New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-16
Congress has not seen fit TO

total nOn-int6rcOurSe. congress mas AOt oooH ne w
Impose this prohibition upon its citizens, and until
st does, cannot by any law prescribed comfy OF
nations, expect its abandonment by the citizens OF
those nationalites Indeed, it could not well be
required for, with single exception, PRIOR TO
the Rebellion, with all these ports there
existed very considerable legitimate trade
which ought TO be sure to be properly con-
Quoted but could not be well ignored or inhibitea
by our Government; il is believed tho infringe
ment Of the bonds and the present practice OF
holding them uncanceled until such lapse OF ulhe
as would render improbable that evidence OF snip
1nent to the insurgents of the bonded goods could
he obtained. operating not as an estopment, but as
q check and great repression Of all participation In
shameless traffic by our ci'izonS Inc
most disreputablo circumstance attending
the bond business remains yet 10 DC
stated In the latter part OF the Summer OF
1868, il was rumored among parties engaged in the
West India Island trade that the bonds given in
connection herewith could be bought up at the
New.York Custom-House. When these reports
reached tho Collector, Mr.. Barney, though discred-
sting them, referred the matter for investigation to
deputy Collector Albert Hanson, who in concert
with tho Naval Officer, Mr.. George Denison after
weeks Of painstaking succeeded in obtaining lndu-
bitable evidence of the atrocious malfeasanee.
On being apprised of the facts, thorough inves
tgaton was at once instituted by the Treasury De-
partment, resulting in establishing the abstraction
and surrendering for pay, of bonds in the custody
ofthe Ninth Division. Thereupon Deputy Collector
III. B. Stanton, the head of the division, was sus-
pended (Oct. % 1863. His son, ID. Cady Stanton,
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ed with the Custom-House. Privately, and to an OK
tent publicly, this young man declared the abstrac-
zion and sale of bonds was his own act, performed
without the privity of his father. This ayernent
he reiterated to the Committee, substantially esti-
Tying that the bonds prepared by himself, gen.
orally in an outer and adjacent to his fathers
That the parties then executed them before his
father; that after such execution invariably they
were locked up by his father until the next morn
ing; that after being carefully examined by him
they were taken into his (witnesss said adjoining
room for record, where they were supposed TO re-
main until Cancelled and surrendered; that, in this
room, he had at all times free access TO them. He
tTas quite positive that no never distracted more
than seven or, at most, eight bonds never any
bond on same day or next day after its execution;
bond as large as sixty-four thousand dollars.
Repeated and careful examinations Of the Bond
bureau however reveal til aD,.l-...a or - '1st
absence Of several more bonds than young StaL. On
admits knowledge Of, bonds not found in the
record books of the adjacent room, but clearly
proven to hare been by registered memoranda Of
dates, manifess, &C. Additional to all this, the
&nanfests of some sixty vessels known TO have
made trips in this trade not TO be found in the
Custom-House. Who distracted these bonds? Was
lit for the purpose of abstraction they were never
recorded Have these manifests been put away to
remove all vestges of the existence of other bonds
or the character Of the shipments No trace of
missing bonds as yet has been discovered of later
Date than Sept. 10, 1868.
In one instance the proof is circumstantal and
positive that the terms of abstraction and sur
render Of large bond of $6i, 900 was actually ne
gotiated before it was executed, and that within
ono hour after its execution the bond was gwen up
and in the hands Of the parties who made it,
For various reasons this case seems to require
somewhat of detail; the bond was for large
amount, and whether at the tine known or not
does not clearly appear. 1t conveyed out OF port
awo thousand barrels of pork and FIVE hundred bar
EeiS OF Deel, 10 party IL DslAuuo, VIM "oo NPS4y
doing at the time, July, 1868, commission busi-
ness WITH" if not for" the Rebel States.
The surety on that bond testified before the Com
mite that, through the intervention Of Custom
house broker of the name of Horny c. Smith,
within ten minutes before the bond was exc
cured, the arrangement was contaminated, that
was to pay $500 for the surrender of the bond that
was not to be sworn surety &c. Happeared
that the proposed surety declined justifying or
swearing that he was worth $4,000, and that the
6xst price asked for the surrender Of the bond was
$3.50; that the broker, Smith, went into Mr
Etanton's room, and came back two three times "
before the price of $500 was fixed upon and that
surety then insisted, "Now, if Mr.. Stanton is going
20 sell this bond what odds does it make whether
6wear am worth ga, 900 or GA cents. If he has a
mind to take me and not swear me, will go On
the bond 1t makes no odds to him if he sells this
bond" Smith says, Z" win go in and see him."
Was gone some little time. Camo back and said
"Thst will be all right; he will not ask you any
questions at ell. i said: Are you sure of that
He said, That is understood" The cautious wit
ness wanted it yet more distinctly understood that
he was not to swear to any amount at all. Again
she broker went in and came back with the assur-
ance, cit is all right; you will not be asked any
questions at ALL Thereupon he, the surety and
the principal or proposed oblgor, passed from the
1otunds OF the Exchange, where these preliminares
had been arranged, through the outer or adjacent
room, into H. b. Stanton's room where there was
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