The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-14


VIOLATION OF TsE STAMP ACT.-The court
room yesterday was locality of not a little in
terest to very considerable number Of our
merchants, who had received information that
certain spies upon their business had re-
ported them for violation OF the Inter-
nal Revenue Law. In other words, the
stamps had dropped off, OF boen rubbed of
sardine boxes, pomade bottles, and other
smooth parcels Of goods, and, the informers,
purchasing these. had reported the fact to the
United States District Attorney by whom the
several parties were indicted. In presenting
the indictments to the grand jury, His Honor
the Judge made the following remarks:
Gentlemen Of the Jury: Before the late un-
happy struggle, which may be sEid not yet to
have ended, our people know little or nothing
Of the great evil Of taxation. Unhappiy our
people, by putting aside the law Of the repub-
lie, or rather by appealing from law to arms,
have been placed in the same condition as the
rest of the world, and we suffer from the worst
results Of wasting war. We are not better off
than the remainder OF mankind. The soldier
and tax-gatherer are everywhere. 1t is 30 in
France, Germany and England. The Stamp
duty, which oncs was kpown in America, only
to be resisted as unconstitutional by ouf fore
fathers, has at last become great necessity.
The General Government, which was emphati-
cally mere distractions thing on paper,
scarcely seen or realized-has become the gov
ernment Of every man in the country-felt and
seen. 1t is an unhappy condition OF things
that the ta1-gaGherer and soldier are every
where. 1t is sad necessity; nevertheless it is
o necessity. 1t is q necessity for South Caro-
lima, and it is necessity fo- Massachusetts.
While this is iax which orpresses painfully
as it bears upon us, it s equally painful and
oppressive elsewhere; and this oppression is
national calamity. At the same time, it is
national necessity. But we must enforce some
scheme of taxation or be utterly discredited.
and give ourselves up to shame and degrada-
ton Us nation which repudiates its indebted
ness-a thing most to be abhorred-and makes
itself stencil in the nostrils of mankind.
Therefore, say to you, the enforcement
of these laws is q vital necessity peremptorlly
demanded, alike by our honor, our prosperity,
and our good name. The tax sought to be
collected here is a tax mainly upon luxuries.
the consumption OF the poor man and the la
borer. Yet it is Of great Importance, and l
trust it will be go regarded by you IN your de-
liberations. With these remarks, l commend
the subject to your intelligence and discretion.
The Grand Jury then took the Indictment
and retired, and, after due consideration, re-
turned and reported through their foreman
that they had sound true bills in the following
cases:
D. a. Anime, Augustus o. Barbot, Ferdi-
nand Bernhardy, Charl Bart, Henry Bull
winkle, Williams & Byrne, Simon Fogarty,
Phillip NJ. Cohen alias Melvin P. Cohenss Daw-
son & BlackIaan, Augustus w. Eckel and
Adolphus 7. voorden, Fogarty & Stillman,
Thaddeus T. Hertz, John Mehrtens, McLoy &
Rice, Melchels & Muller, William Shrine,
Joseph R. Soiomon,' Fred. Won Santen, Adol-
phus ]. Vidal, and John Zanoga.
The grand Jury was then discharged until
Thursday, at II o'clock, a. M.
liz re Rittenhousc, FAINT & Co. us. Kreuder &
Behre; petition Of Kreuder to be discharged
under the Prison Bounds Act.
On motion Of Messrs. Brewster & Spratt, in
behalf of James D. Tradewell, solicitor for
petitioners, and with the consent of Wilkinson
e. Gilchrist, attorneys for plaintiffs, it was Or
dered that the time for examination and hear
ing of the case be postponed until the Goth
instant.