The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-08

The remarkable development of seizures, and
the system Of smuggling which is supposed to have
been practsed at this port for some time past, are
still the great topic Of conversation among all the
commercial and financial circles. Every one
seems to be astonished at the discovery, expecting
still further developments, and not knowing what
the real history of the past may have BEEN So far
we have given an accurate statement Of all the de-
velopments, with opinions and conjectures upon
the causes and the consequences, that are entitled
at least to grave consideration. We perceive,
however, that morning paper of yesterday, which
isentirely in the confidence of the Custom House,
has undertaken to invalidate some of our views
and statements as follows
"CoaREcrIoN.-The statement made in yestarday's
Herald that the officers OF the customs were entitled to
pect of gain acted az stimulus for exerton in the dis
charge Of their duty is wholly and entirely false The
vigilance exercised by the revenue officers OF this port
owing udcious selection Of proper persons Tor the
service by energetic Collector and the good state OF
discipline that pervades the department The ocers re-
ceive compensation for services other than their regu'
lar pay On the contrary, it is expressly forbidden"
The ignorance of this article, and the attempt
which it manifests at deception, we shall set right
in very few words There is every reason to be-
lieve that this system of smuggling has been in
pTdCuCc IOI oCNCidl yCdio past, " "hos S"s~''',
however, snet known. We most readily exonerate
all the shipowners and captains, and shipping mer-
chants from having any knowledge Of or partici-
patton in this nefarous business. 1t probably has
been concocted and managed by underlings Of all
descriptions but, STILL there is reason to believe
that ithas extended itself in a very considerable
way, and affected the revenue to considerable
extent AS to the vigilance Of the Collector at this
port, or any of his officers, we do not believe a
word of it. The present Collector during the last
two or three years. since he has been in office, has
been more vgant in maintaining perfect balance
in his political position with the Executive, than In
any other kind of business connected with the
Custom House His principal vigilance has been
extended to the managing Of the various cliques
and parties, who have been endeavoring to create
an influence at Washington during the last two
years, and in detecting which, would answer his
purposes the best, to conciatesthe feelings of the
President, or to do away with the supposed hostile
feelings of the Secretary of the Treasury
1t is in that direction that the vigilance and at
tention of the Collector, and some Of his principal
officers have been directed
No, no: the discovery of this system Of smug-
Cling has been matter of pure accident, sort OF
interposition of Providence revelation at this par
ticular time while the subject before Congress- to
show the Legislature that high tariffs lead to i'm
morality, smuggling and disgrace. There is every
reason to believe that vast quantities of fine silks
cottons, woollens and other valuable goods have
been struggled into this port during the last two OF
three years, in the same way in which we find they
were attempted to be smuggled through the stern
windows of the Oxford. These goods were put up
in small packages Just sufficient to be passed
through the window quietly into some Of the boats
that had dropped under the of the ship, while
perhaps the night watch of the Custom House
might be parading the fore deck warming himself
at some neghboring stove, or concocting political
plans to organize some new party. These boats
when they got load Of such smuggled goods,
would very quietly steal up the East river or the
North river, beyond the reach or knowledge Of any
person, and deposite the goods in some byelane
upon the island to be taken at night to Kngsbridge
or into the city of New York and there disposed Of
This was the plan; but consequence of the
recent severe weather, and the quantity of ice II
the harbor the smugglers were under the necessity
of endeavoring to effect landing at some neigh
bouring slip, and that happened to be Peck-slip
Here they were very busily engaged in passing thu
packages over the deck of an Eastern steamboat, a.
an early hour in the morning. The captain of thi
steamboat however, being awake and hearing
noise upon deck, very naturally took his lanterl
in his hand, and walked up on deck to SCI
what was the matter. He enquired. They re
plied-the smugglers replied" Sir, you had bet
ter put out your light you will get yourself int
trouble''-while they were conveying the smugget
goods ashore. The steamboat captain sale
CT guess not-I guess shant get into trouble, no
| will put this light out /; am on board my owl
boat, and what right have you to be here - TIL
captain gave information of this circumstance, an
hence the whole discovery of this new system Q
smuggling Now in making this discovery, tn
d" energetic Collector had little nothing to d
| with it, as can easily be seen. So much for tn
branch Of the subject.
Then in relation to the amount of the seizures
or his share in the spoils. We have every reaso
to believe that the amount Of the seizures is whs
we have represented them to be; and that the Co
lector expects under certain Interpretation of tn
present law, he will be entitled to one-fourth, e,
GLIDING from participation every other officer Of I'll
customs. We well remember the passage of tn
law in the Congress of 1910, when it was intende
by an express provision to cut down the emoll
ments of all collectors and all postmasters, to
certain rate proportonate to their salaries Tb
Collector was allowed as his share, upon the disco
+ very of smuggled goods, an amount equal to h
+ salary, and all beyond that to be paid into III
Treasury of the United States. This was the il
tenton.of Congress, but by some means or 9TH
some change was made in the law which warran
ed different construction, and under which "
believe the present Collector expects to receive
least one-fourth, while it certainly was the int
|, ton of Congress to cut all such emoluments dow
, to an amount equal to the salary. What the or
, Mon of the present Attorney-General upon II
law may be we know not but we belize
that Mr.. Legare, his predecessor, gave
as his opinion that the broad intention
Congress was, as it was understood at tn
time, to cut down the emouments of the Collect
to an amount equivalent to his salary. Buff the
should be difference about it, we trust Congre
| will take IN the subject review the law, and aff