Recently, the government began building a new U.S. Embassy being in London. Construction is expected to be completed by 2017, and is expected to cost $1 billion. Today there are over 300 U.S embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions around the world, employing thousands of people. But things were much different during the days of George Washington. There was no navy and our diplomatic service was limited to just a few capitals. Thomas Jefferson was appointed to the the new position of Secretary of State after serving five years in France. As a tobacco planter, Thomas Jefferson understood the dynamics of American trade abroad, and knew how consuls could help open trade overseas. Under Thomas Jefferson, the growth of consular appointments exploded. One reason for this explosion, is that there was no cost to the government for a new consular appointment. Despite Washington's initial attempts to request salaries, congress never acted on it. Consular appointees received no salary, rather they were allowed to collect certain fees for services, and engage in trade. It was not until 1856 that Congress established a salary for U.S. Consuls. Consuls could still collect fees, but could no longer engage in trade.
In his first state of the union address, Washington asked Congress to consider legislation to establish salaries for those appointed to consular services, and to cover incident expenses of foreign affairs.
"The interests of the United States require that our intercourse with other nations should be facilitated by such provisions as will enable me to fulfill my duty in that respect in the manner which circumstances may render most conducive to the public good, and to this end that the compensation to be made to the persons who may be employed should, according to the nature of their appointments, be defined by law, and a competent fund designated for defraying the expenses incident to the conduct of foreign affairs."But, one can only wonder what George Washington would think today. Would he consider these expenses incident to the conduct of foreign affairs?
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29431
https://history.state.gov/about/faq/foreign-service
http://adst.org/a-brief-history-of-the-consular-service/
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/09/politics/btn-diplomatic-presence/
http://freebeacon.com/issues/cbs-reports-hundreds-of-millions-in-cost-overruns-on-u-s-embassies/
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