New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-21
Mr.. Collector Schell's nomination having be,

gestons for proftng by the lesson. of 1857.
Mr.. Collector Schels nomination having been
sent to the Senate for confirmation, We hope that
full investigation Of his merits public officer may
be had We have heard of certain acts of Dir.
Schel which require some explanation. We are
informed that soon after be received his present
appointment an arrangement was made whereby
parties connected with the Collector should reap
rich harvest from their intimacy with powerful
friend of the new fnctiOnary. 1t seems that one
William Mcintyre, who has owned The Daily
N,us, and to whom mortgage on that paper for
500. eco has been executed made arrangement
with Mr. John C. Mather (whom Mr.. Schell made a
State Senator by means of the CustOm-liouse
patronage, and Mr.. Bixby, who was clerk in
the Custom-House, for the purpose of carrying on
the business of storage The firm was known as
Mcintyre, Bixby & Co. These parties are the
personal friends and political supporters of Dir.
Schell. Although an arrangement had been made
between Mr. Moses Odel and the late Secretary of
the Treasury, Mr.. Guthrie, that all goods on gen.
eral order should he sent TO the store which Mr..
Odell had taken, yet Mr. Schell managed to remove
Odell, and appointed Messrs. Mcintyre, Bixby &
CO. in his place The change had no other motive
except to promote the interests of the new firm.
The public interests had nothing TO do with it.
Not satisfied with the share Of plumber thus given
to his friends, they were further provided for by
plan, which was, to say the least of it, Illegal.
During the Summer of 1857, Immediately after
Mr. Schell took his place in the Custom House, 1t
was represented to the Secretary Of the Treasury
BY the Collectors department here, that the public
store No. ~ Broad street, was SO crowded with
goods that another store must be hired for the
PURPOSES of the revenue. On this representation
the store No. 10 Broad street was temporarily
hired. An arrangement was then made with
Messrs Mcintyre, Bxby & Co. TO take this store,
paw the rent and find labor and carriage. If they
did not make enough to pay the rent, the United
States were to cover the deficiency. On the other
hand. they were to receive all the fees for goods
sent 10 the store. On the packages received the
usual charge was 30 cents each. In some few cases
il was 50 cents but in many it was over 50 cents.
The clerk who recepted for the money was MIR.
E. Bleecker, sent for the purpose from the Custom
House TO Messrs. Mcintyre, Bixby q Co.'S store.
There being good understanding on the subject,
No. II Broad street of course continued to be
crowded Packages were therefore ordered from
No u Broad street to No. l9, and the business was
so brisk that the new firm could not complain. The
merchants, however, began to complain against the
exsction of the fees. The consequence WAS that
whenever the merchants complained and refused
10 nav. Mr. Collector Schell, as we are informed,
directed the charge to be waived, and the money
WAS paid in such instances to Messrs. Mcintyre,
Bixby & Co. from the funds of the United States.
The fees received by the firm for storage
amounted to several thousand dollars in few
months.
The clerk in the store No. l9 Broad street signed
receipts in the following form:
"NEwYoRx Sept - Is57.
apocsixed Of the sum Of dollars end in full
for seosse labor and sitaec III following packages L.
store No. 10 Broad street
I. M, -, - vc.sel "EB."
This receipt is copied from one of those
given to party who paid storage at No. 10
The money received there was in bank bills a
well as coin, and was delivered to Messrs. Nc
Intyre. Bixby & Co. Under the Sub-Treasury act
the Custom House employees must receive nothing
but gold and silver for dues to the United States;
how did this Custom House clerk receive bank bills
II will also be observed that tae receipt is for stor
age. labor and carriage. We wish 10 know if the
carriage from No. ~ to No. 10 was not paid by the
United States If so, why was any new charge
made for it, Why was any charge made BY Me-
Intyre, Bixby & CO.. BY the 9th section of the
act of March 3, lsi1, it is provided
That ali stores hereafter rented BY the Collector Naval Ocer
or Surveyor shat pubic account and shall b. appropriated
10 the receiving foreign merchandise subject
20 tie rates Of storage to regulation by the Secretary Of the
Treasury"
The general regulations of the Treasury Depart
ment declare that the rates of storage shall be the
usual rates in the port, and these rates shall be
paid into the cashiers department of the Col
lector's Office. They also provide that goods sent
to public store for the purpose of test
Ing the accuracy of invoices shall be free
from charge TO the importers. II the
United States hired the store No. IS Broad
.treet to relieve No. IL, was il not public