New-York tribune., 1867-02-26
M n ~ lhe Insnector for hs seryices InspeetOrs 0re

the claim Of e Inspector for his services Inspectors are
not generally superior class Of men Eor are they always
distinguished for inclgcncc character M or ~ t
They are some of them, appointed NJ inc sdhVt ol
disler and not unfrequenty they Iegaru tnellsci1r
employees OF the dstllcr rather than OI the HOVcin
some facts may be stated indicating lhat iuGS n" ,
have been pcrletratcd to large cAtcA! WIN ~ 'S
uirance OF Inspectors The capacity Ol IA dhtIC GS
licensed since Sept 1866, n tfst Stt'nu u, @, @
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Nluih ana hut S'toIu
districts Of state Of NewYork, returned TO tc Cont
mittoc by the Assessors of the several pslcS anouS
TO 1896 gallons By capacity is understood lAG Qn
tty with which the stlll may be charged al single Omc'
Sixteen charges may he run OH III "a hours WV t
stills kept constantly running thrcc months, tstl HE
2f DAYS to the month they would produce 65G0 gallons
and revenue to the amount OF Si'Sb',jtU VIZ w I Do
served that this statement includes 10 part a. tc manu-
features Of the numerous dlstlcTlcs operating IN Inc SUM-
districts without license. 1et tse a-n9t. amount ~ A ItU 86
those diseries in three months ending NoNeultT & ,
1875 $29+6u 60. Now il is not pretended tlat t9se
diseres nave been run up 10 tHcIs jui. tjtV In
though there has been lately cOnSdeIabie aCu'H! III III
that branch Of manufactures. III IS hhON tHd1 t.'tc
1866 8iQSOQG gallons and 52Oj925 gallons made IN an,
ferent parts of the country have been yea III npu
and remain uuaccOuued for These facts are stated
without an attempt 10 give approximate amount OF
the spirits manufactured IN the dScls itlrIc 10, NY
the above Figures arc sufficient 10 show that hut small
amount OF the whisky manufactured III New orh mas
ton that the revenues Of the country are IN dangerous
condition when they are coniided to the kecPS ahu
guardianship of Inspectors VI uSuIeiIoSi III 'o A' Va Wv
manufacturers.
Itis suggested also as a question worthy OF serious
consideration whether the practice Of paying m0les l"
the iufOrmeTs is conducive to good morals, the pGDhc IN
tcres and TIE due execution of the aw We are aware
watchfulness and the detection Of Illicit tralsaCtiOhS
While the force Of this argument admitted is ar2per
evils sufficient cOuuerva all its benefits. t creates
system Of interested hostile espionage seriously annoy
inOrmer an induCemcnt TO perjury. 1t becomes lne
means Of leying Dackma and IN Numerous cases OF ue
for his interest to settle with the manufactnrer thn
to take him into Court or turn MN over IN TO t1o nc
Departmeut And this objection dppnts as wen 10
the officer Of the revenue az to the private lntluua
1t temptation to the officer IN more ways thal one.
tp
than TO that Of the Government The manufacturer Is
not unfrequeuty better paymaster than NE Govern
ent and il can hardly be doubted In view of the tcS
mOny that in some instance your revenue ofScrs hIe
decOyed the manufacturer into breach OF the " VIII VIII
a view TO seizures and mOcties Your committee summit
that with proper notifications OF tHc law WIN
care in the selection Of honest capable officers nI WIN
the aud that would be derived from honest manufacturers
when the law shall have becn SO enforced thAt ocs
men can engage I'm husnesSthe revenue can beCOeccd
without the demOrazng practice OF giving noletles 10
csnacifT ~ nfarmcrs But il is believed that mod.fica-
ion OF the law lay the tax on distilled spirits on
the capacity of tho dSicry, would bo FOUND tt one
simple easy aud effective, and that it would operate
greatly to reduce the expense OF collections ana unn
some automatic COntrvance can be nvchtcd 10 haica,S
unerringy the exact quantity OF proof sprt Pr%uTsu @
We are Of the opinion that the tax should De nd upon
the capacity OF the discry "a above sugGSs'eu, ~ ~
pert could readily determine very hear2 no % "a
pacy: and adopting this PLAN you secure the cuocon
of the and remove all me Varous teuplnlVs
and opportunities for fraud TO when alluson mas aeuy
been made, and which must ever exist under sem 50
complicated as the present some rcasoha9e utunC.3n On
might be made from the holl aSCelo.dn0" IL !,d
provide for CONTINGENCIES stoppace, etc II " %. s"
such deduction spirits might tHtdl ttN
is answered that would operate only as reduction oi
the tax, cOnfcsscdy large, but II Woud reude 'DE
illicit distlatiOn and would operate equally upon all
engaged in the business. 49, Al,
TIE evidence taken by the Committee touching inc
manufacture and sale Of tobacco aud cigars Is hot Nou
pOus but IL shows much evasion Of the tax on cigars II
appeas that the authorized practice Of stamping cigars
without the actual payment OF tho tax, - means ot
raud and IL Is believed that the owl might be rintIlcd
by recurring stamps representing the actual amount oI
tax To procured from the Treasury and placed o tho
cigars, before they are subject TO removal or sale. -
The near approach Of the dissolution Of the Thirty
ninth Congress does not warrant your Committee IN ~
tempng cmbOdy their conclusions IN the orln OF u
nor would IL OF practical 20 do, u qic TOO
late 20 hope for such radical legislation IN rerrcucc 10
the revenue system deemed necessary; but II ~
hOpcd that perusal of the testimony herewith reported
may such changes in the laws VIII insure 10 thc
Government the collection OF its revenue.
In closing this report your committee feel imced 10
add that willie they do not doubt that there may be
mcritoriOus officers IN NcW1OrE, Pluadrl
phia Brooklyn, nevertheless the frauds u those cities
are so universal and gigantic, the morals o nanuiactur
ers have become tainted confidence the local Off
GERS OF internal has become shakcn that u is
believed that the laws will never be efficiently executed
until there shall have been reorganization of the rcyc
nue. force I'm these cities. Evidence has been taken. tend
ing in degree TO implicate certain officers OF inc
government improper practices Officers have also
been heard their defense Your committee refer To
the testimony touching such without comment or
expression Of opinion. But waving AL charges against
particular individuals IL is manifest that frauds cannot
be practiced generally and openly without either
cOnnyance gross nefficcucy the part OF large
number of the revenue officers.
! MM. A. DARLING, j. 4. BEANNS,
LEONARD MYERS, y. EGGIESTOS.
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