New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-14

her of bonds Ia he executed, and the dlnCullS vi @
pertaining the suicrncy of sureties has prOpoiilo
ally increased until Custom House bonds nave Deen
cEI~Srd IN popular estimation with CustOh-HouSSo
oaths-mrrr fogmaliiies, perfunct0riy eHeGucI1,
but void nl moral obligation, How lar Such noHt'
and 0at ls furnish scCuuty II Is not dncult 10 uetSI
mine Dnt beyond this their deridcd lnSuihclehcy ue
m0ralizrs the whole revenue service. anu 700 49,
brings both the Jaw ana us alJenlpISu CAo'"'AO
general cont '!Hpt. ia.
The Transportation system. by the compleXly OF us
details tine frequency OF transfers Oh tIe Rn1ousi
winch while IN transit are removed IRON omclal
scrutiny and the multiplicity OF officers, offers every
iuduceeni TO designing rOgucs and largely increases
the EXPENSES OF collecting me revenue, ~tmo p any
ADEQUATE advantage. The difficulties OF correct APP
r-Srcut m these interior places, where no eXpe-
eced corps of appraisers could be sustained, would
be- appreciated by the dishonest importer ana the
chances of success in differentiation by invoice
greatly enhanced. II tho wares were passed uneX-
auined throu e the great maritime ports, where an
expensive and thoroughly organized department Oh
ADVERTISEMENT is sustained and their value deter
mined III these interior points. 1t would he dlihcuit
for the Government to secure an examination at
once competent and uuprejudced Any endeavor to
render such tTanSl OTtatun more safe would largely
increase the expense III many cases 10 more than te
amount Of duties collected on the goods Interests
merely individual or local should NOT be allowed 10
TAX the whole country. The ports OF actual entIy
are the natural points for the collection oil import
duties, and the essay to confer ARTIFICIAL marllile
privileges upon inland towns Is an experiment. ~
once costly AMI ridiculous.
These remarks i'm regard to transportation IN bona
nie not intended to include transportation OF goous
for export Merchandise intended 1oT transit acl0SS
our territory To- and from Canada VIII Naturally DC
TRANSPORTED over the few principal routes terminating
at Portland. Boston. ANA New-fnk cities Such
safeguards mas be thrown around tAeso nles as ~
nearly nsLrc the safe and certain delivery Oh suon
merchandise beyond Our frontier
The entire cost of the Warehouse system as now
sustained is large percentage OF the afsregie cGSt
of collecting the customs revenue ihCiu't'ne NC
natural sequence transportation in bond III Is u most
fertile source of fraud, corruption, intricate quea
toIs and inharnOnlous acton as inc treasury
A ma
complicated moves with COTrelGtlIe lIlctlOn' anu
cldravOrS 10 make IL run smooth only render u more
intricate and involved without the slightest increase
of the revenue and with no adequate boneht TO inc
community. 4 customs revenue system whetner
its purposes be simply revenue, or protection mIecy
or Indirectly will naturally be complex; the variety
of products the endeavOr TO harn0nlze cOnnlctlng
interests, the ever-changng relations OF conn
tries nll tend to this result; and the rehne-
mcut OF the system in the vain attempt 10 overcome
Inherent differences, 30 reduce all things, places
ana persons to an absolute equality, SIMPLY results
in q cllmbr0uS and intricate machine Whlcn 100 OI.eh
produces effects 1t was intended to ODVla'e, Inc
remedy is tnc qualification Of the SYSTEM lnvOly-
inc "A greater facility and economy IN TIE cOlectiOh
OF the revenue and more efficient gnaId against
fraud The repeal of the laws establishing the ware
house system would largely contribute to such an
end. Bnt should such "a complete aOohtloh 10
deemed mpOiitic on account OF the deTanSeu c0n1-
ton of the currency other reasons there shOuu De
such amendments aud notifications OF the present
laws as experience and progress would seem to PLAIN
IN dictate and tending TO the entire abolition OF the
are believed 10 be the most important: ,
l. That the privilege of warehouslng shall not pc
allowed 10 goods consigned for sale, ana no. actualy
purchased IN foreign market; nor 10 goods Oh any
deSiptou inpOItcd from any of the British Posses
sions in North America provided that such restIc-
ton be not contrary TO treaty oDlgatlonsl Dut the
duties on all goods so consigned or imported 10 be
paid upon tho original entry thereof, provided that
If any such goods be sent TO public store. under gem
eral order, and not entered ana the duiles lald
within 50 days after being sent 10 store, there shall
be an addition of - per cent. 10 the legal duties I'M
posed thereon and If not entered aud the duties
and additional duties paid within SIX months
from the date of being sent To store such goods 10
bc sold at public auction, as now provided by law
and Treasury regulations
p All manufactured goods may be warehOused I'M.
