A seamen's register, in which shall be recorded a Seamen's regisdetailed list of all seamen shipped, discharged, or de- ter. ceased, at the consulate or commercial agency, and the payments made on account of each, according to Form No. 15. A relief book, showing the number and names of all Relief book. seamen relieved, from what vessel discharged, date and cause of discharge, and date of leaving the consulate; embracing also the several amounts disbursed on their account, as particularly described in Form No. 16. A quarterly account current book, in which shall be Quarterly acrecorded the account current furnished quarterly to count book. the Fifth Auditor, as per Form No. 17. A protest book, for the entry of notes of marine pro- Protest book. tests, in accordance with Form No. 18. A book for the entry of extended protests. (See Form Extended proNo. 19.) tests. A daily journal is to be kept, as prescribed in Form Journal. No. 20. 393. When a paper of any description shall be Books to be inentered or recorded in either of the said books, the dexed. same shall be indexed by a reference both to the name of the author and the subject of the paper. labelled and 394. The answers received to official letters, and Letters reall other papers transmitted to the consulate, in- ceived to be tended to be permanently kept there, shall be put in bound. a proper place, labelled according to their subjectmatter, until a sufficient number shall accumulate to form a volume; when they shall be bound and indexed in the same manner as is directed with respect to other records. 395. All the consular books must be regularly Books to be paged; but where blanks occur (as in the book of paged. Consular books tinct from pri vate books. original letters, from the covers and unwritten pages) a cross must be made over the blank page, and it is not to be numbered. 396. The consular books are to be kept separately to be kept dis- from those relating to the consul's private affairs; and if the consul is at liberty to transact business, his consular business should, if possible, be transacted in a separate apartment from that in which his ordinary commercial or other affairs are carried on, designated by the arms of the United States exhibited at its entrance wherever such an exhibition of the arms is not probibited by the local regulations. Office and arms. Keeping of archives. chives. 397. All consular officers are instructed to take care that the archives are kept in proper order; and with this view, as well as to facilitate reference to previous correspondence, they will keep in their offices registers of all the documents, papers, letters, and books which have been or which may be at any time received, and also of those forwarded by them on matters connected with their official duties. (See Form, Nos. 12 and 13.) Transfer of ar- 398. The originals of all despatches and letters addressed to a consular officer, and copies of all that are written by him in his official capacity, including all official reports and returns, all books presented to the consulate, or sent to it by the Department, also all the record books, as described in this chapter, are to be considered as official documents, and are to be deposited among the consular archives, after being duly registered, and transferred with the effects of the consulate, together with the seal, press, arms, and flag, and all other property belonging to the United States, to his successor in office; an inventory of the same, signed both by outgoing and incoming consular officers, must be transmitted to the Secretary of State, with a joint certificate. (See Form No. 134.) The neglect to furnish the consular inventory subjects both consular officers to the risk of having the adjustment of their accounts suspended. Every account CHAPTER XXII. CONSULAR ACCOUNTS. 399. ALL accounts transmitted by consular officers to be accom- must be accompanied by a separate communication, panied by an planatory the subject of which must be confined exclusively to such accounts. count. ac Accounts for expenses to be 400. All accounts for miscellaneous expenses, which miscellaneous are specifically allowed by the consular instructions, or sent to Secre- otherwise incurred in consequence of the special orders tary of State. of the Department, must be sent to the Secretary of State. Accounts for 401. All accounts for salaries and for compensation salaries to be while receiving instructions, and while making the tary of the transit to and from the consular post, must be accom sent to Secre Treasury. Accounts for sent to the panied by the requisite certificates, (see Form, Nos. 35, 125, 126, 127,) and enclosed in a despatch explanatory of the account, to the Secretary of the Treasury, under whose direction all accounts for consular salaries are adjusted and paid. 402. All accounts for expenses incurred in the criminals to be arrest and transportation of criminals to the United Fifth Auditor States for trial, must be enclosed in a despatch relaof the Treas- ting to that subject alone, and addressed to the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury. A separate despatch must also be addressed to the Secretary of State, giving a condensed statement of all the circumstances attending each case.1 ury. 1 Statutes at Large, vol. xii. p. 21; also annual appropriations for Diplomatic and Consular Expenses. for lief of seamen 403. All accounts for expenses incurred for the Accounts relief of destitute American seamen, must be trans- expenses for remitted, with the vouchers, and according to the pre- to be sent to scribed forms, accompanied by a communication ex- Fifth Auditor. planatory of the accounts directed to the Fifth Auditor, by whom they will be adjusted under the direction of the Secretary of State.1 If the accounts are large, or embrace unusual or extraordinary items, a despatch in explanation of them must also be addressed to the Secretary of State. Settlement of accounts at the Department of State-Miscellaneous expenses. au vide certain ar 404. The President is authorized, by the twenty- President second section of the act regulating the diplomatic and thorized to proconsular systems of the United States, to provide at the ticles. public expense all such stationery, blanks, record and other books, seals, presses, flags, and signs, as he shall think necessary for the several legations, consulates, and commercial agencies in the transaction of their business; and, whenever he shall think there is sufficient reason therefor, to allow consuls general, consuls, and commercial agents, who are not allowed to trade, actual expenses of office rent, not to exceed in any Office rent may case ten per centum of the amount of the annual be allowed. compensation allowed to such officer. Whenever application is made by a principal consular officer whose consulate is included in schedule B, for the allowance of office rent, assurance must be given that the office is devoted solely to the business of the consulate. 405. In order to prevent the occurrence of improper Items allowed. items in the accounts for office expenses of the several 1 Statutes at Large, vol. ii. p. 204. |