New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-07

-;de and viii per III hs ear in dulcet tones the name
OF lawyer who 10 profound in cusOm.hOuse cases;
then another meek gentle soul will Do the sane
hen another, nut the charmed circle Of names in
cludee generally bat two. The laN yer is secured
who assures him that lis convictions Of ruin are
well io1udtd. CnSt0m-house proposes q ttiemeni
Ire hawke runs up AID down the Invoices, aud
along tle piles of goods from priva'e papers ascer-
t.inIug where ANA the amount OF hs bank account,
and usually fix upon tbs aggregate of the mans
properly as the terms o! compr, ine and then nhg-
Unanimously surrender, agreeing upon one-haf' ana
mrlimes less.
GIIASPiSG CUPIDiTY LEADS TO OTHER NfHA'-
TiONs OF TIE LAW.
The desire for gaio, thus uncontrolled overI11es
the law III ie RhlicaliOn and the present 'hieo'e
DO what th~ir prede e,sors, o. general thine'
dared not. The law requires that all cases where
the property fezcd exceeds 400 IN value shall pa
thr0ul the alds OF be Dis'rict Attorney anu the
Courts Tbees proper safeguards muss be get al
paueh,, and when Csreiul sueordinates warn these
men If their usurpations, hr. Denlson, most daring
of The three, declares that be will assume tbs re.
sponsbihty, aud the more omiabe Surveyor aud
Collector suffer him to bave bis own way. Marx
the reason alleged for this wanton niracion tf the
law: because tho other ,ficers let fees from The
proceeds, and they " i'll not realize 80 much. WIN
such exam les in Il @ chief seats IN The temple Is u
auy wonder that frauds should be miniiest, euch as
lave lately been examined by the Solicitor OF tn
Treasury Department, whereby some clerks IN the
Appraisers department collide with brokers and
merchants, and for large considerations psss goods
at uuoer-valuaion No wou1er the concern Is iu'i
If fraud reekng with corroption. The eystem
wants remodeling. and the Institution needs purg-
ing The starving, pevDileas man, who steals bread
10 save lie, you lpCarcerae III dungeon; bit tie
army Of magniicent hishwsymen, who steal by
De Of Thousands from the people. 90 unwllpped OF
justice and arc suffered to enjoy the ruits Of their
crime. Ii has been so with former Administrations;
unfortunately it is so with this Tie tnire wait
OF knowledge and apparent indifference as to the
smount Of moneys received on the part OF these gen.
tlemeD. If other facts were excluded, might manifest
II refreshing simphci IN these times. MY judgment
is that We have not yet obtained the full amount of
The zane. lie, me illustrate. ln January the Cou-
mittee I suppose, from toeir high apprcc .,ion Of
the collector and eroyng his hospitality III The use
OF AN elegantly furnished room IN the Custombouse,
did not swear him, ii would seem, for the printed
testimony inserts ii ts the aternent OF Hiram Bar
ney, esq, III Which lie says
flint In reference TO the suount Of moneys receive BY
by my ce refer tho tateu d TO
etinony OF Mf. O.deu the ii'or. All tho moneys
ceved u, me 10y virtue OF my oc- se there ,tsted and
Lave not derived any proht psDedt. emoumeD OF any
sxee,t as slated thsr,p and b, AZ Robnson cashier do
IN TO tho coHuison. upon moneys
orved io State Tic that upon spp9iDmen' to office
was fourd by NY trelecessor aud | sscersin-d on
Other exsu tb these coms bad been allow ed
to aud received by the vooos io ever t"eny pat,
AID uitnout interruption un1,r 40 arrangement with th
OH fer benefit an5 hey collects
ed They collected by cI the convenience std a. the
speca request 81 the state oficts ard could not vel lie
my ineumoeney Of the Office OF collector. owl z
10 the war and the unprecedented ','ir Of s'iIs
Occas ned by It, have been charged with very mans
duties some Of them entirely foreign TO the ofdsfy
func ousnd Po~er' Of collectors Of the revenue aod H.
vclvug responsibilities foi which Indemnity pro
lection 90 provided by existing lava have sso
while acting within he iue Of oc:sl duties been very
with sest pronpDt,s aid uPOa suspicion
to seize aud esn vessels aud op,. s1d o.h,t"s to .I'
of
meui, its behalf in which have Occosion~y
eat aud unprecedented re'por ibites' nt.lvng very
pecpniary risks; aac SLy should
be ndenns 3D. Tnefs i: msnii. propriety that should
Of indemnity now pending before Copsress.'
He talks like very much afflicted patriot who
has suffered AID expects to suffer much for bis
country. Wauts an indemnity act. He and FLOYD
should be irdeuliied in the came bill. casual
reader would suppose he was accounting for I'LL the
money he had received from the Cove rnment but
| office, and by virtue Of ms office. Then. to ilu
,ra,e his patriotism, seltsacrhcc, end devotion, he
psrades his grievances in long words Oft repeated d.
| lie says the unprecedented stato Of atfairs has
charged him with new duties, foreign 10 the ordi.
nary functions Of Collector, involving great respons
iblity, for which no indemnify is allowed. He hai
acted with great promplness. be sdds, IN OBTAINING
vessels under diTeetson ct he Goccrnmsnt when be
has assumed unprecedented responsibilities, III
voving very heavy pecuniafy risks. The
Collector resembles tue ostrich. who when be gel
bis head under the sand, thinks bis body is
safe. An honest man 10 reading biz statement would
naturally conclude this very excessive labor was
tdoue without compensation. He speaks Of seiyiDg
vessels and property; tie act Of lSol-6l, providing
for tie seizure and conf, catiOn Of certain vessels
aud cargOes, contained section giving one-balf Of
such TO tie revenue officers, that he runs
the same risk lie does IN SEEING smugged yoOdE--
the risk Of dividing one-hali. That section got IN
the bill and pased the House without the know ledge
OF the COMMITTEE on Commerce, who reported is or
he House have been Informed Mr.. Jordan, tue
Solicitor Of the Treasury. introduced tie section
the suggestion Of Secretary Chase, obviously for
the beD-iit Of the Collector. II l sm in error on
this point, Will be happy TO do the parties ju.tce
Tie unDTecedtat star # Gairs ai,O brought into
the port OF Ncw-York Government cotton. IL was
necessary some one should seil-a cotton agen'
must be appointed John A. Stevens. eco, very
iesp setabe merchant OF NeW-York, offered 10 take
charge and cell at usual commissions, which would
be IS cents per bag and 10 cents for storage there
were 1895 bags. Tnat, Of course, would cot the
Government too lit le
HOW MR. BARNEY WAS APPOINTED COTTON
AGENT.
Mr.. Chase's friend, the Collector, was in New.
York; be knew lie WI receiving about S3O. 900 q
year for bis services, aud no Onght TO have known
that il the Collector had any time. no. required by
virtue of bis Office, the Government entitled to
it without further compensation. Yet be employs
the Collector aud makes contract 70 the Collector
says, whereby lie actually received in commissions
for ceiling the cotton 5000 81 during eight months
The whole expense, inc!udiog storage, Mr.. Barney
says, lie $l3sjl II. These facts were communicated
a few days since by the Secretary TO the Seuae Ia
answer TO resolution OF that body. See the long
worded, mock philanthropy Of tho Collector
when be talked about hls labor aud risks,
rhc risk in selling the cotton was the same as tho
other risks-that Of getting money. According
10 his own evidence he realizes about Sf0, 900
per annum. Wien the Secretary Of tue Treasury
appointed Raruey Government cotton agent, he did
that for which unless explained. he deserves the