The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-10 00:00:00

THE TEA FRAUDS AND THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS.

The Banner of Ulster has the following curious
statement in reference to the frauds of the ab-
sconded tea merchant and to the conduct of the
local Board of Customs :

" Yesterday the Customs held a further investigation
to ascertain the ownership of 219 chests of tea bonded
by J. J. Moore in his stores, Skipper-street, and
subsequently removed to other stores. The jury,
after a full investigation, found that they were the
property of different traders in town, some of whom
had commercial transactions with Moore. Had
fuller notice been given of the investigation pre-
viously held, it would have afforded several merchants
who are now complaining an opportunity of establishing
their right to property now under seizure by the
Customs. The case is one which merits special
consideration, affecting, as it does, the Customs spa 1
several of the most respectable merchants in Belfast. It
is not generally known that several months ago a fraud
was discovered by the officers of Customs prior to the
time when the stock of teas in Moore's store was taken
by them. When the stock was taken the officers did
net pierce the chests, to discover whether they were
filled with tea or brickbat.. Two chests of tea were
wanting, but who removed them was a mystery. An
investigatioa might have discovered the guilty party,
but no investigation took place. Instead of this, as we
have been credibly informed, the duty was demanded
and a fine imposed, both of which Moore speedily paid
We are not aware that any intimation of this irregular
ity was conveyed to the securities, to whom such a dis-
covery was of so much importance. Had it been known
to them that a burglary had been committed, the probe,.
bilitv is they would have cancelled their securities.
Moore would have lost his license, merchants would
have obtained their goods, and the Customs would have
escaped the obloquy and inconvenience to which they
have been exposed. This was but the beginning of
official Iblunders ; others greater far soon succeeded.
The security they received was one of these. In-
stead of insisting on a security which would cover
the entire of the goods bonded in Mcore'e store, what
did they do They received half the amount,—that
is to say, 3,0001. instead of 6,0001. And what has
been the consequence ? They have been obliged to
seize all the goods bonded in these stores to secure them-
selves against loss brought about by their own neglect !
Dutiable goods are generally bonded in the name
of the merchants to whom they belong; the loss and
inconvenience in this case, therefore, must be very con-
siderable.' Whether the law will sanction such a seizure
remains to be seen, and whether the Crown shall be made
to nay deterioration and loss to the sufferers may be
dou.btful. One thing is manifest, that much evil has been
created by the want of sufficient security having been
originally taken by the proper authorities. It is true,
when the fraud was fully known an investigation took
place, witnesses were examined, persons arrested, war-
rants issued, and a reward offered for the apprehension
of the culprit—but a'l this came too late, Moore, who
could have given every information necessary, was al•
lowed to escape. Why was he not arrested on the day
the fraud was discovered. Was he not seen at hie office
on that day ? Did he not go to the Exchange, as he was
accustomed, on the evening of the same day ? Why, we
ask, was he not arrested. An effort was made after he
had left, but not by the Customs. That effort was abor-
tive, but if the Customs, backed by the Crown, had made
energetic exertions on the Thursday night the culprit
must have been taken, as he did not get away till next
morning. It is reported he was in Lisburn, and left by
an early train for Dublin on the Friday succeed-

