New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-17
THE NEw.YORK CUsTOM.MOUsE.
Mr. sianton's Reply "a the Congregational
Committee.

NTr. stanfon's Reply "a the Congregational
Committee.
To the Editor Of The NJ \. TrsSn,.
SIR: Your issue of this date contains the
Report Of the Congressional Committee to which was
referred IN January last. The subject Of inqurng into
certain matters relating the New York CustomIIouse
That report does great Injustice. feel II my duty
10 point out some Of is errors Of fact and inference
The matters set forth In II many, and the details
numerous that neither my time your space vii
permit OF my referring a. al OF them which bear upon
myself must bc content with brief statements con-
crrning those which seem to me must important.
First. As the authority under which the bonds In
question were oxacted. While | was In the Custom.
nuuse between 900 and 600 boaas were received N
the department which was under my supervision. All
II them with the exception Of some ~ ar So were cx
acted In pursuance Of several written instructions, adj
dressed from time by the Secretary OF the Treas
ury to the Collector Of the Port Tho forms OF these
bonds agreed upon by the Custom House officials,
and believed TO be in accordance with the ireas
NY instructions Just mentioned. From time 70 time
blank forms of these bonds and abstracts Of them con-
tanning their essential features. forwarded 20 the
Treasury Department They were the subject VI ire
quent consultations among the leading officials OF the
Custom House. never heard any ianlt found. during
the period under review with the essential features OF
these bonds tina; they were no, In compliance with
Ireasury instructions. / nm not ava now that any
question IS raised as TO the validity Crowded
the ias.rHof0Hs are VALID OF 80 many of the
bonds rs cover the shipments of goods
a
questions have beea raised 10 the validity OF those
covering shipments TO foreign ports Ike Nassau and
Mntamoros. These constitute only about onefonrth or
onetith ~ those received in 10y department while
as IN tho Custom Iiousc-say thousand xelve
hundred. But can only state that they were taken
In good faith aud believed TO be In accordance with
the written Instructions OF the Treasury Department
Tha, that department all along recognized these Ia
rsdioHs rather than any specific ,taise Al the au'
thory % the Collector for cxacng this class VI bonds
u proved By the fact that after this mode OF doing
The business had been going on more than year with
the fu knOwedgc Of the Department that Department
amended those very instructions. and directed the Col
accor ~ bonds under these sHSnfsd EstTHcfions
Now. IT. the Congressional Committee seem 10 sop
pose certain statute, rather than these written in
,rctons vas the true source Of the authority Of the
Collector, even then cannot reproach myself with
having followed. In good faith, the Instructions Of my
official superiors In the Custom House and the Treasury
Department. But ! have always believed that the
Treasury Department had authority TO ssue the In.
rtruciion- called In question and that the bonds,
20 FAR "a this point Is Involved. were not invalid.
S.cords Passing over dor want of time and space 10
refer 10 I'D what the Committee say in regard TO
sional mistakes In names. failure % put on revenue
.,anps &c (and these very few In number.
and am confident they errors sprnging from the
hurry 81 business and inadequate clerical force 10
ransae, 10 will aludc 10 the statements OF the Com
mittee concerning certain bonds Ia which the penal
mentioned Is much smaller than, they aegc. 10
should have been. When was examined before the
Committee was not allowed h or have rcctcd to
ne the testimony which had been taken by them
corning my official conduct. sn,pccling from what
had heard that virtually trial before them (as
from what appears In their report nns turns out 10 be
rue) addressed a letter g. the Chairman, stating this
suspicion. and thercupon claiming q right that
should before testfyin9. be permitted TO know what
was the evidence which lad been addnccd against
In his letter IN reply. he declared that l was.
IN sense and TO no extent, on trial before
the Committee bu. that be fclt warranted
in saying that At some stage Of the proceedings If de-
srcd It, could see the minutes or testimony. Resting
upyu this Insurance. when went before the COMMITTEES
supposed should be allowed 10 see 40 much OF the
testimony ~ bore upon my own case This was denied
II
In accordance with general rule they had adopted.
submitted though fully conscious thai, under the cir
cunstances 1t placed me IN very embarrassing posi-
ton Now on the point under consideration. do not
some facts ike those mentioned b! the Committee had
been asccrtaiLed gHHh N, seizure u Paps outside
Custom. House made Inquiry at the Custom House and
ascertanod what viii Ia ia proper connection state.
To understand this matter. mus explain the mode o
taking bonds. including names OF parties. and The
amount to be inserted. Another department than mite,
and over which i had no supervision decided
whether such aud such parties could ship the goods
set forth In their written manfcsts unyoiccs) Ia
such and such ports. on giving bonds. Having
fest the party then brought the manifest 10 the clerks
IN my department who then filed up blank form IL
bond. The niest always acts forth the yane Of the
goods to be shipped and Invariably carries out the sum
total The clerks would then insert double this amount
as the penal sum OF the bond The bond having been
executed ana that TACT noted ON the manifest The party
then took away the manifest and passed il through
other departments of the Custom House. before he
could clear his goods II never returned my depart
ment-was never under my control-nnd do not know
aud never DID know. where these mnuisis finally
deposited Now. parties made false manifesls either
IN respect to the kind Of their goods their
yalue. my department had no means Of detecting the
fraud That whole subject outside Of nv jurisdic.
ton, and Was 10 be passed upon by other depart.
menis. will state here that 1 mover
Knew OF OF suspected the existence of any
such fJse nnnhsis The Committee specify
eight bonds. in which the discrepancy between the
amounts tAcd Ia the bonds and of goods al
legged to have been actually shipped is large. Now |
wish to aver IN the most explicit manner that never
knew of or suspected the existence Of any such facts
until long after all the transactions alleged In tho report
OF the Committee had transpired And. have under
stood from inquiry at the Custom House. that the mani
tests In these cases sIh,bed al The Custom Hoa. and
upon the fth OF which the bonds made show that
the amounts fixed In the bonds ere correct and further
that the discrepancy between the amounts In the bonds
and tho Value Of the goods actually shipped In these
cases has been ascefianed from papers and pers0ns
outside Of the Cnsom-Hous Whether the quantity Of
goods was correctly set forth In the mancs and their
values improperly stated whether in both particulars
the manifosts were false do not know, and therefor
can only state the facts understand them " b..
xAs not examined by lie COMMITTEES ON this sublrct