Consular Fees. 331..Receiving and delivering ship's papers. 96. For receiving and delivering ship's register and papers, 332..Shipping or discharging seamen. 98. For every seaman who may be discharged or shipped, including the certificates therefor attached to crewlist and shipping articles, to be paid by the master of the vessel $0 01 50 333.. Miscellaneous services. 99. For administering oaths, not hereinbefore provided for, each.... 100. For attending an appraisement of goods or effects daily. 103. For attending sale of vessel, when required... 5 00 Consular Fees. 105. For presiding at judicial proceedings (each day)....... $5 00 106. For Consul's seal and signature to clearance from cus tom-house authorities.. 107. For Consul's seal and signature to any document not provided for by the foregoing tariff.. Sealing cars coming from Canada. 108. For each manifest with the Consul's certificate..... Copies.* 110. For the first hundred words, fifty cents, and for every additional hundred words or less, fifteen cents. ARTICLE XXIII. Consular Accounts and Returns. 2. 00 2.00 25 25 334..Consular Officers are required to keep the following accounts; some of which are called "accounts," and some of which are styled “returns,” in the statute, viz: 1. Rent and miscellaneous account; 2. Disbursements for relief of seamen; 3. Return of extra wages; 4. Record of treasury fees; 5. Salary account and account current, or a general quarterly account. 335..In case a special account for any other purpose is opened by order of any Department, (as, for instance, for the arrest or extradition of a criminal,) that account will be kept separate, and a separate return thereof made. 336..All accounts, except the final account and the accounts for salary while waiting instructions and while going to the post, must be rendered at the close of the calendar quarter, viz: On the 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December. If not rendered on the day, the Department must be advised of the reason of the delay, and the accounts must be forwarded by the earliest possible post. * When parties have a right to call for copies, Consular Officers must make them at this rate. This does not, however, include the authentication, if that is required. The fee for the "copies" is not an official fee to be accounted for. The fee for authentication is an official fee. Accounts and Returns. 337..Each account must be inclosed, as heretofore, in a separate dispatch, relating exclusively to the accounts which it incloses. VOUCHERS. 338..Unless otherwise specially instructed, (as in the case of "postage,") a proper and satisfactory voucher must be furnished for every disbursement. 339..These vouchers should be in the English language, or if not, should be accompanied by a translation; should be full, showing exactly what the disbursement was for; should be numbered, and should be referred to in the account by number. RENT AND MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES. 340..This account is to be transmitted quarterly to the Secretary of State. Since the 4th day of August, 1869, these two accounts have been consolidated, and the consolidated account embraces the following items, viz: Rent; postage; stationery; freight and charges on boxes and packages, to and from the Department; flagstaff and fixtures; flag; consular seal; consular press; consular arms; record books; binding consular letters; blank forms, as prescribed by the Department; loss by exchange. (For a form, see Form 83.) 341..Rent. The charge for rent is to be the sum actually paid, provided that sum does not exceed ten per cent. of the salary of the Consul as named in the statute. The voucher must show that the office is devoted solely to the business of the Consulate; otherwise, except where Consuls have a right to engage in business, the account will not be passed. (Form No. 84.) 342..Unsalaried Consuls are not entitled to rent, unless the fees exceed the amount which they are allowed to retain for their salary. In no event can they retain from the fees collected by them more than the amount actually paid for rent, which must never exceed the rate of $250 for the year. They can never draw for rent or compensation. 343..No Consul will be allowed disbursements for repairs of office, for care or cleaning of office, for furniture, (except a bookcase,) nor for anything except the actual expense of office rent as herein before provided. Accounts and Returns. 344.. Postage.-From the nature of the case, no voucher will be required for this item beyond the personal explanation of the Consul. 345.. Postage is not to be charged by Consuls in their account with the Department, except on dispatches and letters received and written by them on official business and by reason of their office. 346..Letters of unofficial persons, not being members of their own families, are not to be sent by Consular Officers to the Department with official dispatches for transmission to persons in the United States. All unofficial letters are to be indorsed on the left upper corner of the envelope thus: U. S. Consulate at Consul. The signature of the Consul will be regarded as a certificate that the letter comes within this rule. Letters not so indorsed and signed will not be forwarded through the domestic mails of the United States. 347.. Consuls will also take care to avoid unnecessary expenditures for postage. The use of light paper in formal returns, the limitation of their size, the shipment by sailing vessel of reports that can bide delay, the excision of blank half sheets from short inclosures, are suggested as means to this end; and consular letters to appraisers may be inclosed in dispatches to the Department. 348..Prepayment of postage on invoices to collectors of customs is not required, except in countries where increased postage is charged for omitting such prepayment. 349..Stationery.-Consuls are allowed for such stationery, comprised within the following articles as may be used in the official correspondence of principal Consular Officers only, namely: Ruled cap paper, with an inch blank margin around each page; letter, note, wrapping and blotting paper, envelopes, quills, steel pens and penholders, ink and inkstands, wafers, wax, pencils, gum bottle and brush, gum-arabic, india-rubber, rulers, tape or narrow ribbon for triplicate invoices, twine, cases or boxes for the safe-keeping and preservation of samples and invoices. 350..Articles of this description have often been furnished by the Department to Consular Officers. Where that has been done hitherto, the practice will be continued. In making requisitions, Accounts and Returns. Consuls will be careful to state what sort of stationery is wanted, and the amount of each kind. 351..Freight and charges on boxes and packages to and from the Department of State. When the boxes and packages are addressed to or from the Consul, the voucher should be accompanied by a brief memorandum, showing in general terms their contents. 352..Flagstaff and fixtures, flag, seal, press, record books, blank forms.-These several articles are usually furnished by the Department to Consuls, but not to Consular Agents: except, in cases of urgent necessity, the Consul should write for them to the Department. 353..Book-case.-If there is no book-case in the consulate, the Consul is authorized to purchase a plain and movable one, to which may be attached drawers and pigeon-holes for the safe-keeping of stationery, filing papers, preservation of consular archives and correspondence, and also a sliding leaf or other convenient arrangement for writing. Disbursements will not be allowed for any other furniture. 354..Binding.-A Consular Officer should, as fast as his correspondence accumulates in sufficient numbers, cause it to be neatly bound in the manner prevailing in his Consulate. If practicable, it is better to have this work done at his office. 355..Loss by exchange on the amount of the accounts.-Consular officers who desire that the losses by exchange actually and necessarily sustained in the negotiation or sale of their drafts shall be allowed at the Treasury, are instructed that hereafter, in making up their accounts, they will be required to present vouchers in accordance with prescribed forms, exhibiting— 1st. The date of draft. 2d. The amount of draft in United States currency. 3d. Gross amount of draft in foreign currency. 4th. The rate of exchange. 5th. The cost of negotiation or sale of draft. 6th. The net proceeds in foreign currency. 7th. The net proceeds in the United States currency. 8th. Upon whom and on what account drawn. (Forms 85 and 86.) 356..The Department has noticed with surprise and regret that, in a few cases, the amounts charged in consular bills for loss in ex |