Consul

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Consul \Con"sul\ (k[o^]n"s[u^]l), n. [L., prob. fr. consulere to
     deliberate. See {Consult}.]
     1. (Rom. Antiq.) One of the two chief magistrates of the
        republic.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: They were chosen annually, originally from the
           patricians only, but later from the plebeians also.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A senator; a counselor. [Obs.]
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              Many of the consuls, raised and met,
              Are at the duke's already.            --Shak.
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              With kings and consuls of the earth.  --Job. iii. 14
                                                    (Douay Ver. )
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     3. (Fr. Hist.) One of the three chief magistrates of France
        from 1799 to 1804, who were called, respectively, first,
        second, and third consul.
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     4. An official commissioned to reside in some foreign
        country, to care for the commercial interests of the
        citizens of the appointing government, and to protect its
        seamen.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Consul general}, a consul of the first rank, stationed in an
        important place, or having jurisdiction in several places
        or over several consuls.
  
     {Vice consul}, a consular officer holding the place of a
        consul during the consul's absence or after he has been
        relieved.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  consul
       n : a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its
           commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign
           country

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  30 Moby Thesaurus words for "consul":
     ambassador, ambassadress, apostolic delegate, attache,
     career diplomat, chancellor, charge, commercial attache,
     consul general, consular agent, diplomat, diplomatic,
     diplomatic agent, diplomatist, emissary, envoy,
     envoy extraordinary, foreign service officer, internuncio, legate,
     military attache, minister, minister plenipotentiary,
     minister resident, nuncio, plenipotentiary, resident,
     secretary of legation, vice-consul, vice-legate
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  Consul
       
           A {constraint}-based [{future}-based?] language
          with {Lisp}-like {syntax}.
       
          ["Consul: A Parallel Constraint Language", D. Baldwin, IEEE
          Software 6(4):62-71].
       
          (1994-11-30)
       
       

