# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/22nd Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 58

Chap. LVIII.—An Act to explain and amend the eighteenth section of “An act to alter and amend the several acts imposing duties on imports,” approved the fourteenth July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
Act of July 14, 1832, ch. 227. Certain articles imported before or after July 14, 1832, may be deposited in the public stores.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all articles upon which the duties were reduced by “An act to alter and amend the several acts imposing duties on imports,” approved the fourteenth July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, and which may not have been deposited under the provisions of the eighteenth section of the act aforesaid, whether the said articles were imported, or the duties thereon were secured or paid, before or after the passage of said act, may, to obtain the benefit of said act and this amendment thereto, be deposited at any time before the first of April next in the custom-house stores, or in the manner prescribed in the following section, by the importer, consignee, or any subsequent purchaser or owner,Wines entitled to the benefit of the act. and all wines now in bond, or which may be imported at any time previous to the fourth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, and which may remain in the custody of the customs on that day, shall be entitled to the benefit of this act, and of that to which it is an amendment:Proviso. Provided, That no merchandise imported in packages, bales, or casks, shall be entitled to the benefit of this act, or of that, to which it is an amendment, unless they are as originally imported: and that all articles placed in the custody of the customs under this act shall so remain, for inspection and examination, till the fourth day of March next:Proviso. Provided, also, That nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as to extend the provisions thereof to any merchandise, which, under the existing laws, would not be entitled to the benefits of drawback.
When goods may remain in warehouse of owner, &c.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, in all cases where the quantity of merchandise, entitled to the benefits of the acts aforesaid shall exceed ten packages, bales, or casks, or where the article may be in bulk, or otherwise than in packages, bales, or casks, the collector of the district where the same may be, is hereby authorized to direct that the said merchandise shall not be removed from the warehouse of the owner, but that the same shall be there placed in the custody of a proper officer of the customs, who shall examine the same, and keep them under the keys of the custom-house, till the first of April, as aforesaid:Proviso. Provided, The collector shall consider the same a safe place of deposit, and that application be made to him for that purpose on or before the twenty-fifth March next.
Articles under custody of officer of customs, as aforesaid, to be subject to no higher duty than levied under act of July 14, 1832. Higher duties paid to be refunded, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all articles remaining under the control of the proper officer of the customs, according to the provisions of this act, on the first April next, and all wines which shall ​remain in the same manner, after the fourth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, shall be subject to no higher duty than would be levied under the act aforementioned, approved the fourteenth of July last; and if any higher duty shall have been paid, such excess shall be refunded, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the person placing the same in the custody of the customs, and any outstanding bond or bonds which may have been given for duties on the same shall be cancelled; and if a sum equal to the amount of duties levied by the said act of the fourteenth July, shall not have been collected, and the bond or bonds given shall amount to more than the duties imposed by said act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall direct that a debenture certificate or certificates, the form of which shall be prescribed by him, for such excess of duty, shall be issued to the persons placing the same in the custody of the customs, payable out of the bond or bonds given for duties on the same, the collectors to give the debtors credit on their bonds for the difference between the high and low duties, and to cancel the bonds on payment of the balance.
Excess of duties to be refunded, &c. and articles to be examined, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause the amount of excess of duties, as aforesaid, to be ascertained and paid, or the credit given as the case may be, as soon as practicable after the first of April next; and that he shall be authorized to cause all articles under the control of the proper officers of the customs to be examined; and where the merchandise may have passed out of the possession of the importer or consignee, to require satisfactory evidence of the transfer or transfers to identify the same; and to make all other rules and regulations which may be necessary and proper to carry this act into effect.
Relief to be extended.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to extend relief to all persons, whose cases are provided for in this act, who may have been deprived of the benefit thereof in consequence of the collector’s not having received his instructions in pursuance of it, from the Secretary of the Treasury.
Section seventeen of act of July 14, 1832, ch. 227, to take effect March 4, 1833.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the seventeenth section of the aforesaid act of the fourteenth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, as far as the same relates to the duty on pulverized or crushed sugar, shall take effect on the fourth day of March, of the present year.
Approved, March 2, 1833.