Correspondence And Speeches Of Mr Peter Rylands Mp Life And Correspondence

Author : Mr. Peter Rylands
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781331158509
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (585 download)

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Download or read book Correspondence and Speeches of Mr. Peter Rylands, Vol. 2 written by Mr. Peter Rylands and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-11 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Correspondence and Speeches of Mr. Peter Rylands, Vol. 2: With a Sketch of His Career; Speeches The increase acknowledged by the Foreign Office as having taken place since 1851 is as follows: - Upon embassies, 14,000; first-class missions; 3,550; and upon second-class missions, 3,575; making a total of 21,525. In each of these cases the increase has arisen in consequence of the disregard shown to the resolutions of the Committee of 1850. That Committee wished to reduce the embassies to France and Turkey to the rank of missions, but instead of that the Foreign Office have raised the missions to Russia, Austria, and Prussia to the rank of embassies, at an increased annual charge of 10,250. Another recommendation of the Committee was that no salary should exceed 5,000; but we are now paying our Ambassador to France 10,000; Turkey, 8,000; Russia, 7,800; Austria, 8,000; and Prussia, 7,000. These items alone show an excess beyond the amount recommended by the Committee of 15,800 per annum. The Foreign Office, in the Return now presented, justify this expenditure by referring to the recommendation of the Diplomatic Service Committee of 1861, to the effect that the "Attention of the Secretary of State be directed to the salaries and allowances of the larger missions, with a view of considering whether they are adequate to meet the greatly-increased expenditure of living at the principal European capitals." But I am not disposed to consider the recommendations of the Committee of 1861 as of much value. This Committee differed entirely in its constitution from the Committee of 1850, and was certainly not of a character likely to satisfy the public. It consisted of 15 members, 10 or 11 of whom were either officials or ex-officials, and two or three others were officials expectant. They called before them a number of witnesses connected with the Diplomatic and Consular Services, and questions were put to them, which practically amounted to asking them if they would like an increase of salary. Of course, it is not to be wondered at that a Committee so constituted, and dealing with such evidence, should report in favour of increased expenditure. But the Returns presented by the Foreign Office do not by any means include the whole of the increased expenditure since 1851. They acknowledge an increase of 21,525, but, in addition to that, there is the charge for Third Secretaries, amounting to 2,298, and for clerks attached to South American missions, l,056. Nor is that all. There are travelling expenses of the Second and Third Secretaries, who are moved from one post to another every two years, in accordance with the regulations adopted since the Committee of 1861. These charges must be considerable, and it does appear to me a most unreasonable arrangement to require these secretaries to leave their posts just as soon as they are likely to become familiar with the business of the mission to which they are attached, and when they may possibly have become of some use. There is also an increased charge for outfits, which rises with every advance of salary, being calculated at one-third. Consequently in the case of the five great embassies alone, the additional charge for outfits amounts to 5,000. Diplomatic pensions have also been advanced. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com"