The republic., 1851-04-14
oFFICIAL.
NEW sERIEs.-Ho. 20.
CIRCULAR TO CONsULs AND COMMERCIAL |
AGENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

NEW sERIKs.-No. 40.
CIRCULAR TO CONsULS AND COMMERCIAL
AGENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
TaxAsusy DEPARTMENT. April 7. 1861.
With view of guarding the customs revenue of
the United States from attempted frauds, this Do
partment is desrous of procuring authentic infor-
nation on various points connected with the cost,
charges, and the circumstances attending the pur-
chase and shipment Of foreign merchandise in the
countries OF its production ports of shipment,
for the information of the collectors and appraisers
at the different ports Of entry, and to assist them
in levying tho duties with uniformity and correct
You are, therefore, respectfully requested TO
furnish the Department with replies In detail 10
the following queries, accompanied with such re-
marks and explanations as you may think will be
necessary or useful; and you will please consider
them applying not only to the trade of the place
Of your actual residence, but also to the neighbor
ing country or towns with which it may have q
regular and constant business connexion, or
through which their merchandise may be shipped
to the United States.
Frst. What the usual terms ON which mer
chandse is bought and sold. whether for cash or
ON credit; and what, ifany, are the usual discounts
allowed, either from custom or in consideration of
cash being paid, or from any other cause, and If
such discounts uniform, or If they vary in the
same description of goods, and If they are different
on different descriptions Of merchandise. State,
also, ifsuch discounts considered a. . bonus or
gratuity from the seller TO the buyer and usually
retained by the latter for his own benefit, even
where the purchases and ships the merchandise
under orders for account OF others.
Second. On what articles shipped 10 foreign
countries are bounties allowed what are the rates
ofsuch bounies, and state how they are calculated
whether on tho weight, measure, price, or value
and the respective rates; what principle and for
what reason, and under what circumstances, are
such bounties allowed, and are they similar in
amount when the articles exported by national
vessels, and by foreign vessels And if there s any
difference, please state it.
Third. What is the customary charge of COM
missions for purchasing and shipping goodsl And
if il is different different descriptions of mer
chandise, please give the needful details
Fourth. What is the usual brokerage on the sale
or purchase of merchandise, and is it paid by the
buyer seller, or sometimes by one and sometimes
by the other, accordingly the broker may be
employed to buy sell, do both buyer and seller
always pay brokerage?
Fifth. What are the usual and customary ex-
penses attending the purchase and shipment, one
both, of merchandise, at the port of your official
residence, specifying them in detail, and including
not only commissions and brokerage already al.
luded to- but also export duty, dock, trade, or city
dues, ighterage, porterage, labor, cost of pack
ages, covering or embaling, cooperage, gauging,
weighing, wharfage, and local imposts or taxes OF
any kind, &C.; and whether any, and which Of the
above or any other items, are usually included in
the selling price of the article or if they usually
form items of separate charge to be paid by tho
purchaser or shipper?
SirM. If goods produced or manufactured in
- r
foreigners, or by residents for shipment to for
eign countries, are usually exported through your
port, or if thus produced, manufactured, or pur-
chased in some neighboring nation, which may
have seaports of its own, and usually or oc-
casionally shipped through your port; what the
customary expenses attending their transportation
from such interior places of produce manufac-
ture to your port. including all transit, export
import frontier duty, and every other charge up
to the time of their arrival at your port from the
interior, besides the ordinary expenses attending
their shipment at your port?
Ifthere be any other points connected with the
subject which are not embraced in the preceding
inquiries, and which you may think would be use
fu or acceptable, you respectfully requested to
include them in your reply, and to accompany the
latter with all the requisite Details together with
any printed or other documents which you may
think will be desirable for the Department to pos
sess.
You are also particularly and specially requested
to keep the Department regularly and fully advised
of the course and progress of trade from your place
to the United States advising it at all times of any
actual or attempted frauds upon the of the
United States which may come under your obser-
vation, of which you may obtain any know
ledge, and the modo in which such frauds are or
can be carried into effect, exercising due watch
fulncss, so far as in your power to do 80, on all
shipments of foreign merchandise from your port
to the United States.
Numerous applications are constantly being
made to the Department for permission to enter
merchandise where the invoices are not accompa-
MED by the necdfu consular certificates in the cases
where such certificates arc by law required. The
Department has heretofore acted with great leni.
ency and indulgence in such cases, but experience
has shown the necessity for more rigid course in
future, which course will be pursued after rea-
sonable delay; and in all cases where such consu.
lar certificates should accompany the invoices, any
penalty which may be incurred for want of them
will be regularly enforced; and you will please
take the needful steps for making this determine
tion of the Department generally known at your
port.
There are many staple articles OF foreign pro-
duction having regular and very large consump-
tion in the United States, the prices of which.
abroad, are not subject to any sudden large iuc
tuations, but which, when they do vary in price,
do so gradually, and to a limited extent. II will
be very desirable for the Department to have regu
lar adviccs, particularly in such description of
goods, and such other information on prices of
merchandise generally may be useful in making
just estimate of the cost of foreign goods for the
purpose Of levying the duties.
Your special attention is also requested to actual
cases of fraud which may como to your knowledge,
of which you are requested promptly to advise this
Department, or the collector of the port to which
any shipment connected with such fraudulent at
tempt may have been made. All such communi-
cations will of course be strictly confidential.
For further information on the subject beg TO
refer you to the accompanying circular. issued on
the 9th ultimo by the Department to the collcc-