hority to make it
should be expressly conferred by law rather than continue to rest upon
doubtful construction.

_V. Charges of consuls for discharging diplomatic functions, without
appointment, during a temporary vacancy in the office of charge
d'affaires._

It has sometimes happened that consuls of the United States, upon the
occurrence of vacancies at their places of residence in the diplomatic
offices of the United States by the death or retirement of our minister
or charge d'affaires, have taken under their care the papers of such
missions and usefully discharged diplomatic functions in behalf of their
Government and fellow-citizens till the vacancies were regularly filled.
In some instances this is stated to have been done to the abandonment of
other pursuits and at a considerably increased expense of living. There
are existing claims of this description, which can not be finally
adjusted or allowed without the sanction of Congress. A particular
statement of them accompanies this communication.

The nature of this branch of the public service makes it necessary to
commit portions of the expenses incurred in it to Executive discretion;
but it is desirable that such portions should be as small as possible.
The purity and permanent success of our political institutions depend in
a great measure upon definite appropriations and a rigid adherence to
the enactments of the Legislature disposing of public money. My desire
is to have the subject placed upon a more simple and precise, but not
less liberal, footing than it stands on at present, so far as that may
be found practicable. An opinion that the salaries allowed by law to our
agents abroad are in many cases inadequate is very general, and it is
reasonable to suppose that this impression has not been without its
influence in the construction of the laws by which those salaries are
fixed. There are certainly motives which it is difficult to resist to an
increased expense on the part of some of our functionaries abroad
greatly beyond that which would be required at home.

Should Congress be of opinion that any alteration for the better can be
made, either in the rate of salaries now allowed or in the rank and
gradation of our diplomatic agents, or both, the present would be a fit
occasion for a revision of the whole subject.

ANDREW JACKSON.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_.

GENTLEMEN: I transmit herewith the annual report o