Administrative consul

Protectorates

When a state falls under the "amical" protection of a stronger (often colonial) power, the latter is usually represented by a high ranking diplomatic and/or gubernatorial officer, such as a Resident general, Resident Minister or High Commissioner. However, if there is no such representation (in modern terms often at ambassadorial level), the task may fall to the only available "diplomatic" alternative: consular representation.

Africa

In German Kamerun, 6 July 1884 – 26 June 1885, provisional consul Heinrich Randad filled the void between the first Reichskommissar (titled—for West Africa, 5–6 July 1884 only) and the subsequent series of regular incumbents

In parts of present Nigeria, British Consuls were in charge of the following West African protectorates:

• the Bight of Benin May 1852–6 August 1861
• the Bight of Biafra 30 June 1849 – 6 August 1861
• the Bights of Biafra and Benin after the merger of the two above on 6 August 1861; the last incumbent was promoted on 5 June 1885 to stay on as first Consul general (of two) of the Bight.

Samoa

From 7 November 1889, Samoa, previously a Polynesian kingdom, was governed by the joint German-British-U.S. Samoa Tripartite Convention, which made Samoa a protectorate of those three powers. On 10 June 1899, a provisional (colonial) government sui generis was formed, consisting of the consuls of the three protecting powers:

• • Friedrich Rose (German Consul) (b. 1855–d. 1922)
  • Ernest George Berkeley Maxse (British Consul) (b. 1863–d. 1943): to 23 June 1899, succeeded by a Mister Nair (acting British consul)
  • Luther Wood Osborn (U.S. Consul) (b. 1843–d. 1901).

This arrangement lasted until 1 March 1900, when most of the archipelago was annexed by Imperial Germany. The eastern islands remained under U.S. control and became the territory of American Samoa.

Tonga

On Tonga, a British protectorate from 1900, the British Empire was only represented by its consuls from 1901 until Tongan independence in 1970. From 1901 until 1952, the protectorate was also under the administrative authority of the High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories, who was always the British Governor of Fiji.