Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-05-18

|
At the request of come OF our most intelligent CT
tzens, insert the following extract from an article
10 the Richmond Wing. We have had no op'
porunity to examine the matter referred TO. If the
| exposition Of the Whig embodies no mistake nor
misapprshenson the existing regulation is vexatous
and we feel confident that the Secretary Of the Tres
sury will not permit the continuance of an unneces
sary inconvenience to the importing merchants o
| Richmond:
The RICHMOND Custom HoUsE.-It was not until
RECENTLY vs wers informed that the Custom House
| at Richmond was Subsidiary to that of Petersburg
and that direct importers of goods to the city OF
Richmond from foreign ports could not enter them a
| the Custom House here, but were compelled to pay
duties TO the Custom House officers, in Petersburg
under the regulations of the Treasury Department.
II appesrs however, that il a Richmond merchant
has consigned to him cargo OF foreign goods, which
is unloaded at City Point where vessels OF large lon
page generally STOP the captain cannot enter his Ves
sci at the Custom House here, nor the consgnee pay
the duties upon the cargo here but both the entry and
payment must be in the Custom House at Peters
burg The Inconvenience resulting from this state IS
apparent ss the Injustice OF IT.
The captain of vessel from foreign port, win
a cargo consigned TO Richmond merchant comes
here to enter and finds upon his arrival that he must
STAY over day and night in order 10 go TO refers.
burg, ard make his entry there, and he very natu.
|
which creates this unnecessary delay and annoyance,
and compels him while there is 4 Custom House
here, where the goods consigned, to 60 across
the country TO hunt up Custom House where he may
enter The result s that no foreign captain VIII
bring aecond time, freight to Richmond conslgnees,
if he can get one elsewhere.
Resides this the Richmond merchant to whom a
foreign consignment is made,who has Custom House
at his door, is compelled in person, 10 carry hls gold
to Petersburg. 10 pay into the Custom House fnere
the duties upon the consignment. and in order to DO
70 must leave his business here for day. Wedo not
purpose 10 argue upon the folly or mproprety OF this
thing The bare statement OF the fact shows thst
there ia neither justice, reason in the reguls
tion IL unnecessarily subj ects merchants and cap
taps 10 Inconvenience and oee of time, is Injurious
10 our direct trade and takes from Custom House
the revenue to which it is justly entitled.
Through the energy and enterprise OF some OF our our
citizens ths direct trade of Richmond has during the
last few wears, rapidly advanced and ia TO our in:
terest by every means in our power, to foster and
cherish il; and not to trammel and hamper it with
upiust and ridiculous regulations, such as the one We
are considering.
While the regulation of the Department is, as We
have stated that a vessel consigned 'choHy to Rich'
mopd. stopping at City Point TO unload, must enter
and have the duties paid in Petersburg, there is
another anomalous regulation. namely, that 1t part
of such cargo is consigned to Richmond ccnsignees'
and mart 10 Petersburg cnnsgns-s, the entry may bs
made and the duties paid in. either at the Custom
House in Richmond or in Petersburg.
=, that If only part OF foreign cargo ls CON
signed 10 Richmond, the vessel may enter and the
duties be paid here, but il the raole cargo is con-
signed to Richmond, the vessel must enter and the
duties be paid in Petersburg.