New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-29
THE CUSTOMS REVENUE SERVICE.
THE INSPECTION OF LUGGAGE.

| Journals that delight in finding fault with
u s. Government officials havo recently contained from
day TO day editorials and communications alleging cor.
rupon and fraud tho part OF inspectors and weghers
In the Surveyors Department. and incapaeiy and dis
courtesy on the part OF Surveyor Cornell and his depu
ties There is not word said about the multifarious
and harassng duties OF the department nor OF the diff
cuties, indigutes, and deceit encountered In the dis
| charge Of them. Tie OF the commerce OF
this port in the past few years, and the great influx
Of ocean steamers crowded with travelling Europeans,
and Americans arriving from abroad beside hundreds OF
thousands Of emigrans demands increased facilities In
the Surveyors Department for the proper examination
Of merchandise and luggage and yet little anything
has been done by theTreasury Department nOtwhsand
ing the frequent appeals of the CustomHouse officials
who In elaborate reports have set forth the require
ments for the Surveyors Department Until within
few years boarding duty performed in small boats
and during the Winter, when the bay was frequently
filed with floating ice, whole days were consumed In
boarding vessels
In place Of the telegraph which connects the Gus
tom House and Barge Office with Sandy Hook there was
only signal station often unreliable. Now the Gus
toms service is being performed as well as pos
sble with the insufficient force o. inspectors assigned &c
the Surveyors Department The two small revenue tugs
almost constantly employed in boarding and search
ing duty and transporting the surveyors, deputies aud
Inspectors to aud from the various steamship
wharves for the examination of passengers and luggage
III
that Of the tugs shall be placed at the disposal Of
some distinguished parsonage who is to depart arrive
on Government mission On such occasion the officers
and Of the alternate cutter who have been on con
slant duty, day and night the week previous are ex-
peced to volunteer their services The tugs not ad
equae for the service having neither the speed necessary
to catch steamer sufficient sandng-room
board 10 accommodate the officers while IN transit
The officers Of the cutters, who have the same standing
our naval officers, frequently treated with die
courtesy by the officers OF foreign steamships who are
accustomed to seeing several cannon and profusion OF
gold lace wherever there Is a Government officer Col
ecor GInnel and Surveyor Cornell have spent whole
days and nights aboard the cutters patrong the bay and
barbOr 10 ascertain what reforms and improvements
are Ioautsu 10 ucoeT i'Caie 'ne t , IN
tended and there ls hardly steamer arriving
at this port that boarded by the Surveyor or his
deputies, Messys Burton and Kirk and the inspection
aud examination OF luggage and the searching of sus
peetcd parties conducted under their immediate suuer
vision Ia day steamers arrYed-the Palmyra
from Liverpool; Bremen, from Bremen; Gormania from
Hamburg Columbin, from Havana; Henry lhAuucey,
from Aspinwa; Columbia, from Glasgow audEoe from
To ascertain the truth Of the alleged charges OF dis
courtesy and rudencss TO our returning American citi
and foreigners arriving from abroad, % our rep
resontauyes boarded one OF he incoming fthch steam
eH from Hayre AZ quarantine. Those steamers Always
had an opToruHity Of vitpcsr tEc po,s orerasd Of
tic inspection Of passengers and their luggage. The pas
their luggage had stopped to Scan the new faces that had
suddenly appeared among them. The new comers
sengcr board aud are asked all manner - questions,
aud II REQUIRES no lpue amour 81 hrnncss
gives the Cust0D-House detectives good OppOr-
unity To- observe the movements OF all the passeli.
gers. Before tie steamer arrives az her wharf lac has
examined the passenger list and manifest ahd
an se The suuggyrs Of articles Of raru quality resort
every conceivable ru-c Some have yards OF costly
lace wound around their ucrb3us some have padded
under-Arts where fue watches saudwiched Ike tea
biscuits. some have unset diamonds IN hollow boot
heel, While ono Las been found TO have diamond neck
lace deity arranged under Close hitting Wig No small
amount OF thls sluISE t o he y,Jrr
OF the female Inspectors
After tho officer has all the passengers, he takes
plank raised he reports 10 the surveyor or ms deputy
nr- result Of us preliminary inspection The pas
sengcr list closely scanned Tor the names OF parties ito
qucutIy reported by the cable by the agents OF our
H2yelHl,p s ~ Gcrg drfaiuSd on hoard lilo
suicouiy FAR apart TO allow the inspectors TO
p'S H. an 1pf li,r NM ilic they siae
what their trunks contain la addition 20 their personal
eecis II is frequently found that more than half Of them
contain dutnbe articles Of which fact the passengers
mostly entirely ignorant Bundles 81 hd gloves, laccs,
pieces Of Six trukcts and many other articles In fact
Inc disputes between tie Inspector aud passengers be-
frequent that tie Collector WAS compelled TO AK
for circular from the Secretary ~ the Treasury, cass
tying what personal baggage, the following OF
which il a COPY: - ,- c.. ,.e.
SIR have before ne % 81 s late tos'o Gated s 3l'' al,
Esg - a,.eaey L ASA Il la, tsen the practice
them ato tle esla, 10 reasonable qu,lt, ile s
a.. tern .eaI.. ,la. M .'',. 80 h., W.. ,, ] f t
actual sul personal Of TIE passenger sued hFt ~oh be ppscd
s ms, Of Tie lac, hat anv artr Of asrng apparel lad never
aey should no' lsr'rr he Considered gre,Tv e,
passenger t penalty " three times the value, h alos 10 lie
Il would seem 10 be difficult as vel annoying ,sy orssr tho
G I,faI TO bones Representatives. ADJ dishonest Intentions, and
therefore great sa De taken s, 30, such DOT, odoes Of
Per0T intelligence and judgment very t,eI ,.,.u,,
The above Is the only instruction IN reference what
!
GuTy Department Taking this their guide 10 or 20 In
specOrs begin TO Inspect the trunks aud there Is
calls for tie articles sent the Seizure Department
! when TO regain POSSESSION the amount Of their ap.
conducted IN the most careful aud respectful manner
and passenger made the least complaint The passen
his hands down the sides without disturbing any OF tho
wearing apparel In fact tho examination is always
actions manner Of passenger TO excite suspicion.
The story OF an alleged indguy TO Cen DIX reported
recently in OF the papers, was greatly exaggerated
and It turned out TO be no nduity whatever There Is
nothing in the law that exemps any Government officer
formally examined the same rs that OF his fellow
passengers He never thought anything OF H. Tho fact
ears and as he had received Communication from
the Secretary Of the Treasury requesting him
gage unopened, he was not little chagriued On in
qury II found that the communication had been left
the Surveyor until after the Generals arrival In
saon with several passengers our representative
to those et with the continent III point OF nelli-
gence, eifcieEcy, and refinement
THE L. g. WAR STEAMER GUERRERO
The steamship Guerrero, now lying at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, which will probably out OF COM
mission on Friday built during the early part Of the
war at the time when the commerce OF tho country was
being swept from the by Rebel pirates She in
tended for cruiser and built with large and pow
erful engines, and with a capacity TO carry large