The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-20

ago sent on TO one of the Intelligence offices of
your city to engage number of young lrishmen
| to Richmond, and were Forwarded their place
| of destination, where they still remain. But
| whether the change from black TO white servants
fully answered the expectations OF those interested,
| we are unable 10 say.
Is the Ad Valorem system one Of Gigantic
| Fraud!
We ask the attention OF honest men to the fol-
lowing official report of the fraud. systematically,
| and almost universally, committed in the impor-
| tation of fabrics under the present dd pdioren
| system Of assessing duties. IL IS extracted from
| the documents accompanying the last annual re-
| port of The Secretary of the Treasury
| EXTRACTS PROM A REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS oP
| CUSTOMS TO TUE SECRETARY oP THE TREASURY.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
| Office of Com. OF Customs, SEPT. IL, lS49.
SIR:-ln obedience TO Your directions, have
| visited Boston and New York, To make inquiry
| into the charges and complaints presented in the
| letter of e. ii. Robbins and others, dated Boston,
18th August, IS49. and referred to me on the 22d
ultimo.
On my way to Boston, | spent one day in New
York, saw the Collector and Appraisers, showed
| them the letter, and informed them of the object
| of my visit. From these gentlemen received the
assurance OF their ready and hearty cooperation.
| la Boston had several interviews with the
sgners of the letter and Others and received from
| them much valuable information
| In confederation OF their statement, that goods
| have been for long time imported into New York,
and entered by false invoices at about half the real
cost and that the parties thus engaged met with
no dithcuty these gentlemen referred me speciti-
cally to many cases, and generally to many more
carefully investi gated one, and satisfied myself
that transactions similar in character have been
common.
This case occurred in New York, in Oct, 1913
Little, Alden II Co. imported into that city a GER
tain kind of shaws, and entered uo AN agreement
with The manufacturers in Scotland TO take all
| that they should make, and that no other person
| should he furnished with them, for export 10 the
| United States. The prices which they paid were
2Ss Cd, 35s., and t2s. each; These goods sold
| readily, arrival, at a profit Little, Alden &
Co. state, in letter to me, that subsequently we
asceraped that Godfrey, Pstison " Co, Of
New York had received some OF the same makers
goods, end were selling them al less prices than
ours cost 10 import; and one Of their statesmen
stated that he fully acquainted with the
fact that Little, Alden 81 Co. and A. T. Stew
art " Co. were the only parties that had re-
ceived them, and that We paid the several
prices for them of 2Ss. cd, 35s and i2s An
noyed at these things, we made application to
G W. Lawrence, Esq. collector, and stated the
facts, asking him to investigate whether Godfrey
Pattson d Co. had not defrauded the revenue
He referred us 10 the appraisers, to whom gave
information that Godfrey Patson IL Co. imported
is and z two cases shawls, that We had rea-
son 10 believe were the same goods that cost us
f2s. each They had a ticket upon each shawl
with the No. 4 200 upon it. That Godfrey Pattson
q Co. also imported iy the steiner America, at
New York, September %, is ) o. seven
cases Of shswls having tickets upon each shawl
marked 2,s0O and $500, that we had reason to be-
lIeve were The same goods imported, costing
2es Cd. and 35s. The New York Custom House
| refused any information as TO what Godfrey Patti
| son ~ Co entered the goods at The only salts
faction we could obtain from the appraisers was,
that we paid too mach for our goods.
| "koxburgh Ihe Scotch msnufdcturer) having
broken faith with us by selling the goods TO Patti
| son at any price whatever, we made demand on
| HIM for compensation through the law; the result
| OF which was compromise, in which We received
fl50 for damages. and the amount Of law expenses
| We incurred"
Little, Alden & Co. made a second shipment Of
.-sc sfawis before tney cecertainsd that Paitison
| a Co. were engaged in the business; and
they state that the result of this shipment was
loss to us, Patisons able to undersell US,
and yet make p,oht on these goods, from their
having paid less dutrs"
In the course of ths Investigation it appeared
that samples Of both impertations were obtained
and shown at the appraisers stores, and admitted
to be precisely alike and Of equal Value, and Of the
| same patterns. IL aso appeared that the shawls
which cost Little, Alden N Co. 2ss Cd and 35s.
| each, and which they were both DESTROYS. and OBJ.
| Iigated Ia take in any quantity al the same prices,
were entered by Godfrey PattIson IL Co. at lis sd.
| Sd. and 20s.
], further appeared tina, the invoice of Godfrey
PaIson IL Co. was passed in the appraisers stores
| BY Thomas Chaucron, who was employed in the
department OF cotton goods, and not familiar with
wooliens, and that the appraiser who told Little,
goods, was John 5. McKibbin then one of the as.
| Instant appraisers.
Another case presented was, that Of consign-
| me- nts o. German cloths by G.. Schureman, of AK
la-Chspee. Two cases Of hroadcloths were ship.
| ped by him, consigned to J, g. Howe Il Co, Of
| boston, OF The same cost and value, one sent to
Boston, the other TO New York, and arrived about
| the same time. Upon the examination in Boston,
| the appraisers reported to Howe IL Co that the
| cloths were hvoic.d much below their value, and
they must add Is per cent to raise them to the mar
| ket value II The time Of Shipment Messrs. Howe
81 Co. stated that similar invoice from the came
| shipper was then in New YORK, and desired the APP
prassrs TO wIite for Information; a letter from the
New York appraisers IN reply, was shown me.
Boston sIiraisers, notwithstanding this report,
| added % per cent Howe ~ Co appealed, and the
| merchant appraisers sustained the advance.
| The result was. Mr.. Schuremaun sent no more
cloths 10 Boston, but continued his business largely
| with New York.
| A case OF Under e Meyer, who imported Co
| logne waiel alto Boston, invciced at two thacrs,
war raised ty the appraisers to three. The impor-
| ters appealed, and the merchant appraisers fixed
~ rs; upon which, was informed that the owners
remarked, that their Invoices we're not raised in
| New York. add that they should import no more
| into Boston.
| Another was presented Of meccaroni i'm.
| ported by Boston merchants, invciced at p cents
ger pound. The same quality shiFped to Boston for
the parties asserted that their invoices were not
| raised in New York.
| Charles scott Il Co., OF New York. imported,
per steamer Canada, ai Boston, in July last an in
voice ~ embroidercs.-
Amount OF invoice. .................. f65 90
| Appraised at. ................. 1877 IS
| Amount advanced. E3li 1s
OF sbout 10 per cent
N. Bsnbister oi Philadelphia. imported re-
Gently into Boston an invoice OF car ,stng,
smountins 10. ...f ~
ApISsisedS. .......... los 90
| Amount advanced. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES As 90
| or about 81 per cent
These css~- re given 40 specimens Of what is
attempted; and American merchants OF the highest
rrspsctsb,li'y assured mn that the frauds were
systematic, and hume rous, and successful, that they
were driven fiom the busiaers Of importing alto
pslh,r
Iwss informed Of system now prevailing, ny
VIII, u ffsuds are prsctised Merchants in Europe
mskc selections Of goods, and aprre upon the price
az whirh they shsll he delivered Ia New York.
which price 10 less fhsn ths buyer import them
himself IL being undo rstood thai the foreigner can