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  CONSUL, government, commerce. Consuls are commercial agent's appointed by a 
  government to reside in the seaports of a foreign country, and commissioned 
  to watch over the commercial rights and privileges of the nation deputing 
  them. A vice-consul is one acting in the place of a consul. 
       2. Consuls have been greatly multiplied. Their duties and privileges 
  are now generally limited, defined and secured by commercial treaties, or by 
  the laws of the countries they represent. As a general rule, it may be laid 
  down that they represent the subjects or citizens of their own nation, not 
  otherwise represented. Bee, R. 209 3 Wheat. R. 435; 6. Wheat. R., 152; 10 
  Wheat. 66; 1 Mason's R. 14. 
       3. This subject will be considered by a view, first, of the 
  appointment, duties, powers, rights, and liabilities of American consuls; 
  and secondly, of the recognition, duties, rights, and liabilities of foreign 
  consuls. 
       4.-1. Of American consuls. First. The president authorized by the 
  Constitution of the United States, art. 2, s. 2, el. 3, to nominate, and, by 
  and with the advice and consent of the senate, appoint consuls. 
       5.-Secondly. Each consul and vice-consul is required, before he 
  enters on the execution of his office, to give bond, with such sureties as 
  shall be approved by the secretary of state, in a sum not less than two 
  thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars, conditioned for the true and 
  faithful discharge of the duties of his office, and also for truly 
  accounting for all moneys, goods and effects which may come into his 
  possession by virtue of the act of 14th April, 1792, which bond is to be 
  lodged in the office of the secretary of State. Act of April 14, 1792, sect. 
  6. 
       6.-Thirdly. They have the power and are required to perform many 
  duties in relation to the commerce of the United States and towards masters 
  of ships, mariners, and other citizens of the United States; among these are 
  the authority to receive protests or declarations which captains, masters, 
  crews, passengers, merchants, and others make relating to American commerce; 
  they are required to administer on the estate of American citizens, dying 
  within their consulate, and leaving no legal representatives, when the laws 
  of the country permit it; [see 2 Curt. Ecc. R. 241] to take charge and 
  secure the effects of stranded American vessels in the absence of the 
  master, owner or consignee; to settle disputes between masters of vessels 
  and the mariners; to provide for destitute seamen within their consulate, 
  and send them to the United States, at the public expense. See Act of 14th 
  April, 1792; Act of 28th February, 1803, ch. 62; Act of 20th July, 1840, Ch. 
  23. The consuls are also authorized to make certificates of certain facts in 
  certain cases, which receive faith and credit in the courts of the United 
  States. But those consular certificates are not to be received in evidence, 
  unless they are given in the performance of a consular function; 2 Cranch, 
  R. 187; Paine, R. 594; 2 Wash. C. C. R. 478; 1 Litt. R. 71; nor are they 
  evidence, between persons not parties or privies to the transaction, of any 
  fact, unless, either expressly or impliedly, made so by statute. 2 Sumn. R. 
  355. 
       7.-Fourthly. Their rights are to be protected agreeably to the laws 
  of nations, and of the treaties made between the nation to which they are 
  sent, and the United States. They are entitled, by the act of 14th April, 
  1792, s. 4, to receive certain fees, which are there enumerated. And the 
  consuls in certain places, as London, Paris, and the Barbary states, 
  receive, besides, a salary. 
       8.-Fifthly. A consul is liable for negligence or omission to perform, 
  seasonably, the duties imposed upon him, or for any malversation or abuse of 
  power, to any injured person, for all damages occasioned thereby; and for 
  all malversation and corrupt conduct in office, a consul is liable to 
  indictment, and, on conviction by any court of competent jurisdiction, shall 
  be fined not less than one, nor more than ten thousand dollars; and be 
  imprisoned not less than one nor more than five years. Act of July 20, 1840, 
  ch. 23, cl. 18. The act of February 28, 1803, ss. 7 and 8, imposes heavy 
  penalties for falsely and knowingly certifying that property belonging to 
  foreigners is the property of citizens of the United States; or for granting 
  a passport, or other paper, certifying that any alien, knowing him or her to 
  be such, is a citizen of the United States. 
       9. The duties of consuls residing on the Barbary coast are prescribed 
  by a particular statute. Act of May 1, 1810, S. 4. 
      10.-2. Of foreign consuls. First. Before a consul can perform any 
  duties in the United States, he must be recognized by the president of the 
  United States, and have received his exequatur. (q.v.) 
      11.-Secondly. A consul is clothed only with authority for commercial 
  purposes, and he has a right to interpose claims for the restitution of 
  property belonging to the citizens or subjects of the country he represents; 
  10 Wheat. R. 66; 1 Mason R. 14; See, R. 209; 6 Wheat. R. 152; but he is not 
  to be considered as a minister or diplomatic Agent, entrusted by virtue of 
  his office to represent his sovereign in negotiations with foreign states. 3 
  Wheat, R. 435. 
      12.-Thirdly. Consuls are generally invested with special privileges by 
  local laws and usages, or by international compact; but by the laws of 
  nations they are not entitled to the peculiar immunities of ambassadors. In 
  civil and criminal cases, they are subject to the local laws in the same 
  manner with other foreign residents owing a temporary allegiance to the 
  state. Wicquefort, De l'Ambassadeur, liv. 1, Sec. 5; Bynk. cap. 10 Martens, 
  Droit des Gens, liv. 4, c. 3, Sec. 148. In the United States, the act of 
  September 24th, 1789, s. 13 gives to the supreme court original, but not 
  exclusive jurisdiction of all suits in which a consul or vice-consul shall 
  be a party. The act last cited, section 9, gives to the district courts of 
  the United States, jurisdiction exclusively of the courts of the several 
  states, of all suits against consuls or vice-consuls, except for offences 
  where whipping exceeding thirty stripes, a fine exceeding one hundred 
  dollars, or a term of imprisonment exceeding six months, is inflicted. For 
  offences punishable beyond these penalties, the circuit has jurisdiction in 
  the case of consuls. 5 S. & R. 545. See 1 Binn. 143; 2 Dall. 299; 2 N. & M. 
  217; 3 Pick. R. 80; 1 Green, R. 107; 17 Johns. 10; 6 Pet. R. 41; 7 Pet. R. 
  276; 6 Wend. 327. 
      13.-Fourthly. His functions may be suspended at any time by the 
  government to which he is sent, and his exequatur revoked. In general, a 
  consul is not liable, personally, on a contract made in his official 
  capacity on account of his government. 3 Dall. 384. 
      14. During the middle ages, the term consul was sometimes applied to 
  ordinary judges; and, in the Levant, maritime judges are yet called consuls. 
  1 Boul. Paty, Dr. Mar. Tit. Prel. s. 2, p. 57. 
      15. Among the Romans, consuls were chief magistrates who were annually 
  elected by the people, and were invested with powers and functions similar 
  to those of kings. See, generally, Abbott on Ship. 210; 2 Bro. Civ. Law, 
  503; Merl. Repert. h.t.; Ayl. Pand. 160; Warden on Consuls; Marten on 
  Consuls; Borel, de l'Origine, et des Fonctions des Consuls; Rawle on the 
  Const. 222, 223; Story on the Const. Sec. 1654 Serg. Const. Law, 225; Azuni, 
  Mar. Law, part 1, c. 4, art. 8, Sec. 7. 
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  CONSUL, n.  In American politics, a person who having failed to secure
  and office from the people is given one by the Administration on
  condition that he leave the country.