The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-22
AN EYE UPON THE cusToM-HousE-


nass 4, L from the Abstract of imports and the
hs,yact of Duties Of the New York Custom HOUSE
ami other documents very diihcuit az all umes " =,
s,,s;,ed and especially under the present Admins
..s,;on They have been snatched from the miniohs
~ ower In very similar manner TO that IN whch inc
myrs,erious charter Of Connecticut disappeared, ana
IA concealed in the hollow of the OAK, which now
h.,s ia nane and which to this day lives and Hour
- 10 ihe beautiful city OF Hartford standing
monument Of the glorious triumph of liberty over W
ranny and oppression :, -, ~ "a
In comparing the expenditures of Mr. Hoyt ana
Mr. Thompson, for the want OF the actual greatest
yane Of imports under Mr.. Thompson, assumed that
The value OF imports in 1927 amounting to o. al
s,2 was the greatest value io any year, during
The time he was Collector Then by ascertaining the
greatest amount Of expenditures for the collection Of
the revenue under him for any one year (Which did
from the National Regsters,) which ! found to be
SI49 498 81 cents, and also by asceranng that the
etuaI greatest raie Of imports for any year,
der Mr. Hoyt, was $97 07S GS7, | showed that Mr..
Hoyt in comparison with Mr.. Thompson, has lavish
I'd and squandered away the peoples money in the
sum Of ISL $50 Oh cent per year
Let us constantly bear in mind, and let It be dis
tincty understood that this expenditure OF Mr..
Hoy is ascertained from the value of imports for the
wear 1927 and not from the greatest value OF imports,
in any year under Mr.. Thompson; for this have
not succeeded in obtaining.
The statement stands thus-as $41 AL 1892 is to
$40 496 81 cents, SO is S97 ,07S 6S7 to the amount
Hoyt ought to have governed himself by viz: $780,
2O5 81 cents This sum- taken from Hoyt's actual
expenditure, namely, 1907 Sol % cents leaves an
over expenditure of $l57, 1856 0l cent above.
Here ! make all allowance for any necessary in
creased precautionary to guard the public
venue, by ordering goods to the public store
proportion 10 the increase OF imports for examina-
ton, than formerly. Because, in the first place, in
the above comparison of expenditures, Mr. Thompson
has not justice done him, which is evident from the
fact that have not the greatest value of imports
der him, but only those of 1927 which must fall short
several millions. Yet Hoyt is minus $l57356 o.
Next, because in Mr.. Thompsons time almost every
article that free then dutiable, and conse-
quenty they then required time and labor to pass
them through the department and make up the ac-
counts than they do now. II was consequently at
tended with more expense then than ought 10 benom
Mark this-and no one doubt for a moment that
if the less number required TO make up the duties
and bring up the accounts equal amount of
imports should be added to the greater number now
necessary TO examine goods and guard the revenue,
they would be quite sufficient to equalize the whole.
take the position, and all must see and allow its
fairness that upon the whole il need not and ought
to cost more including every necessary precauon
to prevent Frauds to collect the revenue given
amount of imports nor, than to collect it the
amount of imports in Mr.. Thompsons time, especially
when il is considered that linens worsteds silks, teas
cofees &c, which were then dutable, are free.
Let it, ieow-citizens be engraven on all our minds
that in all large national establishments for public
business the propensity far greater to have too many
rather than too few persons connected with them and
every one knows that il is very easy to employ great
number Of these under the name Of precaution watch
the public interest take of the public veal and
sure am that this is done to most unwarrantabe
extent in the New York Custom House If they
continue to be watched in this way much longer there
will be nothing left to the nation and the People.
The fact and in vain to deny it, that there always
were quite quite enough TO transact the business
of the department sufficiently before Mr.. Hoyt came
into it, especially while Swartw0ut collector; and
if it was not done and there abuse it was be-
these did not do their duty and not because
they were not employed. Yes, feow-citizens and
Mr. Hoyt seized hold of this very fact and it was the
watchword to give partisans situations for their vau
able services" challenge Mr. Hoyt to defend him
self. state what know, and which think | shall
fully show up long This is the true secret of the
whole matter Party men must have situations let
what would become Of other men, of the revenue
itself and party men have got them In my last art
Gle il that the greatest value of imports under
Swartwout ( 1850 was $llS,Ss6, liz 90
Greatest value of imports under
Hoyt (lss9) was 97,O7s,6s7,oo
Difference between the greatest
luc of imports under Swartwout
and under Hoytis 2l,so7,4s 90
Swartwout greatest actual expense
for any one year (lS36) was }S6, 458 81
Hoyt's expense for the year ending
Both September, 1889 was 507 SOL %
Hoyt's actual expenditure (ls39)
over Swartwout's greatest expen-
diture (lS36) was III l02 "a
Hoyts relative or proportional ex-
pendture 1882 over Swartwout
lls36) was l91 99l 63
which is thus ascertaned. As $l1S $50, I12 is to
1886 45S 81, SO is $9707S 6S7 to 1915, 500 65 per
year (que enough for Mr., Hoyt to have expended
considering especially The further great falling of Of
the imports and The rerenue,) which, five subtract
from $507, Sol %, leaves Mr.. H. minus in proper
onai increased expenditure over the actual greatest
expenditure of Swartwout in the sum of iS9l ,99l 63
as above, which, for two and half years, the time
Hoyt has been collector is $l19,979 OF
And in nine years, the time Swartwout
was collector, if Hoyt should remain ,727,924 81
the Government l,225, 700 60
TuE IMPORTS AND REVENUE HAVE FALLEN OFF
GREATLY THE PRESENT YEAR, AND YET Mr.. HoYT con-
TiNuED TO rlIL UP VACANCIES BY BRINGING NEW ofFl-
GERS AND CLERKS INTO THE DEPARTMENT AS LATE AS
THE FIRST OF JUNE LAST WHICH CAN DE PROVED, The
places he filled could easily have been dispensed with
or filled by hangers | charge 1t home on Mr.
Hoyt. But Of high party claims must have a
chance in the sub Treasury chest whether sub Trea
sury notes are redeemed or not But of this
hereafter.
The following are taken from the statistics of the
Revenue Collection for the port of New York, viz
the abstract of imports abstract of duties, national
registers, SC:
Value of imports for 1887 Jonathan
Thompson, Collector sal l4l So 90
Value of imports for 1895, Samuel
Swartwout, Collector 80 30i loS 90
Value of imports for 1896, Samuel
swartwout, Collector ils 1885, i72 90
Value of imports for 1887, Samuel
swartwout, Collector 63s7a5ss 90
Value of imports for 1898 J. lloyt
Collector 77,2u,72o 90
Value of imports Tor 1880 J Hoy,
Collector 97o7s6s7 90
Value of imports for 1910, J. Hoyt
Collector l6,9io, 7s6 90
The imports will have fallen of this year at least
thirty millions.
DUTIES.
Greatest amount of duties in any