The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-02-21
THE TRANSCRIPT.
Friday. February 81 1868.
custom HOUSE Matters.

n
der in importations, and the eX
- # commodities with our foreign
-i~17tors we have concluded to pub
~ el,anier on Custom House mat
ters.
The Collection District Of Vermont
.o,,nrising the entire State, was created
bv Act Of Congress, March I'd, 1879, and
,lbur,h was made the original port Of
on,rv. Burlington became the chief
,.o,+ of entry at later date and the
af,ice of the Collector was located there
bvAct of Congress. The Alburgh 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
District. the number Of each, together
with the Collector and his deputies, 50
far a. we have obtained the list:
No. /, Burlington, GEN. GEORGE j.
srANNARD, Collector; John A. Arthur,
Chief; NJ. p Skeels, r. II. Start, Depu-
ties.
40. ,, st. Adams, NJ. F. Chase, War
rem Gibbs, VIM. IL. ii. McAllister.
No. 3. Alburgh, George d. Sowlcs.
No 4, Alburgh Springs, George H.
~owles.
No. ), Swanton, William H. Blake.
No. G, Highgate, John \. Fitch.
No. Z, Franklin, Edwin r. Bell.
No. 5, Berkshire, Henry Ladd.
No. 9, Riehford, Sila, p Carpenter.
No. 10, Troy, William r. Rowell.
No. II, Newport, Lewis II. Bisbee-
No. i, Derby, Fred. ID. Butterfield
No. 10, Island Pond, Josiah Grout, Jr.,
Jacob NJ. Smalley.
No. II, Canaan, Geo. W, Hartshorn.
No. Is, Windmill Point, Sidney p.
Gates, James p. Davis.
This District being inland, it was for
merly of minor importance, and the
offices operated more with view to pre-
vent smuggling than to collect large
revenues. 1t was once urged that the
offices did not pay expenses; and per-
haps that view of the matter would have
been correct We're we to consider only
the amount of revenue collected. But
to regulate trade and protect honest la
Dor, it was of equal importance to pre-
vent clandestine impOrtatiOns into the
United States, and 50 far as the officers
answered this purpose, the people re-
ceived an equivalent for the expense
We have heard of the early Collectors,
whose business was not so very extern
sive, or papers so vOluminous, but they
could easily carry " current quarter y
Of them, each i'm his hat. The Cana
dians formerly had but little we desired
topurchase after supporting themselves,
and we could not expect large revenues
Oh their products. We have enjoyed a
reciprocity with them, and things have
changed. They had, for a long time, the
free use of our markets, and made mon
ey out of the operation. Only raw mate
rails, as a general thing, were free from
daty each way and this class Of mer-
chandise was exported from Canada
rather than imported; and upon our
manufactures, the kind Of merchan-
disc only which our people could find a
market for there, the Canadians assessed
duties. And a. they grew fat upon the
reciprocity, they grew naughty and in
sOlent, and at one time thought them
selves greater than the United States
themselves, as their regards for us dur
ing our late war, the II. Adams raid
and the sequel proved. Soon after the
war terminated the reciprocity expired,
and our Statesmen did not feel them
selves under sufficient obligations to
them, for their past kindnesses, to re-
new free trade. Our people intend,
hereafter, if the Canadians are to enjoy
the benefits Of our markets that they
shall pay for the privilege
Our forests have fallen in the march
OF civilization, and Canada finds mar
ket for her boards and timber in this
country. The expectations Of Ottawa
pine from Canada, are immense. The
Burlington lumber market, which has
grown up within few years, stands on
~ third in the lumber markets of this
country. The revenue upon this lum-
Der imported into Burlington is consid-
cradle, and is constantly increasing
The boards aud timber on being dis
charged from the vessels are graded as
regards quality, and measured by Gus
toms Inspectors, which, during the sea-
son of navigation, requires no small
force.
For number of years all vessels ar
irving in the United States upon Lake
Champlain were compelled to report
and clear from the Champlain District
of New York at Rouse's Point. The
Norkers seemed TO have forgotten the
result Of their early claim made upon
New Hampshire for Vermont territory,
in the entire independence which Yer
mont obtained from both, and hoped
again to be able to control, to some eX-
tent, the lake commerce of this District.
rms was all very well for the Rouses'
foiht people, so far as they were con-
eerned, but in the execution of the Gus
toms revenue laws, vessels and mer-
chandise, destined to places in this Dis
irict. Were needlessly burdened there
with expenses in consequence.
The Treasury Department at Wash.
mgton has answered the petitions of the
people of Vermont, and the port of AL
burgh at Windmill Point, the oldest
frontier port, was re-opened the pas
season. An Office has been located upo1
the Vermont Central Railroad bridge a
the channel Of the lake, where vessel
for Vermont report and take thei
clearances. From articles recently print
cd IN the Champlain District newspa
pers We should infer that they are no
well pleased with this arrangement
Upon the completion of cur great Rail
road lines of communication between
New England and Canada they were al
made to cross from the Vermont front
Ter At Island Pond, on the Gran
Trunk, and at st. Adams, on the Vel
mont Central Railroad, importations az
extensive, and more than an old fasl
Toned Custom House force is required
f~..s, A. /.