The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-27
Interesting from south America.
OUR BRAZIL CORRESPONDENCE.

OUR BRAZIL CORRESPONDENTS.
Rio DE JANEIRo, Oct. Is, 1853.
Custom House Lops of BrasEHop They are
Executed at Rio Their Effect Upon Arasiean
Commerce-C Case of ahe Ru,k Pysscott-1fe Scale
| of CoTyfseot on Great ID Gcnttaes ofths dmeri.
can Fadss-The Coffee aud Flour Dtstiss-Napi-
| cation of the Amas on Enc cement Gfuen to
| the BolriaW Gorerament-Arr1val u The English
Steamer.
1t ID my design to acquaint you and your many
subscribers, and MAJ hope our new administration
! 1t home, through your powerful and influential aid,
Of the horrible distractions that thrown in the
way of foreign merchants at this place, by the Bra
| lillian government.
! 1t matter of surprise to me that our govern
ment at home has not, long since, effected more
| favorable commercial treaty with Brazil, based on
more reciprocal action. This, Of course is solely to
be effected by negotiation, which, If not successful
| pethng more can be done, as the law of nations
gives every country the power to make its own
laws, ETC. But when country makes laws to swindle
foreign merchants, do say that justice can be de-
manded by our government at home, at least for its
own citizens.
The manly toLe Of our new President, Pierce, in
his inaugural, in relation to our foreign affairs and
the rights of American citizens abroad gives me
much hope thai the attention of Cabinet at home
will be directed to the dsgracefu! impostons prac
tised by this government on American merchants
here, ar well as other foreign ones.
A few painfal circumstances to the sufferers will
suffice to enghten you fully to what extent these
swindling operations are carried.
The American bark Prescott, arrived here q
few weeks since, from New York, with a cargo
- - c1opJ .co Tl,o 1cu
goods ON board shall be manifested, which is q
very proper law. By some slight error on the part
of the Captain, or parties who sent her out, large
amount of lumber was not on the manifest Of the
vessel besides several other kinds Of bulky goods.
The whole Of this was seized. conRscated, and the
vessel heavily fined. Our Minister has the case in
hand with the government but little is expected
from it, the Brazilian government practices with
impunity these swindling operations. There could
be clearly evidence design to defraud the reve
nue. az, in every instance the goods that arrive at
this port have all to 60 to the custo house, and
nothing is taken for granted from the manifest yet
if the slightest error il found when comparing the
goods on discharging, with the manifest, even to
$7793 instead Of 1873, the case OF goods is seized
and confscated
Kthis Brazilian governme Mt did not compel every
thing to pass through their custom house. like our
government ut home, then there could be some
grounds for supposing an attempt to defraud but
when every Captain knows that everything on board
his vessel has to pass through the house and
simply if one small B. L. should happen in some
hurry, to be neglected 70 be put on the manifest,
and not found out by the Captain before he has CON-
hdisefaagng this sme omission subjects
the vessel fined one half the amount that the goods
bring when sold BY the custom house at public
ton 1t is one Of the most disgracefu and high band
ed species of piracy allowed to be practised by sup
poted enlightened government, and have no doubt
the sufferers and owners Of the bark Prescott will
lose no tine in laying the matter before govern
Ment at Washington.
Now, then, to the system Of robbery Alter you con-
gratuate yourself that you have your goods dis
charged without havng any of them seized and con-
6scaied: you now, from your invoice, set about to
despatch your goods. Your despatch is made out
from your invoice, only in regard to quantity as the
cost they do not require If your friends at home by
the least error should have the invoice the con-
tents Of No zoos instead of 1904, and your gross
amount in all he cases is right when examined-yet
Notwithstanding, you have to pay fine Of four times
the amount OF the regular duties ON the case, the
contents Of which did not compare with your de-
spstch. Our firm had to be subjected to this loss
few weeks since. Another case occurred few
months ago. A foreign merchant imported
some French cloth. He despatched it from his in
ject 10 duty in conformity with the different widths
The examiner or appraiser assessed it at certain
value, and measured it, &c. Yet when passing
through the last door Of the custom house. has to
undergo again Q partial examination, when it was
found 10 be wider than named by the appraisers, and
Of course liable to more dutes-yet Notwithstanding
this error by the custom house themselves, the
was compelled to pay fine Of four times the amount
OF the regular duties, when the custom house ap-
prsser rad made the error himself. II this is not
system OF piracy know not what is.
In despatching case of goods If the amount Of the
case overruns what you have despatched it as con-
tanning, you may pay four times the amount of du-
ties. IT. the contrary the amount Is less than des
patched as containing you also pay four times the
fpfAu tino Tho Ia tho Nth hox
self she is found to have goods board than
il manifested, they are seized and co1fscated. If
the amount is less they seized and c6nfscated.
When these facts are properly made known to
our government at home, I am sure they will
instruct minister here to enquire into it, and de-
maLd fDll payment in the horrible case of the
Prescott This state Of things has been suffered to
continue wholly in consequence, imagine, Of the
little, attention paid by the citizens of the United
States to this country.
From the circumstances given You, you will per-
ceive 1t becomes absolutely impossible for American
chants to prosecute their business the present
system is calculated solely to seize goods and con-
f.cate them, without p8rtcle OF redress to the
owners. The owners in these cases generally buy
in their goods at the cu-tem house door, where
they are Sold Then, in addititn they in measure
demand of the owner cash for the goods they have al
ready seized OF them. When these seizures take place.
it becomes matter Of litigation between the ship
pers of goods the owners and captain of the vessel
to the loss for it Is hard for either of them to lose
the amount of the goods II the manifest should say
for instance, twenty casks aud four cases, and it
should be sixteen casks and four cases. the goods are
seized and coDscated, notwithstanding the contents
to quantity all right. Is not this disgracefnl
for government occupying respectable position in
the eyes of the world? For you see easy it is in
general assorted cargo Of merchaA ise for an error
like the above to occur More than this-f the mani.
fest should ray 10 casks and be simply put in figures
and not written out, the goocs are seized and cons
Gated. Almost in every instance they have some
pretext Selling the goods II this state of things
Is allowed to continue the American merchants will
have 10 withdraw and return home.
cannot but hope that our present administration
will tnrr its attention to thee POSITIONS and de-
msBd for its own citizens here justice, which is oil
import goods into this port owing to the system Of
piracy pracIised by the Brazilian government. The
United States furnishes market for wothirds Of
the entire cte crop Of Brazil free of duty into its
ports yet in return, to pay for it, flour is shipped
which they exact the exorbitant duty of 1000 mil