The national Republican., 1866-12-13
--. GIDEON WELLEs,
Secretary Of the Navy.

ABSTRACT OF THE SECOND AUDroR's RE-
PoRT.-The report Of the Second Auditor,
which has just been made public, exhibits
that during the fiscal year ending June 30,
1866, 81 800 accounts were settled, embrac-
ing an expenditure Of Sl77, ,536, ia; the prin-
cipal Of which were: pay department,
Sl102O9, 1852; Indian affairs, $2,88l. .256.33;
ordnance department, % ,802, ,632. u; medical
and hospital department. Sl7,337 ,439; ar
rears Of pay, bounty, &C., TO discharged and
deceased soldiers and officers, el6, 1924
collecting, drilling and organising volun.
teers, $5,256, ,932; pay Of bounty. to yolun-
teers and regulars, Sl0,429,2l7. In addition,
various reports were prepared and trans
Initted during the fiscal yeaf. ~ :, ,IT Tg,
The Auditor, In conclusion. says: 1T Ap-
pears from the foregoing exhibit that the
settlements in this ofRce have been larger
in the aggregate than in any previous year,
while the general business has been very
much increased. About one seventh Of the
entire clerical force has been employed in
making examinations Of rolls to answer in
quiries from the Offices Of the Paymaster
General and Commissioner of Pensions.
This service, requiring great care, has
employed the labor Of valuable clerks, who
would otherwise have been engaged in the
earnestly hoped and expected that upon the
closing up Of the settlement Of the claims Of
discharged soldiers large portion Of these
clerks could be made available in forwarding
the settlement Of paynasters' accounts, but
the passage of the additional bounty act Of
July last will render their continued employ
ment in their present service necessary for
an indefinite period, while it at the same
time adds some two hundred thousand
claims to be settled in this Office. The sud-
den addition Of twenty-five thousand claims
monthly to its ordinary receipts, with the
necessary correspondence and other clerical
labor, taxes the power Of the oiice % its
utmost capacity, and has rendered its partial
reorganization indispensable. This has been
| made, so far as it could be done under exist
| ing laws, but to secure the proper dispatch
Of business, the Office should be thoroughly
reorganized. ...a ..l. r. :.
CAPTURE OF SxUdaLEp GooDs. The proper
official of the Treasury Department yesterday
received information Of the seizure Of large
quantity Of goods which were found by the
detectives OF the Customs Bureau on the
persons Of the passengers on board the La.
reno, bound from Havre to New Orleans.
| When the vessel arrived at New Orleans and
before the passengers were allowed to 60 on
shore the detectives paid visit on board the
vessel, as is the custom with all vessels ar
irving from foreign ports, and on beginning
q search for smuggled goods discovered that
nearly all the passengers had some dutiable
goods concealed about their persons which
they were endeavoring to smuggle in. Cen
tlemen Of apparently large proportions, when
compelled to deliver up their smuggled goods,
were found to dwindle down to the common
size Of men. Ladies' Of remarkably large de-
velopments furnished the detectives with
large quantities of Valenciennes lace of the
most costly patterns, pieces Of the most val.
liable silks, knives, forks, and variety OF
articles on which high duties are demanded
by our laws. The scenes on board the YES
sci while the detectives were searching the
passengers is described as being ludicrous in
the extreme, as very few expected to be
caught, they not quite understanding how
strictly our revenue laws are being carried
out. A larger quantity Of high-duty goods
we're brought over on the persons Of the pas
sengers Of the Lareno than has been known
Of for long time. -,-
| A New CUsToMs Revenue LAw.--The Sec.
retary Of the Treasury has had prepared q
bill to be submitted to Congress, which EN-.
braces q general customs revenue law, and
is designed to supercede oil other laws on
that subject, making oil necessary provisions
for regulating the foreign and coasting trade,
the assessment and collection OF duties on
merchandise imported from foreign countries
and the subjectmatter Immediately pertain.
ing thereto. The bill covers some two hun
rdred pages, embracing twenty chapters on
the following subjects: Ships and vessels
and their registration the government and
regulation Of seamen Of vessels; Of the entry
of vessels from foreign ports; Of the coasting
trade; of the equipment of vessels propelled
in whole or in part by steam to regulate
the carriage Of passengers rules for prevent
ing collisions; regulate the liability Of ship
owners; entry Of merchandise from foreign
ports; landing and delivery Of merchandise
clearance Of vessels for foreign ports ; hp-
praisement Of imported merchandise ware
housing under bond; drawbacks; revenue
/ Iharine service; pilots; quarantine; relief O.
j disabled seameni seisures suits on bonds