Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-23
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
December 5th,g 1907.

j. ISIftOChI bLEh {.
December 5tl, 1907.
SIR,
The want Of precision in describing ths
prohibited articles In the non-importa, ion act
will give rise to much perPIexity and hume,
rous suits before the construction of the sta,
tute can be dehnitiyely settled. Amengs,
other enquiries or doubts which have arisen
on the subject, permit me tomention the fol.
lowing
lst. Packages, wrappers, or vessels, Sc
curing or containing articles not prohibited
and ilf ported according to law.
Win the articles be liable to forfeiture be-
cause such packages or vessels are amongst
the prohibited articles Hardware is wrap
ped with hafler; cloths and other permitted
articles are enclosed in linen packages, or Sc
cured with robes or t7vine /; boxes in which
many permitted articles are imported must
have nails; aqua forts and various other me-
dicines and liquors must necessarily be I'M
ported in glass bottles, &c. Surprising tie
treasury to decide, which, particularly in the
last mentioned case, would be doubtful con-
struction, that the prohibition shall not apply
to such packages, wrappers, or vessels as are
absolutely necessary to contain or secure arti-
cles not prohibited; yet a difficulty would g:
rise; for salt is often imported in linen bags
of equal or greater value than the salt itself I;
and salt NAV be, and is oitener imported With.
out such bags.
Cd Articles OF which leather, silk, hernp
fax, tin, brass, are the materials Of chief va.
lue.
difficulties will arise in relation to variety
of articles composed partly of non-prohibitee
materials amongst which are mentioced, ma
nufactures of mixed metals such as pewter
tutaEia, princes metal, pinch-beck, bell me
tai, timed goods gilt buttons; a great vari
ETY. of articles of hard ware and more parti
cularly articles in which labor and material:
are so blended as to render decision almos
impossible. Thus, in patent floor cloths, mus
the articles he prohibited because the bemI
| or fax of the canvass is more valuable than
the drugs used in the painting! Or, musti
be admitted because the painting, including
| labor, is more valuable than the canvass Are
printed books prohibited as paper, or because
| the fax of which the paper is made is more
valuable than the quantity of ink used In print
ing Or, are they admissible. because the
! printing itself is more valuable than the pa
per, or at least than the flax
Sd. Woollen cloths.
1t is asked, lst, whether manufactures part
" of wool, partly of cotton or partly of WOO
and partly of silk and fax, the silk or flax be-
ing not however the material of chief value
are prohibited Cd, whether by the wore
cloth must be understood only that species Of
manufactures which in common parlanCe is sc
called, excluding casimeres, coatings & other
similar manufacturers or, whether it means
every thing which is woven, including shall
looms, stuffs, carpets, sc.
A,h. tits also doubted whether silver watch
es are prohibited under the denomination o.
silver wares whether the glass OF a silver
watch will forfeit the watch whether tacks
brads, &c. are prohibited as nails ? cotton
stockings as clothing ready made manufac,
lures Of paper as paper, &c,
On all these points inquiries have already
been made, and many other doubts may arise
not yet foreseen. There are also some O.
Their parts ofthe act not connected with the
description ofthe articles which require ex,
pIanation--such as the mode OF ascertalEln2
the value of woolen cloth, when suspicion a.
rises that it is under rated, and a precise de-
signation of the day when Importation shall
be considered, underline act to have taken
place, viz: whether the day of report and en-
try, as has heretofore been practised, or the
day of arrival into the u. S. as Will probably
be claimed by the importers.
Upon the whole, it is desirable that act
may not be carried into effect previous to re.
vision for although no statute OF this KIND
can, particularly at first, be altogether tree
from imperfections, yet the most obvious may
easily be removed.
This communication would have been sooa
er made. had it not been expected that the a.