The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-05-31
STEWART VS.. POINDEXTER.

The ground which we held the other day, in
speaking of the charges made against Mr..
Lawrence, in the report of Mr.. Poindexter, we
again repeat, viz: that those charges would
have assumed a different hue if all the facts
had been stated in reference to the part which
Mr. Lawrence has taken in this business. We
also stated that the charges were not Of a char
acter to throw the least shadow of blame upon
Mr. Lawrence, when the whole case was once
explained and fully understood. The facts of
the case were these The wollen manufac-
turers knew that their trade was suffering in
consequence of the frauds which were perpe-
trated blythe Yorkshire wollen dealers and their
secret agents in this country. To eradicate
this evil, they used all the influence they pos
sessed, to have honest men placed in the Gus
tom-House at New York. as appraisers. and
Mr.. Hoyt consented to place men IN that sta
ton whom they would select. Though Mr..
Hoyt was free-trade man, he was anxious
to see the laws properly executed. The man.
ufacturers knew. Mr. Hoyt knew, and so must
Mr. Poindexter have known, that after the sell
zure Of foreign goods before they could be
confscated, legal proceeding had to be gone
through with. Though person to read his
argument, would suppose that the bare seizure
of the goods was all that was required to de-
prive the importer of them. We give from the
Mercantile Journal of last evening, the follow
ing extract, from the report of Mr.. Stewart,
the colleague of Poindexter on the committee.
1t speaks in different strain on the subject.
"That the manufacturers should feel a deep
interest in the revenue laws, was not only nat
ural, but proper. They had an undoubted
right toreceive that degree of protection which
the laws of the country promised: and if they
sincerely believed, as they undoubtedly did,
they were not in the enjoyment of that pro-
lection in consequence of the practice of FRAUDS
upon the revenue bv means of false invoices,
or an differentiation of such foreign goods as
came in competition with those manufactured
by them they had an unquestiona6le right 10
enquire into the cause of the evil, and 10 adopt
all honorable means for lis prevention. So i'm
portant to the protection of these interests, did
they deem the proper administration of the af-
fairs of the New York Custom House, partic-
ularly in the appraisers department, that some
of manufacturers of Boston and its vicinity,
had it in contemplation at one time, to make
up by voluntary contribution, sun, which tOgeth-
er with the salary allowed by government TO an
appraiser, would be sufficient to induce CON-
petent individual 10 remove to New York and
accept that office. The particulars of this
contemplated arrangement, which was not
however perfected, are fully set forth in the
testimony of Arthur French and Luther Parks.
1t also appears, that two gentlemen, inter-
ested in domestic manufactures, (Messrs SAM
uel Lawrence Of Lowell, land William w. Stone
of Boston, visited the appraisers department
of the New York Custom House-the former
in two or three instances, the latter upon one
occasion only. In this, or in their conduct
'ohile there, there appeares nothing to censure;
and from the high character tchich these gentle
men sustain, as lceH as from the full, frank,
and explicit manner in ,ohich they hure respon-
ded TO interrogatOries. touching their interfer.
ence Nth The Ne1o York Custom, House, zoe
feel assured, that they ,couM not descend 10
anything dishOnOrable or improper. A THOR
OUCH EXAMINATION OF ALL THE TESTIMONY,
HAVING ANY BEARING ON THIS SUBJECT, HAS
RESULTED IN A FULL CONVICTION, THAT THREE
HAS BEEN NO IMPROPER INTERFERENCE ON THE
PART OF EASTERN, OR ANY OTHER MANUFAC-
TURERs, IN THE AFFAIRS OF TIE New YORK
Custom HOUSE,"