Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-09-05
From he Phitadeipiia Inquirer IF Aug. %.
THE RECENT CASES OF SMUGGLING.

The business of smuggling must have been carried
10 very considerable extent Of late years II all the
fnnors, 81 even one hallhat are circulated on the
SUBJECT he well founded. Tho recent seizures IN
PhllAdclpha, New York, Boston and B,hunore are
said to amount to the enormous sum of 81 600 900
Indeed, II bas been stated that the entire quantity of
goods embraced IN this scheme, imported aud in tran.
sfu this summer IN valued NJ 500, 000i $4,000
600 liso, II Will be seen that by far the greater
portion Is ~ the bands ot government. The whole
imports Of cloths aud cassimeres into this country
DUNG 1888, WIS officially estimated at S. % g65
la 1887, the nmonni was S3.l30,I 400. The extent.
OF this business may Therefore readily be cacula.
ted.
Taking these facis III connexion, il would seem
Impossible thai smuggling or the evasion Of duties
could be carried on 10 such extent. without n
conhlvance on the atl OF some OF the Custom House
Officers. On, III all events, II no criminal under.
s1nduG existed, said officers must have been partic-
nlarly careless II correctly informed the plan OF
passing goods through The Custom House OF Phil.
adelphIa is somewhat aof tho following fashion nj.
though II should be remembered hat all these snug-
gled goods came through New York. We merely
Gle the mode here, surprising the plan TO be some
what similar IN our sister city, aud thus with the
Object OF enabling the reader the better to imagine
The scheme by which the goods were irregularly
passed.
Thus, on the arrival oi a vessel in our harbour
lrom Liverpool, the manifest and invoices are placed
IN The hands Of the Custom House Oificcr-a mum
pets, to be seni iolhe Custom House for examina-
uun. These designated packages, are, as may he
supposed, selected proo,lscuously aud solely ON the
judgment Of tue government officer As they are Ia
ken from the hold OF the vessel, they are put on one
side from tho general cargo and Immediately sent 10
the Custom House Appraiser, for more thorough
examination. II. On such exainina ton, they are
found TO correspond ia nil respects with The descrp-
ions III The manifesto aud INVOICE all is WE'LL and The
duties are paid accordingly.
Specimens OF e0nsignmenls being thus examined,
the remainder arc taken for granted. How there
iole, under these circumstances, The New York
officers coninveJ pass such an immense IA
mount OF smoggied goods. appca,s to us extraor-
! dinay indeed. OF course, IN all cases, a solemn
oath Is made, by the importer clearer OF The goods
at the Custom House, TO the accuracy of the in
voices. Mr. lloyi, the present collector OF New
ork, rs certainy entitled to liule credit for his
Efforts IN recovering these Struggled goods while on
the other hand, the officers WIN passed them without
due examinations, are entitled TO no lnte censure ioi
their neg gence in the matter.
In addition to tie seizures already noticed, New
\ ork paper mentions that The whole of the good.
IN a FIVE story store in Pearl street, were on Salur
day last, taken possession Of by the Custom House
officers OF that port. BY the way, how is il thai
contemporaries IN thai cry are remarkably sllen
N relation To these operations!