The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-22
CITY 1NTELLIGENCE.
WAYS AND MEANS.

Meeting OF the Committee In this City-The
Workings Of the Custom House TO be Inquired
'nto-ReveDue from Tariff TO Receive Atten-
aaon.
has not been forgotten that prior TO the adjourn
nent Of Congress, the House ordered the committee
Of Ways and Means TO sit during the vacation anu
hnowledge with view TO a revision OF the tariff, and
of all the laws and regulations reiatlng W 80, ov va
housPs and bonded warehouses For some zen We, ueys
past the committee has been pursuing its inquiries In
The port Of New YORK. -. ,oo, ovop,inod in
good many witnesses nave , DeS" Nn'iai oGicar
cludinp the Collector, Surveyor, anu NavaI Cc.Jii
aaycra1 oT tbe most experienced revenue OluSlhtS
tsome OF them not now IN ONCE, anu =, tai t
wwI,nois emnloved hy leading importers 10 take eA-
NiuISia io barge of their CustOm-House business.
large amount OF evidence has been taken, eiucldat-
ina many points regarded as highly important
u douTninp their Investigations in tlat CITY tO-uay'
u 10 expected that on Monday next the committee
viii resume them here in Philadelphia.
The preliminary meeting will be held at the Conti.
Mental UOtnl. More than likely the committee WIN
remain in Philadelphia during the whole OF neNtweeh,
N ,,.,luate their business on the subject OF the
tariff II s requested that suggestions Ol changes ana
atOus m the law shall be made In writing, as
there will not he time enough TO devote TO oral com
municatons in every case. during the stay OF Ihe
oommttee the members propose 10 Visit a NUMBER OF
our workshops and factories. ,-,..,.
The praC Cal working OF the present bOnucu ware
house system will be principal subject ol inquiry,
espeCally to the proprety OF allowing Roous, aS S
now the custom remain in bond three years with
ont the paymcnt of duties and as to whether the
government should remit or refund the duties IN
cases where goods in bond are destroyed by fire.
The present system of examining the baggage OF
MESSENGERS arriving here from foreign ports Will also
be taken into consideration both as TO frauds COM
nittpd upon the Government by the importation OF
large quantities of valuable goods under the guse
OF "wearing apparel and personal effects and also
as to the annoyance, expense, ana deIenuon 10 pas
sengers caused by the ignorance or misconduct OF
the Custom-IOuse officials. The committee VIII
likewise direct their attention To the general system
of machinery for the collection OF the revenue com
prised in the offices OF collector, surveyor anu
Naval Officer, for the purpose OF ascer-
taing whether they afford such checks upon each
mn pnpptualV pTOtpCt the Govern
ment and at the same time furnish reasonable IA
cilites TO importers The matter of smuggling Will
Also attract considerable attention. The object of
tbis investigation will not he to trace out individual
cases Of fraud, but to ascertain where the laws them
selves are defective. This investigation will last
several months, and will include personal inspec-
ton by the committee of the workings of the revenue
laws at all the principal commercial centres OF the
United States Eight members out OF the nine COM
posing the "Ways and Means are in attendance, and
they are accompanied by their Clerk, Mr.. George A.
Rassett The Chairman General Schenck does not
expect TO be able to continue with the committee
through all the Investigations, as he proposes 10
rpend a part Of the recess in Europe.