The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-06-02

otherwise" The purposes TO which the
services, IN and out Of the custom-house, OF
this individual, George A. WATSON, we're |
applied under The orders and instructions oil
Jesse Hoyt, will sufficiently explain the
grounds on which Mr.. Lawrence placed so
high an estimate on these services. This
subject will be more fully sci forth in sub |
sequent part Of this report II is IN evl |
deuce, that by order ofthe collector, lloyt,) |
this man (Wasson,) was despatched on va
rious occasions to other cities, for the pur'
pose Of causing the seizure of Voollens,
which had been many months previous aud
IN some instances over one year, regularly
passed at the custom house IN New ork,
and the dulles thereon paid By the importers.
Tie had no authority, under the revenue
laws of theIuni!ed States, to appraise goods
at the custom house, in which he was mere
store keeper and nominal deputy collec.
tor and yet he was authorized and did &C.
tually re apprase woos'ens, so previously
passed Of the custom house IN New York,
and the duties thereon paid, as aforesaid,
which woolens had been removed from the
city OF New York to other cities for Q
market; and under his re appraisemen,
these goods were seized ard lIbeiied ann
/ bis evidence Of their real value, at the
place whence imported, was received in the
courts oil the United States, to prove an
original fraudulent entry, although he had
never seen these goods in New York, and
their actual cos, al the European market of
which they were purchased might, and
probably had, changed more than half
dozen times from the period OF the entry OF
the goods 10 their re.appralsemen, and
seizure. Ia one of these excursions he
re appraised cloths and casimeres in the city
of Baltimore, and caused their indiscrimin.
ate seizure, attended the trials, aud gave
evidence in the dlstric, court OF the United
States for the district of Maryland, under
the orders of the collector Of the port OF n.
York. And, besides bis legal compensa
ton as storekeeper and deputy collector, he
received, for his expenses and those OF his
attendants at Baltimore and Philadelphia,
the following sums, as will appear on The
books of the auditor at the New ! ork Gus
tom house, VIZ:
For legal fees, Tor travelling and atten-
dance on tie court, 1906 IS
Extra compensation paid by the col
leotor at New York, 900 25
Making, in the whole, at Baltimore,
for attendance at one term, the
round sum of 1895 so
At Philadel phia for expenses for him
self and attendance, besides the le-
gal fees paid by the marshal at
one term of the court the sum OF $50 0S
~ Baltimore, for himself and VIM.
Cairns for attendance at one term,
besides the fees paid by the mar
shall, 25l 90
Making, in the whole, an expenditure OF
seventeen hundred and sixty seven dollars
and thirty three cents. over and above the
legal fees, incurred between the months oil
May aud October, in the year lel0, for at.
tendance on three trials, which appears to
have been paid by the collector at New
, Nnrty VvirturIt --,..~i.~- 81 - ne q"
ditor's Office to justify the payment On
other occasions this same individual was
sent TO Boston on similar business, bot there
IS 20 voucher in the auditors Office TO SHOW
the amount paid to him for his attendance
and expenses IN that city. 1t will be proper
to remark that, during the time occupied in
attending these trials, all the duties Of Geo.
; 4. WATSON at the custom house m New
; York we're neglected, while he was in the
receipt of the full amount Of the compensa.
ton allowed by law TO the public store
keeper and deputy collector. These facts
furnish glimpse at the enormous system
which will hereafter be noticed, TO embar
rass foreign commerce and thereby dlmin.
ish the revenue, in which George A. Was.
son, William Cairns, and others, were used
as The instruments of the collector, in the
appraisement, seizure and condemnation o.
woollens imported by foreigners into the port
Of New York.
II also appears in evidence tina, great
variety OF petty frauds and Illegal practices
were perpeirated BY this same individual,
George A. WATSON; and without entering
f into a detail Of the testimony glyeni before
the commissioners on these matters, 1t viii
be sufficient to class them under the general
] head Of abstraction Of goods from the pub.
tic store at Nassau street, for his own use,
niCn was zone 10 CDDstueIdUit eNtSbIs
f as will abundan,ly appear by the testimony
) Of Floyd d. Archer, John Soaring, and 9th
! efs the purchase Of goods a! the nine
, mouths sales, sometimes IN his own name,
} and sometimes IN the names Of other persons,
) Of the quality of which goods he had acquir.
ed an accurate knowledge by appraIsing and
~.olttng them, which was denied to al other
bidders, who we're not allowed either to see
I or examine these goods when offered at
auction; the abstraction Of custom house
coal for his own use, and benefit. Some Of
,, these fraudulent practices wiIl be more fol.
! " explained and exposed in a subsequent
: part Of this report.
Thus il will be seen that George A. Was.
D son besides the enormous sums before sta.
ted paid to him for carriage and labor, with
Q out any voucher other than a mere general
9 charge, was made deputy collector, having
e 20 duty 10 perform, at a salary of fifteen
Il III