Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-19

SONS may also be useiui with respect to st
zMary's, in Georgia.
~, Il is believed that tie prevention %
smuggling f,oin Canada depends NOE On the
,.i&iIyncc and activity OF tie collector, ard
pefsots employed by them, tilan Oh a.,y adai.
tional legal provision. 1t seems, however,
necessary to exteEd generally to inspectors
the power OF searching holIs:s, which, by the
collection law, is given only 10 theqeo!iectors,
or persons acting under a special appolltn,ent
for each case. II has also been suggested Tia.
n permission to import salt from Cahata,
would, in other respects, facilitate TIE csecu.
ton OF the law.
Y. II is moi known that vessels laden with
salt and coming from Lisbon and otac.
places, have brought any forbidden articles
but the fac;ity Of conccainent, the article be-
ing now duty free, and neither measured nor
examined, is Obvious; sDd it suggests tie
proprictc of directing that salt should DC me-.
sured, or weighed, as if liable 10 duty.
There are some other Improvements, ofa
more general and permanent nature, TO which
the attention Of ibis department has-been more
forciDly caiied by the restrictive laws, aid
which | vii! also beg leave 10 suggest.
The superintendent ct the treasury c.
the collectors for the purpose Of producing
nfornity in every respect. and of obtaining
early information Of deIinquincies, unt~itiI;a-
ness, Or neglect, would be much more Prompt
and efficient with the aid o. some cTcers, WHO
should, once or twice year, visit ali the Gus.
tom-houses, examine the books, the lnaBnerof
ascertaining duties, and generally the conduct
of the collectors, and report to the treasury
| believe four such officers would be sufi.
cient, and that, exclusively of other advanta.
ges, the delinquencies they would prevent
would more than pay their compensation
The importance Of promptly ascertainln9 tie
want of vigilance Of single collector, Is 1t
this time obvious.
The mode OF sppra;sing merchandise seized
by collectors, and restored by order of a court,
requires revision. lis defined Only in cases
arising under the collection law, and in all o.
theirs is left altogether to the discretion Of
each 3eparate district court. In all cases, it
seems necessary and ust that the invoices
should be produced and the true value ascer-
tanned in the same manner as is provided Tor
ascertainlng duties that the duties should in
every instance be secured; and that the sccn-
rlty given for the value appraised should be
inaisput.b!c. and approved ny the collector OF
district attorney.
Another evil Of great magnitude arises from
the want of snihcient remedy in the Case of
liability Of the district Judge to perform the
duties Of the Office. The only provision in
force is transfer of suits TO the circuit court
which, in states where that court is already o.
veIturtheued with business is altogether eff
hcient. The enclosed letter marked (D.> Will
snow the extent Of the inconvenience in one Of
the districts.
The northern frontier of the United States,
from Like Cnampain to Lake Erie, includes
seven districts, viz, ChsmplAin, Oawegatchie
S.ckets Harbor, Cswego, Genesee, Niagara,
mi Buffa.oe Creek, all in the state Of New
York. The distance from tie city Of y. York
where aone the district cour; is he,l- and
that court having more business than any othcr
IL the United St4tes, is one Of the greatest
obstacles to the eNccutien Of the revenue laws.
In fact, district court is, lii that respect, IS
necessary on that frontier as Oh the Atlantic
coast.
have the homer to he, very respectfully,
sir, your obedient servant.
ALBERT ChLLATiN.
The Hon. 1lomas .Yezyt,n, chairman Of tie
committee Of commerce and nianuioctuies.