Mr. SUMNER. I am directed by the ComForRel to move an amendment to come in on page 2, line 16, after the word “dollars, ” in the shape of a proviso: Prooidal. That an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary appointedat any placewherethe U.S. arenow represented by minister resident shall receivethe compensationfixed bylawand appropriated for a minister residentand no more. I should like to make a brief explanation of this amendment. It will be perceived from its place that it comes after the appropriation for salaries of envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident. The object in one word that I will state precisely before proceeding into detail is to authorize the Government to employ in its discretionpersons with the title of envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary where it now employs ministers resident, but without any increase of salary. This subject has occu ied the attention of the committee for severaFyears; it has been more than once, I think, brought before the Senate. The committee in their recent consideration of it, I think, were unanimous that the good of the service, especially in Europe, required that this change shouldlbe made. From all the information that comes to us, it appears that our ministers at the courts where they have only the title of ministers resident play a 2nd part to gentlemen with the title of envoy extraordinary and minister pleni potentiary, though representing Governments which we certainly should not consider in point of rank in the world on an e nality with ours. They are 2nd to them; in short, to use a familiar illustration and simply in order to bring the difference home to the Senators, when they call upon business or appear anywhere they bear the same relation to the envoys extmor dinary of those smaller Governments that, for instance, a member of the other House when he waits upon the POTUS, as we know, bears to the Senators. The Senator is admitted to the President, when the member of the other House, as we know, waits. It is so now with the ministers resident of the U.S. as compared with persons of a higher title at the courts to which they are accredited, although those entle men with a higher title represent whatI have already said we should regard as inferior Powers. I hold in my hand, by way of illustration, the last Almanac of Gothn, for 1866, which is the diplomatic authority for the world, and has been new for about a century; and by way of example, I turn to the diplomatic list for the Netherlands, where it will be remembered we are represented by a patriotic citizen, well known to most of us, and who was connected with the press, Mr. Pike, with the title of minister resident. By looking at the list, I find at this same court that the Grand Duchy of Baden is represented by an envoy extraor dinary and minister plenipotentiary, that Bel ium, the adjoining country, and with a population much inferior to our own, is represented by an envoy extraordinary and minister plen ipotentiarythat Denmark, anation which now, since she has been shorn of the 2 prov inces of Sehle5wig and Holstein, has not a million and a half of population, is represented by an envoy extraordinary and minister plen ipotentiary. Spain, of course, is represented by an envoy extraordinary and minister len ipotentiary. Even the Grand Duchy of Hesse is so represented; so is the kingdom of Italy; so is the Duchy of Nassau; so is Portu gal, so is Prussia, and so on. In transacting business the American minister resident at the court of the Hague is always treated as 2nd to all these representatives. I have alluded to the relations which we bear to the head of the executive Dept here as compared with members otpthe other House. I doubt not that Senators know there is an advantage in that in the dispatch of business, in having access promptly and perhaps with a certain consideration which does not always attach to those of the inferior rank. That, in brief, is an outline of the present condition of things. I think there are none of the courts where our representatives do not complain that they suffer personally and in the public interests which the represent throtwh this inferior position, an the object of the proposition now moved is to relieve this evil. this to secure to these representatives the advantages which we covet for our country to the end that their own respectability may be enhanced and that they may transact the public business with the most effect. It is not reosed and now I come to the ting estiouw ic the Senfrom Iowa has made in a whisperit is not proposed that there shall be an increase of salary.