The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-22 00:00:00

THE PARIS EXPO iITION.

The attempt made, by a body of Peers and other
gentlemen, to lessen the nuisance which the Customs
has established of stopping and searching every tra-
veller, on arriving at either side of the Channel, dur-
ing the Paris Exposition, has, we regret to say, failed.
The memorialists suggested the substitution of de-
tectives, in place of the individual and personal
search of baggage, now enforced. The concession,
they say, involves the comfort and convenience of
several hundreds of thousands of her MAJESTY'S
subjects, and of Americans and other travellers
from abroad passing through England on the inte-
resting occasion offered by the EMPEROR for the as-
sembly of people of all nations at Paris. The Go-
vernment, however, after consulting with the Trea-
sury and Custom House authorities have refused the
petition. It is said that, if once granted, it could
never be revoked, and the practice would enable
smugglers to defraud the revenue to a large extent.
The people running between London and Paris
during the Exposition will not require a large
amount of baggage, and are not likely to be en-
gaged in smuggling to any extent. For our part,
we believe there is scarcely anything worth smug-
gling into England for its own sake or for the gain
to be derived. Nearly everything can be procured
in London cheaper and better than elsewhere, and
it is difficult to understand what the inducement,
beyond the mere pleasure of defrauding the revenue,
can be. Some people have an idiotic idea that an
article can only be procured in a genuine and un-
adulterated shape in the place either once celebrated
for its manufacture, its growth, or the spot where
it is found. Thus it is that Birmingham drives a
thriving trade in articles that the uninitiated have no
suspicion had a shade of " Brummagem" attached
to them. The simple Briton landed at Galle finds
a wealth of precious stones, beautifully set, displayed
before his eager eyes. He has little idea that the
Birmingham trinkets had not long preceded himself
in their arrival. He buys a jewel to send
home as a keepsake, and it returns to its
native land greatly enhanced in value. So
it is with most of the purchases made by indi-
viduals in their travels. The fact is, that England
can afford to grant the prayer of this petition, not
only for the time specified, but for all time to come;
indeed, wholly to abolish the vexatious delay in-
volved in the search of passengers' baggage. A
few spies and detectives would be quite sufficient.
A Custom-house officer is not likely to be deceived,
and the paltry smuggling of individuals would, we
believe, almost wholly cease if the inducement
which the little excitement of " doing" the revenue,
under the present system, were removed. At
EvaNs' Supper-room, in Covent-garden, where
hundreds assemble to eat and drink and listen to
good vocal and instrumental music, they have for
years adopted the principle of receiving from their
customers a statement of what they have had
—at the door—as they pass out. The proprietors
must have found this system answer, or they would
not for so long a period have kept it up. What
their check is we do not know, except it be the
principle implanted iu man's nature generally of not
being guilty of a paltry swindle where he is trusted.
It is dangerous to throw great temptations in the
way of humanity ; but it is not dangerous frankly
to trust men, when the temptation to rob is small.
Indeed, we feel certain that the Government would
save more by granting the petitioners' request,
and thus reducing the large staff they will
be compelled to keep, than the amount
they will lose by frauds on the revenue, and freely
trusting the passengers. It would be easy to intro-
duce a regulation that baggage over a certain weight
was to be inspected, and of course retaining the
right of search of any baggage indicated by a
Custom-house officer. This, with a few detectives
on the line and at the principal stations, would be
sufficient, and one of the greatest miseries of travel
would be removed. We look for many useful re-.
forms from the Paris Exposition, and if it could be
inaugurated by obtaining such a boon to travellers
as that petitioned for it would commence well. The
French Government wishes to co-operate, and the
impediments in its way are greater than those in
the way of the English Government. Although
the petition has been refused, we have hopes that
the subject will be re-considered, as the principle is
strongly supported by members of both Houses of
Parliament. Like many reforms, when first mooted,
and which may administer a shock to the techni-
calities of Custom-house officials and others, it will
be found, when tried, easy of accomplishment,
simple, beneficial, and not dangerous to the revenue.
—Anglo-American Times.