Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-05
Washington News,

being sent out.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 30, 1853.
Collectors of the customs and their deputies,
in districts Of the United States adjacent to J
foreign territories are vested with power and
authority; and it is their duty to appraise all
merchandise. entered at their respective
ports, when other appraisers are not provided
for by law. /
The LIST section Of the act of 1921, regula-
ting the entry of merchandise imported from
any adjacent territory requires manifest of
all goods imported, as above, with a descrip-
ton of the quantity, quality, and value of the
goods, supported by the oath of the importer.
The LIST section of the supplementary col
lection act of LIST March, 1923, requires true
invoice of the goods, with the foreign cost, to
be presented to the collector before entry
The collectors will, therefore, require an
invoice or a manifest, as required by the act
of 1921, describing the character, quantity,
quality, and cost, or value of the merchandise,
supported by the oath of the importer, before
allowing the entry; and when the importer
has no invoice, nor such manifest as above
prescribed, will cause him to make and pre-
sent the invoice or manifest required by law,
and to support it by oath, before allowing the
entry to be made.
The invoices thus made are to be taken rs
true against the importer; but it will be the
duty of the collectors by all the reasonable
ways and means within their power to asccr-
tain, estimate, and appraise the merchandise
at its true value in the foreign port or place
from which it was shipped rs authorized and
directed i'm the 10th and 18th sections of the
tariff act of 1912, and to add thereto the
charges as provided in the appraisement act of
Sd March, 1851 in order to determine the du-
table value thereof.
The collectors are instructed that amongst
other frauds on the revenue frequently at
tempted is that of entering merchandise at
less than the true quantity and below the true
value, and that if any merchandise Imported
is of ten per cent greater va ue than that Civ
en- in the invoice at which it has been entered.
from either an increased quantity or reduced
value. or from both combined, it is their duty
to increase the entered value to the true value
thereof and impose the 20 per cent. additional
duty thereon, as provided by law and that
when the merchandise shall be found to be
from either or both of said causes, of 20 per
cent. greater value than the entered va ue, it
is evidence of fraud, which will justify seiz-
ure on the ground Of fraud.
The collectors are instructed that they
should be careful to ascertain the correct val
lie of ali merchandise entered at their respec-
tive ports: and to cause the same duty to be
collected upon like goods entered by different
they are directed to include in their monthly
abstracts the several rates of duties collected
on merchandise entered at their ports during
the preceding month. ... ...
They are also instructed that goods should
pass their custOm-house in the regular order
in which the entries are made, and no prefer.
ence be given to any one from any cause.
They are also instructed that it is made the
duty of the appraisers at large to produce uni
formity in valuation of merchandise entered
at the different ports, and that it is the duty
of collectors to advise and counsel with suck
appraisers at large upon the subject.
They arc also instructed that it is their duty
t. ascertain the character, quantity, and quail
ity, as well as value of all merchandise entered
at their respective ports. and for that purpose
to have it duly examined; but in no case are
collectors or their deputies, previous to the
actual entry and examination of merchandise,
to inform the importers and Others of the val
ue at which such merchandise will be admit
ted to entry. The collectors are also instruct
ed that the original books of entry and books
account, together with all accounts and vouch-
ers of their respective offices, are the property
of this Department, and are to be kept and
preserved as such, and transmitted to their
successors in Office.
..| ge.i JAMES GUTHRIE,
.Secrrtnrn n-f the Tr~~vHry.
How To GONE 1T OVER 'Ea."-We hear that
the Auditor for the Post Office Department is
being flooded with inquiries from parties re-
Gently connected with the mail service, con-
corning small balances alleged to be due
them, sending, generally the circular of a
gentleman recently in the office, Offering to
collect them for one-half, or for specific sum,
amounting, in all cases, to more than fifty per
centum of all that may be due them These
circulars hint to mysterious way in which
the writer has found out the existence of the
balances in question, and are so framed as to
lead to the impression that the proposed agent
alone possesses the means of obtaining Justice
at the hands of the Government for the par
ties IF course, this is all CANNON The in
formation, in all such cases, is obtained by
surreptitiously making abstracts from the
public records of facts, which the proper Of
ficers of the Treasury always cheerfully COM
muncatc to parties interested. These circu-
lars bear the frank of the Hon. Truman
Smith, who was, of course, victimized when
induced to endorse them. 81. ..s
An INTERESTING Pension BUREAU CUES
TIoN-The Commissioner of Pensions is said
to have under consideration novel question.
1t is whether persons who enlisted in the
army after July ! 1913 and serving regularly
for five years, have been duly discharged, are
entitled to bounty land under the law of Feb
ruary ii, 1917, il We remember correctly the
date of the act. .f ,... .I a.....
In June, 1913, the Adjutant General issued
his instructions urging the recruiting officers
to push the recruiting for the regular army
only, and informed them that they might
| promise the bounty land to all who would
| enlist therein prior to the lst Of July. '' III
The war with Mexico virtually ended some
weeks before that date, the treaty of peace
how; d,,Ir cd Tho f;,,,