acts Lo be performed by the Consul, which are by no means of a commercial nature, but purely of an official nature ? — Yes ; but the question was put to me, 1 wa; asked whether I confirmed the opinion given by Mr. Henderson that they should be distinct, political and commer-

cial, and my opinion was that they should be commercial and not political.

8. — 347. — Then are there no acts which a Consul has to perform which are in their nature commercial : all his duties are official or political ? — Official and commercial ; at present they are united with the political, but the question Î answered previously was, that they should be divided, the political and commercial character.

9. — 348. Are not the acts which a Consul performs at a port somewhat analogous to the duties of a custom-house officer ? — In a measure.

10. — 354. How would it be possible for a Consul to afford any protection or assistance Lo trade in a foreign port, unless he was acting under the authority of the executive government at home, and in communication with the government either directly or indirectly, through the minister at the court of the country where he is placed ? — It would not be possible.

11.— 358. Suppose in any country, in which a Consul is stationed, political events happen materially interesting to

the English Government, do you conceive that it is not desirable that Consul should make known those events 1mmediately to the government at home ? — Decidedly it is.

12. — 359, Is that a political or a commercial duty ? — It would be both.

13. — 360. — Suppose a merchant at a port where a Consul is stationed, to have just complaint against the authorities of the port for not properly administering the laws with regard to him, is it not desirable that the Consul should, on the part of the English Government, remonstrate and demand redress ? — Yes ; that is my feeling of commercial interest.

14. — 365. So that in saying that you consider Consuls to be purely commercial agents, you only mean that the greater part of their duties relate to matters which take their rise out of commercial transactions ? Certainly.

15. — 366. You do not mean to say that there is anything in their dulies analogous to the trading transactions of a merchant actually engaged in commerce ; they neither buy nor sell as Consuls ? — No, not of themselves, certainly.