der existing regulations for period not 10 exceed
three months, except Is hereinafter Otherwise pro-
vded This class 10 include all metals. all fabrics
and also all simple materials that have been sub
ected 10 no other processes OF manipulation or manu-
facture than may be necessary to prepare the same
fOT market.
8. All raw materials and agricultural products,
cOmpTehendng all articles not lcluded M the preN-
Gus class. may be waTehOused for period not eX-
cecdiug six months, except as hereinafter otherwise
provided.
graphs imported from countries beyond the Cape OF
Good Hope or Cape Horn by vessels making passage
around said capes to the port oil entry, may De
warehOused for an additional term not exceeding
three months
s. All goods included in the last three paragraphs
may remain IN warehouse for export beyond the
oHDN'''NNf
consumption after the expiration of such terms upon
the payment of the legal duties aud an addition OF ten
per cent thereto TOR such additional term OF three
months fractional part OF such term but the
whole time such goods may remain III warehouse
shall not exceed the term OF one year from the date
OF importation ana, II not entered lot consumption
or exported before the expiration of such term OF
year. they shall be held and sold by the revenue
officers as provided for goods that remain in
bond beyond three years.
g. The provisions of the preceding four paragraphs
to apply all goods sent 10 public store under gen
era order except TO the classes of goods provided for
in paragraph l.
T. All articles usually provided for the subsistence
and accommodation of the crews and passengers on
sea-gOing vessels may be imported and specially
bonded as ShiDs Stores" and may be Withdrawn
duty-free and placed upon vessels bound to foreign
ports under such regulations as may be deemed
necessary by the Secretary OF the Treasury;
&. Transportation in bond, except OF goods for eX-
port be abolished aud all duties collect at ports
where the goods are landed from vessels OF mporta-
tiOn.
n Q. The Drawback System.
The purpose of the drawback system is to encour-
age expectation and manufacturing but this plasi-
bic intent is slightly realized, and the disadyan-
tagcs of the system 80 obvious aud OyerpOwering.
that an absolute repeal of the laws establishing
may be considered as a needed and wholesome
reform, The ability TO export goods IN bond without
payment of duty furnishes every facility requisite
Tor the convenience OF our ports as entrepOts for
foreign goods; and 1t must be remembered that the
whole OF this business of TeexpOrtatiOn Is merely
commercial brokerage ana transportation, bearing
very different relation to the interests of the entire
country from the expectation OF domestic products.
by the acts Of August 3, 1861 and July IA, 1852 the
allowances of drawback for expectation of foreign
goods are restricted To merchandise in bond, duty
paid, and 10 articles wholly manufactured OF i'm
ported materials on which duties have been paid.
The refund rs drawback on duty paid goods in bond
is liable to great abuses by substitution Of inferior
goods and other fraudulent practices, while the right
of expectation OF original packages i'll bond and free
of duty fullls all the proper requirements of inter
mediate commerce. without such serious disad-
Yantages
In the case Of drawbacks upon fabrics manufac-
tured from imported material the difficulties of
identification are greatly increased and the legal
evidences so easily cOunterfeted that the most
rigid regulations imposed by the Treasury Depart
ment cannot entirely prevent fraud. Indeed, as
r.Iuif lnIin