Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-28
IFfOm Inc 81, hIbAns ITansCTIpt
The Vt. Custom House.

Tne Collection District of Vermont, COM
prising the entire State was created by Act
of Congress, March ID, 1879, and Alburgh
was made the original port of entry. Bur
lington became the chief port of entry at
later date, and the Office of the Collector was
located there by Act of Congress. The Al
burgh Office became subordinate, as did all
Offices on the frontier, which were then or
have since been established.
The following are the Offices in the Dis
trict, the number of each, together with the
Collector and his deputies, so far as we have
obtained the list
No. l. Burlington, Gen. George J. Stan
nard, Collector John A. Arthur, Chief :;
NJ. P. Skeels, K. III. Start, Deputies.
No. 2, st. Albans, NJ. F. Chase, Warren
Gibbs, VIM, II. II. McAllister.
No. 5, Alburgh, George D, Sowles
No. 4, Alburgh Springs, George II. Sowles.
No. s, Swanton, William H. Blake
No. 6, Highgate, John \. Fitch.
No. :. Franklin, Edwin r. Bell.
No. s, Berkshire, Henry Ladd.
No. Q, Richford, Silas p. Carpenter.
No. 10, Troy, William R. Rowell.
No. II, Newport, Lewis II. Bisbee.
No. u, Derby, Fred. D. Butterfeld.
No. 10, lrlaDu TOnui uoslhn uIOutt Jr't
Jacob NJ Smalley.
No. II, Canaan, Geo W Hartshern.
No. IS, Windmill Point, Sidney P. Gates,
James p Davis
For number of years all vessels arriving
in the United Ststoe upon Lake Champlain
were compelled to report and clear from the
Chsmplain District Of New York at Rouse's
Point. The yorkers seemed to have forgot
ten the result of their early claim made upon
New Hampshire for Vermont territory, in the
entire independence which Vermont obtained
from both, and hoped again to be able to
control, to some extent, the lake commerce
of this District. This was all very well for
the Rouses' Point people, so far as they were
concerned, but in the execution of the GUS
toms revenue laws, vessels and merchandise
destined to places in this District, were need
leesly burdened there with expenses in
consequence.
Tho Treasury Department at Washington
has answered the petitions of the people of
Vermont, and the port of Alburgh at Wind
mill Point, the Oldest frontier port, was re-
opened the past season. An Office has been
located upon the Vermont Central Railroad
bridge at the channel of the lake, where
vessels for Vermont report and take their
clcarances. From articles recently printed
in the Champlain District newspapers we
should infer that they are not well pleased
with this arrangement. Upon the compile
ton of our great Railroad lines of commu-
nication between New England and Canada
they were all made to cross from the Yer
mont frontier. At Island Pond, on the
Grand Trunk, and at St. Albans, on the Yer
mont Central Railroad, importations are ex-
tensive, and more than an old fashioned Gus,
tom House force is required to transact the
business, and not necessarily hinder importa-
tions. At Newport, the Passumpsic Rail
road has reached our northern border, and
importations centre considerably there. The
revenue upon lumber imported into Bur
lington is considerable, and is constantly in
creasing. The boards and timber on being
discharged from the vessels are graded as re-
CARDS quality, and measured by Customs In
spectors, which, during the season Of navi-
CATION, requires no small force.
For the faithful execution of laws and reg
ulations, the Collector and his Deputies are
required to give bonds. Importers are re-
quired to proceed directly to the first Custom
| House after crossing the line that divides the
two countries, and make their own report
and entry under oath. Upon the fulness
and truthfulness of this report and entry, the
safety of the importer depends. The import
er is also required to produce, upon entry, the
original purchase bill or invoice. which pur-
chase. if made in the vicinity of L. 5. Con-
sui abroad, should be certified to by such Con-
sui, but merchandise purchased at points re-
mote from the Consul, may be imported and
entered at the Custom House in the United
States without the Consul's certificate, wher
the foreign value of the merchandise does no
exceed $500, and there is no evidence of an,
fraud. To the cost Of the purchase must b
added all expenses to the vessel or carriag
in which the merchandise arrives in tn
United States, and the value thus obtainet
must not be less than the wholesale inarkc
value in the principal markets of the countr,
from whence the article is imported, whicl
n the value upon which duties are require
70 be assessed. II the importer would b
protected by the laws, he must, in the firt
place. answer the requirements of the Law
there is no property of the importer in th
importation until the revenue laws bave bee
, complied with. If the importer fails to re
t member his duty in reportingto the first Gu
D tom House, and the officers proceed for HIN
4 it will always be to the disadvantage OF ii
0 importer.
. Everything on arriving in tn
c country IL dutiable, unlees made fr'
BY Acts Of Congress OF tssty stipulation