New-York tribune., 1868-03-16
THE VHISKY SEIZURES.

THE WHISKY SEIZURES.
The frequent seizures of distilleries and rec
tifying houses made during the present week,
and duly chronicled in The TRIBUNE, have ex-
cited general inquiry as to the disposition made
of seizures formerly published, but which have
no place upon Court records. The public, or
at least the great body of the people, who
have no special interest in the transactions OF
revenue officers and the operations of distill-
ers and rectifiers other than a desire that the
laws relating to the manufacture OF whisky
and a collection of the tax should be enforced
like laws bearing upon similar articles of mer-
chandise, express very natural surprise that,
with very few exceptions, the announcement of n
seizure is the first last, and only publication con-
cerning it. This week is not one which has
been specially devoted to raids During last
Summer, and throughout the Fall and Winter, II
TRIBUNE readers will but recollect, the seizures
were published of the houses of Pike g. Co.. Cor
don, Fellows s. Mcmillan, Kerr, Haas Joseph
Jones, Joseph Ross Ambrose 0'Neill, Fisher
Beyer, and Hoff hemer & Somers 4; and, without
reference to the files we have an impression that
these establishments were taken possession OF
by the same Collector or under his orders, and
that the seizures were rated, and that a con-
dcmnotion of the properties would be made in
due course by the courts as required by the
law, according to the suppoStion. Although
sufficient time has elapsed for the courts to take
cognizance if the several cases were brought
10 their notice, the understanding is that an
other mode of procedure was preferred, and
the courts were not troubled with considera-
tion of them-a kind of treatment not calculated
to lessen the disposition to commit fraud upon
the revenue however agreeable it may be to
the accused Seizures are made at times so
unfortunately and so indiscreetly that 1t Is DIM
cult 70 believe that all the persons mentioned as
guilty of violations of the law are really so; ana
this hesitancy would seem to be justified by the
failure to prosecute in accordance with the ALE
cations. Moreover it does not always follow be-
causea a merchant is willing t0pay $4,000 OF SI5,-
900 TO regain possession of his premises and prop
critics. which may be valued at Sl5OOOO or $780,
OOO that he cOnfcsSeSto fraud to that extent for
every business man who is at all conyersant with
the amount of capital invested in the more extern
sive rectifying houses knows that to keep that
capital and the contents locked up for even 90
days, deprivng the owners of its use and scatter
ing their customers, is tantamount to condemna-
ton by the courts of the whole amount involved,
even If the proprietor should be proven
guilty of fagrant violation of the law. This
may he one rcasOn-at least we are quite will
ing to so understand it, however inconsistent
with equity the proceeding may be-that the
Messrs. Pike & Co. should consent to COM
promise that would restore to them their prop
critics, estimated at S1j0,0OO by the payment
of $4,000; or that the MesSrs. Gordon, Fellows
& Mcmillan were willing to pay $4,000 to re-
gain possession of whisky valued at not less than
sl2j. 900; or that Kerr that was anxious TO re-
sumo business with his 100000 worth OF stock by
the simple deposit of 100000; or that Joseph Jones
paid $500 (or, as some people estimate, s2OOOU
to have the pleasure of accommodating his GUS
toners out of $4,000 worth of whisky or that
Haas should pay Il 900, Joseph Ross $1,000 AM
brose O'Neil 5, 800 and Fisher Boyer $1,000, TO
be enabled to prosecute their several occupa-
tions. The remaining house of Hotiheimer q
Somers has not yet been arranged, but, perhaps,
will be as soon as the requirement of the Treas
ury regulations is complied with, that seizure
made by a collector in a district other than his
own shall be reported to the collector of the
district in which the seizure occurred; then the
pro rata compromise will be effected in this
case as in the others by the person In, and the
person claiming possession. These "compro-
"mses" may be according to law or regulation
or with the approval of the Secretary of the
Treasury; but if either regulation or law, by
its phraseology, may be so construed or per-
verted as to constitute one man, however pure
he may be, the prosecuting officer, the jury,
and the judge, it is about time the law or regu-
lation were revised if the best interests of the
Treasury Department and the mercantile com
munity are to be subserved.