American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-04-28
From the Boston Daily Gduert,sar.

pears iTOW report OF o2tnucf IL
ed by the Secretary Of the Treasury to invesli,ns
the frauds on the revenue committed at Phlade,.
phia, that MIR. Thompson had beer for numb,
of years extensively engaged IN the Canton trade
and particularly to the importation Of Teas. o.
all these importaons the duties were regularly paid
until the 10Th November, 1926. In 1925, he mads
importa,ions in the ship William Slavery, whiro
arrived Feb. %. the Addison, April s. the Woodron
Sims, April Is, Benjamin. Rush, July /, and Thomas
Scat,ergood, July 7. Annexed TO the report OF Mr.
Smith, are statements exhibiting the quantities of
the teas entered and stored; those bonded for the
payment oil duties; those remaining in store, and
those which have been surreptitiously removed with
the portions of the latter which have been seized
at Baltimore, New Yo.k. and Boston, together with
the amount OF duties accruiDg. The amount Of
duties unbonded is S4S7,8l6. OF this amount
1885, 900 are duties on teas which remain in store
leaving duties unbondcd on teas taken away, 1885,
9l6 The debt of MIR. Thompson for duties bond
ed, is 1857 sal, making the whole amour, OF du
ties for property not remaining in store S9l02l7,
from which deduction OF almost 853.O00 is to b.
made for the estimated amount Of debenture, leay
| ing the whole debt Of MIR. Thompson for du,ie,
| 8857,974.
| The above amount Of debt to the United States,
| is subject to such deductions as may be made icr
teas seized should it be decided that tho United
States are entitled to hold them against the claimc
I OF U0Ud hue VuIShheCips III WuosS PoosCAoou tney
are seized and also for the teas remaining in store
which are claimed by Messrs. J. & w. Lippneot,
s. Co. under assignment to them. The bonds
appear to be considered not good Tor any amount.
The following extracts from the report will give
some idea OF the manner in which the fraud was
committed
"Seyeral days we're consumed in inspecting and
discharging the cargoes OF each OF these vessels.
During this time, the teas, as soon as they were
r1,.l Sd frrx,n 81.
wharyes by porters in the employ Of Mr. Thomp.
son. The duties on but an uncomfortable portion
of them, were, at the time, secured by bond and
sureiies. In respect 10 the residue, MIR. Thompson
avaied himself OF the provision contalRed IN the
62d section of the collection law, by giving his
bond, with the condition of the teas being deposited
in stores, to be agreed upon by the owner aid the
Inspector. Two Inspectors, Andrew jackson and
Robert Hopkins, who remained oil the wharfduting
The discharge Of the cargoes had these stores IN
the, charge, being six in number, and rented by
T Mr.. Thompson. The porters, unattended by any
revenue officer, removed the teas which were placed
by them on the pavements III front OF The stores
from which parcels Of them were forthwith taken
to packets destined for New York, Boston, or Bait
: more, and the residue deposited IN the stores Du'
; ring this time the stores were open, or both the
keys in the hands Of MIR. Thompson or his agents.
. In this state they remained until the teas were ar
ranged by persons in Mr.. Thompson's service.
: when they were secured by double locks, the In
spector taking possession OF the Custom house key
without having previously made any other thsna
casual examination Of the contents. No accurate
examination appears to have been subsequently
made, which, i, is alleged, would have been imprac
csble, from the impossbiiy Ut counting the boxes,
, from the manner in which they were placed, and
= from the difficulty OF obtaining the owners key.
which, it is represented he is under no obligation
S to furnish to the Inspector. Afterwards, when the
owner wished TO enter the stores, the Inspector
+ when engaged in other duties, entrusted him with
the kew. This confidence was extremely abused
and under cover OF permits for taking ou' small
! number Of chests, large number were withdraw,
on which occasion frequently the stores were enter
ed when it was ascertaned that the inspector uhoer
IS whose charge they had been placed was busiy en-
= gagged at distance. II is asceralned that in these
ways the number of boxes Of teas, stated IN Doc.
ument No. A. have been either never stored or,ii
stored, have been surreptitously Withdrawn. bu'
the exact quantity of each does not appear.
II is alledged to have been always the custom ior
the owner to choose his stores, and it appears ta
the same custom house key opened different LOCKS
j which were furnished by the surveyor, and that ms
e was known to The revenue officers.
The Inspectors. who had charge OF the stores
d represent, that they had other duties which tney
d were required to perform, such as counting inc
!, boxes of teas as they were weighed and malkse
!, and attending to none other being taken away 10
q compatible with stic,er compliance with the law
than has taken place, no officer being speelaY
charged to accompany the teas to the stores.
r. The dispositions Of several of the inspectors
:. show that sometimes more guarded course "s'
pursued in regard to the admission OF articles INV"
81 and their removal from the stores; but the orego
d ing is abundantly shown to have been the asa~
Is course aud it appears that, besides Andrew Jaek
d son and Robert Hopkins, several Inspectors aoa
\. among them Joseph r. Dickson, was in the haO'
III OF lending his key the owner OF the articles so'
ed