The New York herald., 1869-06-21
sswAYs AND MEANS. Across THE CONTINENT.
Progress Of the Committee of tho United
States House of Representatives.
CuIcAn Luna Ia 1860

states House of Representatives.
CHICAGO, June IA, 1869.
The Committee of Ways and Means OF the United
states House OF Representatives. Lett New York iaa
evening 0el-tue 10th Tor
'ssourc/es Of the Pacific coast arry,naecton OF inc
on The morning OF the l2th Iuo - "a his city
Hon. Samuel Hooper, of MassachuseiYQs1 OF
chairman); Hon. William BalllsoD of Iowa; Aon
Horace Maynard, OF Tennessee; Hon. William d.
Kelly of Pennsylvania; Hon. Dennis Nc Carthy OF
New York; Hon. James Brooks OF New York, and
Hon. Samuel s. Marshall OF Illinois, with clerk
Btenographer and deputy sergeant-atarms II on J.
X. Moorhead, of Pennsylvania, ex-member of the
committee, and various friends of the members, also
30 along on a pleasure excursion.
The OBJECT of the trip, far the official portion
Of 1t Is concerned Is TO ascertain from personal OBJ
servatlon and from the examination Of witnesses
the practical operation OF the revenue laws, as TO
their effect upon the industrial resources OF the coun
try and in what manner and to what extent they
fan TO be carried out, either through fraud or In
consequence OF defects in the laws themselves
Heretofore the committee have held their SESSIONS In
Washington and have acted in great measure upon
the representations of interested parties who go
there for the purpose of promoting their own ends
and In respect to many important items OF egisla-
ton they have found 1t impossible from that stand
point to obtain accurate information, and nasmueh
as mistake in the imposition OF duties upon
single branch OF production may build up or
strike down the industries OF the country 10 the ex
tent OF hundred millions, if the committee succeed
in any degree in doing what they start out to accom-
plish the money their excursion costs Will be wisely
spent.
Chicago does not present large field for custom
house investigation The aspirations OF this enter
prising town direct foreign trade as YET only
partially realized. The domestic commerce OF the
port reaches 000 clearances OF vessels per annum
but the foreign commerce Still remains In the bud
It's extent may be inferred from the emoluments OF
the Collector derived that source which IN the
past year reached 500
The only inviting field IN the line of the Ways and
Means investigation whlch this point presents Is In
che direction Of smuggling goods nom Canada
That has been pretty thoroughly looked into, and
disooses prodtable investments on the part Of the
Bmugglers; but whether 1t caa be broken up with
anything short OF standing army along the several
thousand miles OF frontier and absolute non-Inter-
course with KanuCk nelgnDors Is doubtful.
Evidence brought before committee OF an
extensive combination In Cauada for running goods
into this country including agents in various parts
o the United states spies ano nlormers III the large
Cities and even III the departments at Washington.
The connections Of the Grand Trunk Railroad fur.
nish almost unlimited facilities for smuggling.
Baggage checked through rom Buffalo To
Portland via the Canadian railway, for instance
goes through without custom house inspection. AT
any point III Canada u corrupt railroad Official haV
ing through checks IN his possession, may pass
trunks filed with goods for smuggling to any ex-
tent ana parties been detected IN dong large
business lii tins way. Sealed freight cars also go
Through from point to another, IN the United
States VIA The Canadian raliways. Diet cave, fol
lowing one OF these lrans witnessed the opening of
OF the cars, from winch q number OF boxes were
taken and other boxes similarly marked out flied
with casks of brandy, put IN. The Car was again
locked aud sealed (the parties being provided with
facilities Tor nas purpose ana proeeeied TO
made clothing Is carried ON. There are
agencies Tor the sale Of smuggled Canada clothing
fn roll nnF pna ~ 4. All
through by various routes and under various gulses
large lot was captured wnile ago, made up into
mattresses passed duty fIee as Lolseh0ld sun.
silks opium ana great variety OF valuable goods
OF small bulk, are brought III over the great routes
by means OF false bottoms in trun@s ca riages, &c
whcn pass custom house Inspection anu are occl-
so1ally detected, but along almost tne Whoe
boundary OF Maine and Vermont tnere Is absolutely
nothing TO prevent ANYBODY from taking anything
he ordinary way on roads that Is worth car
rylng by sucn transportation. An OCCASIONAL custom
house oicer Is Stationed along the line, but they are
political appointments and generally incompetent or
IN eolIusion themselves WITH tas @ sm1gslers. s. ,or
Omaha. VIM. II. seward ana Frederick Sew,rd
lef for that point yesterday and wii await tue ar
Central Pacific palace sleeping car. III when Tue
cominittee stared IRON New YORK and whlcl Is TO
take them through to san Francesca Is the first car
to 20 through from New ork with passengers. The
car was built - Wilmington. -, De-. for tae
Similar TO those used on the New YORK and
Washington through hne. The central Pacitc own
the var Gus patents includes for tue territory west
OF the hocky Mountains and VIII stock theirs aud
connecting roads wItn these cars. The committee
will remain a day n Omaha and thea proceed to
Salt Lake City as then next stopping place.
Arrival mt Omaha and North Platre-Indian II
Atrocitics-Peaceful Character OF the COM
mittcc.
NORTH PLATTE, Pacific Railroad, June I6, 1862.
The Congressional Ways and Means Committee
reached Omaha last evening and renamed Tor tn,
night as the guests OF the superintendent of the
Pacific Railroad occupying the hours of daylight IL
general survey of the town and its surroundings
The excitement OF speculation in Omaha corner ots
which during the progress OF the work IN the con
structon OF the railroad has increased Its population
from few to nearly 1900, and ran the prict
OF choice lots up to point approxlmating tht
coss OF real estate In the best portions OF New
YORK, has pretty nearly all gone. Ther'
are stu large workshops for railroad
construction ana repairs In operation, bu
tho wofkmen employed IN them have been reduced
fully thousand ia number. and the trade and busi
ness OF the place has OF course lalgey fallen OFF
Still the country adjacent Is rapidly filling up with
settlers and with the advantage the point possesses
as o railroad centre, having the river outlet OF the
Missouri, climate hardly excelled for healthful
ness and salubrlv, with its magnificent surround
ings of soil and location for agricultural purposes
there can hardly be doubt that 1t Is destined to
grow steadily In importance.
Governor seward and Fred Seward left for tho
West last evening, with the understanding tina
we were TO join them at Cheyenne or Laramie
This morning the committee stu as the guests OF
Superintendent Snyder. embarked on special tran
for THIS point. The train, consisting OF Pullman
palace car and the woodruff central Pacific palac,
car in which we have thus far journeyed from New
York, made distance Of 2el miles TO tins station
including thirty minutes az Grand Island for dinner
In hours. whatever may be the condition OF tn'
road beyond there are few railroads in the country
in better condition apparently more substantially
Sut than this section OF the Pacific. The motion o
she has been so slight 70 enable one to write