ing the discovery of the fraud. There can be little
doubt, too, that after it became known he sailed
is the Asia, had the authorities ordered a
vessel from Cork, armed with such power as they could
give, the Asia would have stopped," lain to,' and de-
livered up to them the flying fugitive. But this they
did not do. The Customs have not stopped with
the seizure of the goods in the bonded store ; they
have removed all the property. Where ? TO an-
other bonded store ? No ; but to the vaults of the
new Custom-house, where they will be exposed to
the damp exhalations which necessarily proceed
from a new building. Two evils may arise from
this procedure—one, that of deterioration of the
quality of the teas ; the other, depreciation in price,
which may take place during their detention. The
merchants complain, and we think justly, that the
seizure and detention of their goods, are to them a
serious pecuniary loss. They require them for the
purposes of trade, but they cannot get them. The
brand of the broad arrow is on them, and no matter
what loss the merchants may sustain, there it must
remain t 11 the Customs please to release them.
There is one way of cutting this Gordian knot—
that is, by a Government investigation into the
entire conduct of the Customs in this case. It will
be then seen whether or not the officials, from the
collector down, have been!guilty of a great del ilec-
don of duty, and whether the respectable merchants
of our town are not entitled to compensation from
the Crown for the great inconvenience and loss
they have sustained by the alleged negligence and
incompetency of their officials."
The last Irish bank returns show an increase in
the circulation, as compared with the preceding re•
turns of 765,1651., making, with the increase of
last month, an enlargement of the notes in the
hands of the public of considerably upwards of a
million. This increase, large as it is, does not
exceed that which usually takes place at this period
of the year. In 1856 the increase on the month
was 860,0001. ; in 1855 it was 890,0001. ; and in
1854, 670,0001. During the next three months we
may expect that the circulation will about maintain
its present level. There is ordinarily some increase
in the issue in November, but at the present mo-
ment the banks will naturally pursue as cautious a
course as possible. In the coin held there is an in-
crease on the month of 12,000 e

[PRICE 4D. S TIMPIED 5o .]

NATAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

We are requested to state that his Royal High-
ness the General Commanding-in-Chief will hold
a levee at 1 o'clock on Thursday next.
His Royal Highness the General Commanding-
in-Chief has caused a circular memorandum to be
addressed to general officers and officers command-
ing regiments and depots of infantry, in which he
draws attention to the large proportion of soldiers
in some regiments and depot battalion who are not
trained to the use of the rifle musket. His Royal
Highness will hold commanding officers responsible
for any non-observance of the regulations upon this
subject which may be hereafter brought to his no-
tice, it being intended that every soldier for whom
a musket is issued shall go through a course of in-
struction annually.
Yesterday the Bth company of Royal Sappers
and Miners, under the command of Capt. W. F.
Lambert, Royal Engineers, arrived at head quar-
ters, Brompton Barracks,'. from Ports-
irtout,hi,
awchtiearregtehoefyowaeprte. realißev.edtebmy
ptrhieer2e6.th com-
pany The paddlewheel steam frigate Valorous, 16,
Captain Aldham, which left Ferrol on Thursday,
arrived in Plymouth Sound on Sunday, having on
board the First Lieutenant of the Turkish ship-of-
war Fethie, and Capt. Huson, who brought the
Fethie to the Bay of Biscay, where she encountered
a heavy storm and carried away her sternpost and
rudder. The Turkish craw are disinclined to
winter in a northern latitude, and it is as yet uncer-
tain what course will be adopted with the ship.
The commissioners recently appointed by Royal
warrant to inspect barracks and military hospitals
for sanitary purposeg:wera. engaged in the inspec-
tion of St. George's and the other barracks in and
near the metropolis during the past week.
The annual training of the naval coast voluntera
for the Welch district has just closed on board the
Amphitrite, 26 guns. The min have had 28 days'
training, including practice with heavy guns, for
which the waters of Milford Haven afford ample
soape. _ . .

The Rev. H. K Yeoman has been appointed
chaplain to the Edinburgh, and joined his ship on
Wednesday last.

We have reason to believe that there is no foun-
dation for the report that Captain Milne is about
to leave the Admiralty for an appointment at De-
von port Dockyard.
Yesterday Captain Wright's company of the oth
battalion Royal Artillery embarked at Woolwich
on hoard the screw transport Indomitable. Capt.
Kent, for Madras.
A detachment of the 2 battalion Ist Royals. con-
sisting of one officer and 50 men, and one of the
the 21st Foot, consisting of two officers and 48
men, left Glasgow on Thursday for Belfast, pro-
ceeding thence to Cork for embarkation to Malta
and Gibraltar.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty:—
C. V. Udney, midshipman, to the Heron ; F.
0. L. Patch, assistant-paymaster, to the Ajax ; J.
P. Dore, clerk, to the Conway ; G. W. Underhill,
clerk, to the Impregnable ; and J. E. Skinner,
clerk, to the( Hastings.