The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-26 00:00:00

CUSTOMS REFORM.

l'r e. the ady NferA or Julie 33

WV. have init.: ...Al elsewhere iu to-due's paper the
!tenure ot the Select Ciontuitte e of the 11,euse of COO-
MOON 'es inquire tutu the l'onstitution and
Management of the Board of Customs. It is a do-
cument of great importance ; not only for the calm
and comprehensive manner in which it narrates the
history of the Dock cases, and their attendant injus-
ti.c—the accusation of nineteen persons e.f smuggling
and felony, whom the Boartl has never dared to
bring to trial—but for the proctical suggestions it
makes for re improvement of tlo. t'astotus depart-
re it, for facilitating the tmnsacti, :, of 1 usiness, for
te • abandonment of ad r,i/or,”• and for
tie correct•on of the most prominent ail vexatious
of the other en its which arc the growth ..f a system
hitherto fur all practird purposes substantially irre-
sponsible.
Flom the history given of the Ito.k mutes, it is
clear that the Boris! of l'ustones. in their ignorantce
of the real value of the lock syntem to the revenue.
were, in the' first stage of these peceecAions, under
the impriession t hat their otfievis had made ili.enverie •
of rest insportanco. For when heads of St. Ka-
therine's and the London lrotit.. in September.
'fin). appealed to Lord 3071% llesarad. and
Sir tat ra Wino), those functionaries 'eloped
to interfere., " the hitter stating th.to :;,rot tiara.
A ••1 Are slineoci,../." And this belief the
l'ostins seers never to have been di-atoned of, until
the result of the trial in the Court of Exchequer
loou;ht forth out of their mountain of unfounded
iMplitliiiolll IA mouse of facts. Nor is this yd..-
....herir of the Board at all to be wondered at; for
its eternises". hiving little or no practimil acquaint-
ance with the details of the Dock evstein. rely on
the statements made to them by titir otrito!-.
Now those Im...ordinate officers have ot.tortunately a
very strong temptation for exagger.tte a tuts in
the performoine of their duties. and these tempta-
tions metal on this occasion too tdroiler fur their
julcnient
Whilst the aysti.nr of dividit, atr penalties with
the info, ;11l ins. has been aholish.7l since Isl 7 in the
Inland It -venue Department. in the Customs the
officers detaining goods for wro;:g entry receive tic
*chide of the tines imposed, the whole amount of
which. for IS.-pa, amounted to no Ices than 21.232/.
at.. 911.; and it is to this system that half the evils of
the Custom. may be traced. We need hardly add,
that the Committee recommend that the practice ot
the Board of Inland Revenue sts-.11 he rolopted in the
Custom*, " and that the nteritorioan officer should
look chiefly to promotion as his reward."
And. though this is nut the tirst 01 their recom-
mendations. it in the basis of the tin?rovement thew
suggest in the coustitutiens and orgAr.isation of the
department. For, deprived of this source of pecu-
niary reward, it follows that the principle of promo-
tion must be carried out to its fullest t atent.
Committee consequently recommend that in the
choice ofeenninissioners " the most scrupulous regard
to the possession of the requisite qualifications of
alliaty and experience," irrespective of political
experience, ahali prevail ; that. at least, one mem-
ber should be solected from the mercantile body ;
and that promotion from among the superior
officers, when found qualified, to tile Beard shall be
made. And, in the ranks of the subordinate officers,
they lay down the principle of "strict examination"
in their transfer from one grade to another, and the
complete abandonment of the present principle of
exclusion of the five lower from the highest clam.
These recommendations look very like reform; and
if in the original appointments of Customs officers
members of the legislature would orly consent to
forego claims on Ministerial patrer...ge, and leave
these appointments to be the rew.ad of merit at
schools in connexion with the Committee of Privy
Council, it might be possible to connect a much
more efficient service in this department of revenue'.
with the promotion of the great cause of education.
On the subject of ad ralorem duties, so fertile a
source of Cu:l:ones' grievances. the Committee confirm
the opinion which has long prevailed, that, however
gaod in theory, these duties operate badly in prac-
tice; and as their total amount is but 1814,8:13/.
annually, the Committee think that the number of
articles subjected to them may be largely reduced
with advantage to trade, and without material lona
to the revenue —an opinion to which there will not
be one dissentient voice in the mercantile community.
With reference to seizures, the Conm.ittee mom-

