Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-11-17
WHOLE NO. IS.


Clerk IN England, that the cloth had cost
neIehDoring city.
! If such testimony was to be admitted,
there was an end ofthe Tariff. Oaths Of
that kind could be purchased in England
at Cd piece, by tie cart load. In a
case where he had been called to testify
as to the value of the goods, the cause
had been taken to Court aud adjourned
from term to term, to allow time for the
merchant to get more English oaths that
the cloth cost but 6s Cd. Mr.. +. said
iimorc talent and energy were not brought
TO the aid of the government in enforcing
the law the Tariff would become an alb
soIute nulIity. The bes, legal talents in
the country ought to be employed. 1t
had not been a great while since a mer-
chant told his neighbour what very cheap
cloth he had purchased. lie Showed
the cloth which he had bought for s. so
yard. The question Immediately a.
rose what duty that cloth had paid? for
from its quality it was clear that if the
duty due by law had been paid the i'm
porter could have made no profit on the
goods. A number of gentlemen deter
mined to investigate this case. They
took the marks Of the cloth; they knew
the name of the importer, and they en-
qui! ed at IL e Custom House what that
cloth had cost? The answer was shil-
Iings sterling. They reported these facts
to the Collector; in conse equence ofwhich
he had been induced to substitute stron-
ger enquiry. The cloth was so cheap
that an Albany merchant had paid on the
spot one dollar a yard more for it, and
had doubtless sold it again at a hand
some profit. The history of that piece
of cloth he believed fully to be the true
history of thousands and tens of thou
sands annually imported into this coun-
try.
Mr.. f. said he had been conversing
with an old and experienced importer Of
cloths, who had been many years in the bu-
sness, * who took pains to be personally
acquainted with bis customers. He had
gone several times to England, and had
visited the factories there in person.
He had told him that he had been solici-
ted again and again to take goods at 9s.
and have them invoced at 6s. 3D.. and
when he refused, they laughed, and said
they were doing the same thing for his
neighbours every day. When he had
demonstrated on such a practice, they
told him that for the New-Y ork market
they had been selling cloths worth 9s.
and invoicing them at 6s. 3D., selling al
so with them an equal quantity worth Ids,
and invoicing them at les. I'D. The
simple effect of this is to enable the inn
porter to deiraud the government Of IL
dollar per yard on all the goods thus in
voiced at 6s. Cd. And he had been as
sured that such was the constant practice;
and the gentleman, (who was one ofthe
most worthy and upright of men, had
concluded, by observing to him, that if
such a system were suffered to continue
for one year more, he, with all his exper-
icnce, and all his facilities, for importa-
'tion, should be obliged to close his busi-
ness.-Wheneve any little difficulty oc-
Cured here, a class of persons were in
the habit Of immediately applying to the
Secretary of the Treasury; and in short
time directions would come down from
Washington, the effect of which went to-
tally to evade the operation Of the rev.
enue laws These regulations, he did
not doubt, were given with the purest IN
tentions-but such was the result in fact.
A person had been appointed by the col
lector to examine the cloths Of certain
iorkshireman, which were considered
by The public app asers too low--and
when the collector spoke to him (the
Yorkshirema nj had replied, 81 shall not
suffer that man to look at my cloths'--
The collector was surprised at such a
declaration and treated it with contempt
but at the hour appointed the York
shireman sent word that he was not ready
to have the cloths inspected and in the
mean while letters had gone to WASH
ington containing dispositions that the
person appointed was not competent to
the duties of his Office, and in day or
two directions were received to appoint
some other.-He mentioned this to shew
how ready the Yorkshire patriots were
to fly to Washington OF all necessary
occasions. But there was one most Sc
rious point Of view in which this subject
presented itsclf--If this state Of things
continued the sons of importing merchants
must not pursue the business Of their ia
Tiers: it would ruin their moral charac-
ters. They would see none standing a
round them but those who made a joke
Of oaths and laughed at all moral obliga-
tion.--Mr +. concluded by stating that
few Of the most respectable members
Of the mercantile community had somo
time since collected and embodied few
of the facts which went to shew the ef-