Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-05-30
LOCOFoCo PROFLIGACY EXPOS.
ED,
MIR. PolNDEXTERs REPORT.

May "a, 1912


We continue notes from this interesting docu- |
mcnt, as we have not yet received the report of
the other commissioners. The following were
prepared from The report by the Washington cor
espondent of The Boston Atlas.
Sale of goods sarsd from the cal public Store No
26l Front street
An the night of the fire in Front street, BY
which the public store was consumed with all its |
contents, the Custom House officers who took pos
session of the goods saved, had express orders 10
admit no person to examine the goods so that the
cluinients were deprived Of an opportunity of Sc.
ectng such parcels MS they could identity us their
own. On tue snme night The goods were renov.
ed to open lot where they prepared in
lots for sale by certain officers Of the Customs Sc
lected by the Collector for that purpose. From
this lot all persons were excluded, and especially
the claimants OF the goods, who applied for per-
mission to examine the parcels, aud designate such
ms might belong to them which was relused.-
Thus the goods were secretly arranged for auction,
so TINT it became impossible SOr bidders to know
the good from the bad lots. 1t appears in evil
deuce that some individuals, during the time the
lnbOrers were engaged IN making up the heaps,
preparatory TO the auction, took position in the
third story of an adjoining building, from which
they could observe the manner in which the
heaps were arranged. The Custom House officers
within the enclosure finding that they were OBJ
served, and the manner of putting up the heaps
discovered, so that no advantage could be taken at
the sales by themselves and their friends, from
the exclusive knowledge they possessed of the
value OF the different lots, set TO work forthwith
in the night time, and re-arrnnged the goods in
manner well calculated TO deceive the persons
WHO had detected them.
Al The first sale the inferior goods were offered.
The bidders were deceived in the quality and
condition of the goods by great variety of expe-
dients, resorted TO 10y the Custom House officers.
Damaged goods which we've Of no value, were
enclosed in an envelope of the finest description Of
Cloths perfectly sound and uninlured. Thus, the
purchaser, surprising that he had obtained good
article, Oh opening the piece TO cxamfr~iH< con
tents, found, TO his utter astonishment, that the
interior was filled up with damaged goods Of no
value whatever.
The frauds pracliced at the second sale, trans
cended by far those which had been discovered at
the first The hest heaps, or lots, were covered
with damaged goods, and the worthless parcels
had, on the outside, Whole pieces of sound goods.
They were SUI rounded by armed nen belonging
TO the Custom House, who turcihly resisted every
attempt made 10y persons, TO touch any part Of the
goods In one instance, person present drew
from under heap oil goods apparently damaged,
piece OF sound cloth, which had received no in
jury. lie Immediately proclaimed the sale fraud
ulent, and called on the officers experimenting
the SALE demanding that The lot from which lie
had drawn the piece of sound gooIs should be of.
ensued which was q'lieted only by the interposi-
ton of the civil authorities. Alderman Purdy
who was called TO suppress the riot stated that The
sale was a shameful one, hu, that violence could
not prevent il. The result Of this sale was that
every valuable heap or lot was bid off 10y The ot
GERS or their acconpccs, while greut losses were
sustained by those bidders who were not IN the Sc
cret.
The number OF packages in the public store at
the time it was burnt was 667, value estimated Mt
abnt 8 100000. Those saved, injured and uun.
jured sold for 500 $3.50 These goods, i, is said
would have been entered ut the Custom House
and the duties paid (amounting to $400000) long
prior TO the fire by which they were destroyed
but that the importers were deferred from enter
ing their goods by the arbitrary system Of seizures
which had been adopted by hoyt.
INCREASE OF OFFICERS AND COST OF
COLLECTING DUTIES.
Jonathan Thompson, IN 1898, received into the
Custom House duties to the amount of Sl5754,
1927, 81 at I'M expense OF collection OF S2l ALL
s7,-or at the rate OF ! 34-l0O per ceni-and en-
poycd The services at ofhcers OF all descriptions
10 the number of l42
Passing over the intervening years down to
1910, il appears that lloyt received AT lhe Custom
House duties Ia the amount OF $3.50 76O,95,-at
an expense of collection of $500 800 Dor at
the rate of 7 42.l00 per cen',-and employed 470
oiIrers.
Letting the revenue between 1925 AMI fSI0 il ap-
pears that tho increased expenditures may he es-
mated at $50 per cent. The increase OF officers
employed in the collection Of the revenue was
337 per cent. so That as the amount of duties hns
diminished, the expense of collection has risen IN
Il much greater rntio and the number of officers
employed has increased in about the snme proper
ton. Some allowance, il is true, but rlillng one,
is 10 be made for the Increase OF officers on the
ground of free goods admitted since 1888.
COLLECTOR HOYT'S SPECULATIONS ON
The PUBLIC MONEY.
In reference TO Mr.. Hoyt, we ought to say, that
he complains that the report is grossly unjust TO
him. The facts, if facts, are certainly hard ones
to &c, round-SuI perhaps MIR. Hoyt can do it,
! If he does, we shall notify our readers.
John J. Burr broker in Wall street, testified
tina, he had been largely engaged in the purchase
and sale OF stocks for account Of Mr.. Hoyi; that
! the description Of stocks which Mr. Hoyt dealt H.
| through him, were New York, Boston and
Providence Rail road, Delaware and Hudson Ca.
nal Company, New York and Paterson Railroad
and there may have been other kinds which
cannot remember. am unable TO state, from
recollection, the amount ofstocks bought and solC
by Mr.. Hoys order. lie frequently gave me or
ders TO buy and again TO sell stocks varying, il
amount, from $4,000 to $4,000 at time. dc
I not remember any order for more Than $4,000 a
i at time" These stocks were purchased by lh'
broker in his own name, who took certificates o
the stock so purchased, and made on the back
blank power Of attorney, signed anu properly al