Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-12-08

Tho report ofthe supervising inspectors of
under the act OF S0th Of August 1884, mo <4O accom-
psn'es TINS report, as also letter from Mr.. WIN. u.
Gouge, charged 6y this Department with The du,y Of at
tending the meetings Tho Department. ti., procured
Professor Booth, meer and retuer the mint In Pha-
dslphs to experiment upon usihle alloys 10 couue1on
with Evans safety valves and otherwise with view OF
testing the same and in order have reliable allows shoud
Il be determined to continue their use His report mo
40 also accompanies this and gives valuable informs
ton upon the subject.
The attention Of Congress Is called to the suggestion. IN
tho report OF the supervisors the letter Of Mr. Gouge and
the report Of Professor Booth. The Department has
furnished with the table which accompanies hs report
showing the loss Of vessels from the Let
OF January, 1854 to June Of the year, with the
causes thereof.
This table exhibits ten BY collision, seventeen b, Gre.
nve from Ice twentyhr from snags and states nineteen
OF them were lost from inaention and negligence thirty
enc from accident, from being unsea worthy aud only
two from unavoidable This exhibit proves that
much remains to be done under tho boat to
cure capable and efficient officers vessels for the
preservation Of m These aud the recent osscs upon the
ocean properly raised the question whether the Law should
provide greater security In the construction Of
seuger vesse leave them now the ship-ouners
In my former report the attention of Congress was cal
led to the Inconvenience arng from two Of local 10.
speoo under the Of 1888 and tho other updcr
the Of 1884, and the propety Of having bu. one set
under the supcrintendeucc. The regulations which
the supervising inspectors authorized to make should
also have the approval oil the Department. and its SUPER
vision in enforcing them.
The proprey Of providing for supervising inspectors on
the Pacific also stated aud Is again
The attention OF Congress "a sso called to the penalty for
collision under the act Of lsSS, which only applies the
destruction Of life the vessel the officer CON uand and
does not embrace the killing done the other vessel
There seems to be no cypress provision In any Of
Congress that the records and Of the several coec
tors Of customs sha be public property aud Left In the
oces for the Of their succsssors any provision
making felony make false entries In the collectors
books or return false accounts to the Treasury.
1t has been customary In many Of the districts for the
outgoing collector to away the books aud papers,
the preence that they we're private property because
chased out Of the emoluuents Of tho collector under the
regulations Of The Treasury They have been declared by
Treasury circular the property OF the United States, ard
directed be preserved aud handed the
The fact that these carried ofsuspi
Dion ~ to heinegy collectors aud in four por to
w.t. Osuego Cleveland Toledo anu Milwaukee, where 9TH
strong Strengthened the suspicion nves
LEGATIONS instituted With copies Of the made
70 the Treasury and the books aud receipts OF the mpor
lers the United States aud those in Canads examined
The accounts OF the late collector lsyeco were as
certaiued to have suppressed duties actually collected
him TO over $4,000 the collector at Cleveland to an
amount almost OF 900 the collector Toledo to an
amount Of about 5000 aui the collector Nl~auike
to $1,000 These the FIRST frauds Of this descrp
ton that have ever been brought to light They
the consideration Of Congress for such add
toual legislation as may be deemed necessary.
In the revision Of the laws prepared at this
Department under resolution Of the Senate, and now
before that body clauses have been inserted for the pu
OF providing the proper remady There has been
revision of the laws since the enactment Of
The necessity OF revision is respectfully urged upon the
CONSIDER alton Of Congress.
In additional The table snd reports herein before par
tcusriy mentioned, various statements Of exports and
imports statement of the persons employed in the
raj collec ion Districts and complete of the circulars
issued 10y this Department siuce the date OF my former
report, also accompany this.
The important interests confded to this Department
require that the clerical force should only capable but
Trustworthy in all respects. find there has great
improvement in that force. In csses the hest Of
m hc ret md he
syssm OF class hcatior when vacancies occurred rale
established TO promote for capacity aud efficiency
from the lower the higher classes, whist Tired
examinations have secured capable clerk. for the
first class.
fne rules oftte Office strictly enforced aud there
exist commendsbe industry! capacity, efficiency, and it
Is believed Integrity in the corps employed The Depart
nent is being brought into good condition.
A.! which IS respectfully submitted.
JAMES GUTHRIE,
Secretary of the Treasury.