Consuls; their establishment, duties, and emoluments.
In all the commercial places of importance through-*out
the Mediterranean, where sovereignty was not
exercised by the Venetians, they established consuls,
investing them with considerable power, so as to
ensure the respect of foreigners. Each consulate
had a chaplain, a notary, and a physician. The
establishment was allowed to levy a duty of two
per cent. on all Venetian imports and exports, a percentage
which is said to have yielded the consuls
of Syria and Alexandria an annual income of no
less than 25,000 ducats. The Venetian consuls
were not merely the advocates of their countrymen
in any wrongs they might suffer, but they
had also judicial authority in cases of controversy,
and sometimes even decided disputes among the
native population.
Ancient ships' consuls; their duties. Ships' consuls appear to have existed at a very remote period in all the ports of the Mediterranean.[1] Their duty was to watch over the interests of the vessels of the nations they represented, to see that no frauds were committed, and especially that the persons who provisioned them used honest weights, and "mixed no water with the wine" they sold. They were allowed a half share in all penalties imposed, and were entitled to a present of a "carpet," a curious gift, for every enemy's ship captured: should, however, the consul connive at any of the frauds committed against the ships or crews it was their duty to watch over, they were liable to lose their office,
- ↑ The whole history of these consuls, with their duties, &c., has been published by Pardessus, ii. pp. 49-420, under the title of "Droit maritime connu sur le nom de Consulat de la Mer." Capmany has published the same as "Codigo de las costumbras maritimas."
