The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-03
From the ~. =. Herald, april q
WORK NE ruE NEuT m

SCENES AT THE CUSTOM HOUSE YEsTERDAY-THE NOR
RIL TARIFF PUT IN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND
ANNoYANcES OF THE MERCHANTS.
The new tariff went into effect in the Northern
states yesterday and gave rise to endless troubles
and vexations The day w as a busy one at the
Custom House Nv '"s
Many and many more of the newly fledped mer
chants OF this city have voted the Custom Honse n
nuisance, a pore, an inextrcable maze, an uncon-
queraole trouble. If such were their opinions dur
ing the administration of the tariff of 1857 what
their opinions yesterday were might have been
gathered from some of the explosives, which were
Ia many cases rather more expressive than elegant
IL Is supposed that to make out an 'entrv, re-
CURES little experiences; and perhaps il does. Int
when we find custom brokers' whose business il
mas peen Tor years to attend to such matters COM
pietely at loss, it certainly shows that the pre-
sent complications are complicated indeed One of
these brokers yesterday took an entry to the nro-
per desk, with the satisfaction that all was correct
visible upon his face, when to his horror he was
t to1a IL was not made out according to law.
w ny, SAID he, 81 was several hours making it
out, and am sure it must be correct" Correct?
NO." was the answer; "you have your sugar, mo-
iasses and melado on the same entry. The duties
are all different, and yet you do not specify them
made out afresh.
In another case the value of the molasses was
ned, but not the quantity. This was another source
OF trouble because the duty could not he estimated
while the entry was in that state One csca ~, m,
up where two different duties had been specified in
the new tariff. "We have received no instruction;
IN this case said the clerk $50 the entry nust Ia
over" " But how long?" inquired the merchant
but no definite answer could be obtained to the
query. This is regular nuisance said the Irer-
chant. " Can't help it," said the clerk "without
instructions, we have to administer the tariff to the
best of our abilities, but when difference of rate.
like this occurs the entry must lay by" "And We
| lose the sale of our goods in the meanwhile" the
merchant intimated-'' nice work, truyr' The on
ly reply was, Cant help it,
In another case, where the invoice had not sta tef
all the particulars necessary topass the entry under
the new tariff, the clerk said az must have i
stated both ways" "But how can | get at these
particulars? 1t is not stated on the invoice -
"Well, then, the entry must lay on one side, can
not pass it." =" But how are we to know?" asked
| the merchant. " Can't say" said the clerk; bu
you are responsible" Here was another case o
grumbling, but grumbling did no good. One anx
ious individual wished to know if he was to specf,
on the entry that the case fastened down witt
| wooden screws, as there specific duty upOr
them. The deputy collectors and clerks in the Ma
val Ohce asserted that the government would lost
by the present operation, as all goods paying lowe
duties than formerly were being passed yesterday
but nothing paying higher rate.
| Nearly every person was asking of his fellow i
he knew what the law was regarding this, that OF
the other, but no one seemed to know anything
certain about it. An inquiry made relative t.
| some article specified in the tariff at two rates
"Well, enter it at the lower one," was the reply
"How?" "Take Peruvian bark, for instance. /
you enter it as Peruvian bark you will have I,
pay ten per cent; but if you enter it as Bark, Pc
ruvian,' there can be no duty charged thereon il
accordance with the tariff. With regard to horn
bone, &c, if you enter it as manufactures of horn
bone, &C., you will pay thirty per cent; but if 70,
enter it as horns, bones, &C., manufactured it i
only ten per cent. Do you see it? But be sur
your invoices are so made out" One person sal,
to the entry clerk, after having heard some expla
| nations from him, that he would not be bothered
making out the entry in such, as he thought, ri
diculous manner. "Well, we can't compel YOU t
dos so; but we will not pass your entry" Thes
entries cause the merchants great deal of trou
| BILE and loss of time, and where, former occa
sicns, the work was all finished within an hour q
50, it now requires days, both at home and at tn
Custom House.