Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-15
UNITED STATES CoNsuLArR,

UNITED STATES CONSULATE,
liverpool December I. 1853.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt OF your despatch, M 2i2, OF the soth Octo-
Ter. making inquiry tat the instance Of Judge
Fisher. OF the Supreme Court OF the District OF
Columbia) about the regulations III Great
Britain with regard to preserved fruits import
ed, and beg leave to state that the Customs
Regulations in Great Britain, applicable to the
passage Of preserved fruits imported from for
eign countries through the custom houses are
In the case ofsuch as are duty free,one outside
package in five selected by the officer is to be
opened for inspection; should there be small
packages within the larger, the officer is to open
one or more, SO as to satisfy him that the con-
tents are bona fide according to the entry. As
a rule one package suffices.
In the case Of such as are liable to duty,
all n fsnl. and vegetables h preserved in sugar,
sugdr, which pay duty as succades, and all
fruits preserved In spirits, every outside pack
age is to be opened, and so many Of the inner
packages as will satisfy the officer that the
contents are bona fide, and according to entry.
| AS a rule not more than one inner from each
outer package is opened.
To ascertain the quantity liable to duty, the
inner packages, If any, are weighed gross, and
the tare to be allowed as agreed or between the
landing officers and the importer. In the event
of their not agreeing the officers would be re-
quired to weigh as many packages as would
satisfy him Of the average. In Practice, how
ever, that is never done.
1t sometimes happens that preserved fruits
OF different kinds are imported in the same
package, and reported as contents unknown {;
and as the different kinds pay duty as before
stated, according to the preserving substance,
every package has to be opened to ascertain the
nature OF the contents.
Exporters and importers should be careful
that the contents of each package are accurate
ly described, in the invoice and entry, and in
such q manner that the description will tally
with the marks and numbers of the packages.
These regulations emanate from the Board Of
Customs in London, and could only be evised
nv satisfied M mr.
ed fruits suffer loss owing to the delicate ma
ture OF the fruit under these regulations, let
the examination be ever so carefully conduct
ed; but from my imperfect knowledge of the
business am willing TO suggest remedy. even
If your despatch should authorize my making
an application direct to the Board of Customs
for this purpose. I would therefore respect
fully suggest that the exporters themselves
should propose some plan, by which the loss
might be lessened, and the revenue of this
country at the same time Eot impaired. Bear
ing in mind that spirits and sugar, and every
thing of which they form a component part
are desirable, and that we cannot expect this
country to forego the duty or to relax their re-
guiations to open the door to frauds. 1
shall be most happy to present any plan to the
Board of Customs at London that may be
thought proper for modification of the regu-
latioDs now existing upon this subject.
am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant THOMAS H. DUDLEY
Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Sec'y of State
CONSULATE OF THE u. S. OF AMERICA,}
BREMEN, November 81, 1883 (
Sir: In obedience to your despatch, mo. So
concerning the treatment to which preserved
fruits i'm ported from the United States are sub.
ject al the custom houses in Germany, had
long conversation with the chief Office of the
custom house OF the German "Fall Verein," at
Bremen, Mr.. Pieg. Mr.. p. has been I've years
in office, and he declares that the facts, as re-
ported to the Department and contained in
your despatch, cannot be correct so far as
Bremen is concerned. During the five years
of his reing in Office he cannot remember more
than two cases where q sin gle bex has been
taken ont of whole Let and opened, and that
opening took place only at the request Of the
consignees. 1t happens often that fruits or
other similar merchandise are packed in q
large tin box, Theoretically sealed. Such boxes
were opened like ali other boxes; they were
again hermeticaily sealed by special employees,
who are learned tin smiths. The tariff Of the
German "Fall Verein" admits only two diff
ferent duties on preserved fruits. a higher
duty is applied to fruits which are preser we'd
in hquid-p. g. brandy, juice OF sugar, &c.
A smaller duty is paid by fruits which are
preserved dry in air. tight cans. To discrimi.
nate between these two different kinds Of pre-.
officers 10 shake one or two Of the cans, and to
discern by the sound If the fruits are dry or in
liquid. Mr.. p. afirms that the opening of the
single boxes has never taken place, and would
and could not be done.
This is the information obtained from him.
and give 1t only as matter Of information,
in regard to the Gus tom house at Bremen. The
Department will probably learn from the
Consuls at Hamburg, Aix-la- Chapelle, and on
the French frontier in Baden how the custom
in regard to that subject.
obedient servant Henry BoERNsTElN,
Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
Secretary of State, Washington.