mend that the seising officer shall state the reams
for the seizure in writing, and that the mercharr
shall have the option of at once having his case heard
in public; for which purpose a commissioner, it is
further recommended, shall sit daily—a practice
which in the Inland Revenue department has in the
last twenty years diminished the c.eseu beard three-
fourths: whereas. at present, in the Customs, a mer-
chant lh on an neruge occupied two daps in getting
a decision ; and the number of cases occurring yearly
in London alone is 10000, thus producing to com-
merce a lobs of time equal to 20,000 days.
its the subject of costs the report recommends
that the Crown and the subject be placed on the
same footing ; that some prescription should bind
the Crown; and that a cheaper tribunal than the
Court of Exeequer be provided for the case of
goods not liable to more than 100 t. duty; which, we
would suggest, may be readily found in the new
County Courts without any additional expense to
the country.
The report recommends very strongly the exten-
sion of the transit system, by not examining goods
in transit except when frand is suspected, and he
allowing goods to be sent without inspection in rail-
way Tans under the CM: of an officer from one port
to another; se is now the case between Liverpool
and Hull. And, in regard to paa.a.ugees, luggage,
ni the C..mittee see i no reason why t should not be
examined ou board steamers whenever there is space
above sod below; a plea already iu operation at Li.
versool in the case at CWvAID s. steamer
With
regard to the crews of ships caught in an
act of sniuggling, the Committee think the criminal
responsibility of the men themselves is a sufficient
see linty for the revenue, and recommend that the
vessel should no longer be liable to detention and
it. owner to fine.
And, in the like spirit, they deal with the liondin;;
system, ircummending that where the original im-
porter has sold the bonded goods, the warehouse
leceper. uuder certain securities to himself, shall be
held responsible for the duties. They further suggest
that the privileges of the several classes of ware-
houses should undergo revi4un, and that the jaws
regulating them be modified so as to meet the exh.
genies of the increased trade of the trzintry.
And lastly, the Committee recommend the codifi-
cation of the Customs Acts, 2:1 in number, and
of the rules end regulations issued under their
authority, at the rate of 120 a year. " Some
of the improvements now suggested," the report
concludes by remarking, " can he at once carried
out by Treasury orders, while others will undoubtedly
require fresh acts of Parliament. Your Committee
strongly recommend that one or more consolidation
t,i!ls be brought in early next session, and that the
rules and regulations in force be c.,llected in one
volume and annually published. A complete code
could thus be obtained, accompanied perhaps by a
further revision of the tariff: and your Committee'
hope that no Customs Bill, embodying any material
change, will in future be introduced at a late period
of the session."
Such are the main recommendations of tide im-
portant report_ ; and for them commerce is chiefly
indebted to Mr. Mercitett, the chairmen of the
committee, who has to ably and temperately con-
ducted the inquiry, and to the other mercantile
members who hn%e been at last able to justify the
expressions of commercial grievani es by the eonhrma.
Hon of parliamentary opinions. %It h the termination
of their labours the responsibili:y of the executive
government begins.

PAT OF THE OFFICERA OE lIE
trquiates for militia allow colontl. 1/. per there ,
lieutenant colonels, i... lid. ; maj Ars. 14s. Id. ; captain,,
12a. 6d. (including contingent allowance) ; lieutenants,
• Gd. ; ensigns, 6e. 24. ; adjutant., he. 64. ; quartermas-
ter., Gs. 64. ; surgeons, 11., 4d. - sergeant-majors, 2.. oid.;
sergeants, Is. corporai, le. 2 d ; drummers,
le. Id. ; privates, Is. The beer money and marching
money of the non-oonemiesioned officers and privates will
give to each As. calm for 21 flays' training. St111(C011.1 and
adjutants are to draw 2a. per diem for forage during the
training time, the former also retorting one guinea for
every hundred effective men undo r their charge. The
bernetarr-at-War has issued a circu:ar to staff•officci• of
penskman, stating that about ten pensioners from each dis-
trict will be required to drill the militia. They will receive
6d. • day in addition to their pension, as well IN the
anal alhawaages, at.. se in the regular army.