The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-02 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE SMUGGLING IN LONDON

The recent discovery of an extraordinsri, and extensive sys-
tem of smuggling, supposed to have been carried on for many
years by certain well known wine and spit it inerctiants in the
city, with.the knowledge of and by the connivance of a number
of government officcrs, has been the principal subject of discus-
sion lot the last few days on 'Change, at the several commer-
cial coffee-houses, and at the Custom House, and by which
illicit trade the revenue has been defrauded of custom duties to
an enormous amount. As it may be imagined, various rumours
are current respecting the affair; lint from information col-
lected from the most authentic sources in the several depart-
ments of the establishments of the Custom House, at the ducks,
and principal quays. it appears that for the last two or three
years certain large thins in the wine and spirit trade, carrying
on a milt extensive business, have been in the constant prac-
tice of importing the finest brandies and other spirits from the
continent, which, by the dexterity and connivance of some cus-
tom officers Stationed at the docks and quays where the spirits
had been landed front the vessels, have, after guaging, been de-
livered to the importers upon the payment of the wine duty of
ss. 6d. instead of the proper spirit duty of 225. 6d. per gallon.
An agent of the parties, it appears; recently received -a
consign-
ment of six hogsheads of French brandy, which, by the negli-
gence of some of the parties concerned, were landed in the
Queen's Warehouse on the ground floor of the custom-house;
and through this mistake, the whole of the nefarious proceed-
ings have been happily brought to light. On being admitted
to entry us wine, one of the hogsheads was seized, having been
found to confain brandy; and on closer inspection, a pecu-
liarly constructed Wire, of about six inches in diameter, was
discoYered fixed in the'cask, reaching peipendicularly from the
bung, and exiendiug the depth of the cask, which tube was
fixed with Wioe, the rema'nder of the caSk. containing brandy;
but, the tube tincing leake F, the wine became Mixed with the
brandy, which cireumstance led to the discovery and seizure by
the gauging ()Meer. Immediately on these facts being commu-
nicated to the honourable hoard of customs, the commissioners
instituted a Striet inquiry int., all the circumstances. One in-
dividual, when emit:tined lie!'ore-the board, most positively de-
clared he ha'd witnessed aS touch as £lOO. given in one sum to
certain persons, wrists he immed, to induce them to allow the,
spit ifs to'be ifelivered as wine. The board of excise Jut vino'
been fortirt-prisrresyrr:orr of Oft above-mentioned fact;;-Virl 'the
exCisemen having also had similar information, those officers
have since been indelativable in their exertions in tracing the
spirits to the place or Places in which they were concealed, and
had at lenglh sticceeded in discovering the fire hogsheads,
which came over with the cask as above stated, and had been
and were non daily inakin:z seizures in almost every part of the
city. They had also succeeded in seizing 35 cases of brandy
a hich had been described as wine in the warrant for pay went
of duty. Mulch still remains shrouded in mystery ; and several
officers have been suspended, being suspected As having been
concerned ii) this transaction as accessories; but it is expected
that the whole of the addiftinal particulars will soon be laid be-
fore the public. •