New-York tribune., 1868-03-24
THE SHERRY WINE CAsE-sUMMING UP FOR THE
GOVERNMENT.

I'm the L. S. District Court yesterday, VIM.
g. Choate esq, Of counsel for the Government in the
sherry wine case which has been three weeks on trial.
commenced summing up He said that the case was
very simple one Involving only two questions, namely
Whether he wine in this was inyoced at less than
rs markey value and u was whether was SCho dS
Tense had neediessly complicated the case by making
other issues attacking the Revenue laws and trying TO
excite prejudice against those laws They have eyaded
the main issues Of the much as possible Counsel
defense has not hesated in his professional ca
pacty, appeal to against the laws framed by
Congress at the commencement OF this Government
and continued IN force ever since, ard which
have thus been sanctioned by long experience You do
not consider yourselves wiser than Congress- and even
you were, must in considering this case SIMPLY pass
upon the facts according to your Oah and say whether
these laws have been violated The cry raised by the
defense OF "Inormers spies: &c. Is merely raised to
contemplate the necessity of providing for the reward OF
those on whose Information seizures Of property made
The Revenue laws would otherwise be practically nope
ratiye. The prosecution OF offenders against the Rev
auxiliary The Government trusts foreign merchants 10
mako up their own invoices relying on Their honor
but when II becomes almost certain that they are
abusing this confidence the bound to take
every proper To ascertain the facts and some one
YOU may The old fashioned way Of doing business Of
buying the products of Europe by merchants Of this
country for these merchants to abroad personally
or by agents, and purchase their goods in European
understanding the purchase on the spot But this way
doing uSness has been to great extent superseded
10y foreign merchants sending their goods TO agents here
for sale 20 our merchants But this proceeding merely
matter Of convenience. Every man of sense will sec
that while tins may thus be made the nominal market fol-
such goods the real market b where II always was the
place OF export. The temptations and facilities OF
these foreign merchants, having agents here 10 under
value the goods they export very great and the Gov
ernment has found very difficult task TO unearth the
many frauds and expose then in their true light The
proper price value TO place in the invoices the net
price received by these foreign merchants for their goods
and yet is denied that the wine In this In
voiced per cent less than the amount quarter
cask received by claimants from their agents here Fraud
rs charged here and 10 became apparent that frauds by
certain foreign merchants had become frequent and Of
such magnitude as TO render it incumbent upon Con.
gress to pass laws looking TO their detection by
agents sent abroad for that purpose. How were
their mission TO claimants and ask them for nf0matiOn
Certainly not But they went TO work In proper way,
and have collected of evidence which, in connec
ton with evidence the should satisfy every
reasonable Of the guilt Of claimants. Counsel made
very elaborate argument and had not concluded at the
hour Of adjournment.