New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-20
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.
HINTS TOWARD REFORM.


the bountfu provision which mysterious Nature has
made for the wants of those who collect the revenue
| of the Government reference to the Bue-Book
only deepens the mystery for there find our com.
placent friend who certainly living upto ten thou
sand year, certainly receiving only three thou
sand Hedoes not lose his regular sleep by any terros
of the yawnng abyss of bankruptcy which must
sooner or later oyerwhelm the prodiga who continu.
| ously expends three and third times his income.
On the contrary we are quietly informed that he has
been vastly lucky since he entered the Customs
House. in stocks In former times, the stocks werea
| punishment for those whose incomes were larger
than their earnings or who went astray in their con-
struction of the Apostolic injunction, Let no
| seek his own, but every man, anothers wealth."
Now the stocks" are the altar of refuge Instead Of
the punishment, they prove abb. IL any stealing
| has been DONE if any excess OF income has been
realized. my compliment and excellent friend at
tributes it to his specuations in stocks Sometimes
| the Government receives than ii is entitled
| to. This is when the collectors and depu-
| ties deduct from their personal in
comes to swell the Government revenues.
But fortunately for these officers and their families
such Of manifest injustice are rare. The pres
emit Collector of New-York. Mr. Henry a. Snythe is
] an ex-merchant. Collector Smythe has made q
| bad year of 1t, and his misfortunes Will secure
| him the sympathy of the public. The Senate.
|
our relations with Russia to fall into inextrcable
confusion, which Smythe would have prevented. II
\ the tocsn of war should sound tomorrow from
Russia, the fault is not Smythes "Barkis was will
| linz but Republics ungrateful." Smythe has q
salary of &C. 400 year. but his share of fines penal
ties and forfeitures" which to the impartial mind 10
would ought to be at least half million, was
| reduced by the dyerting influences OF Wakeman on
the side and Russia the other, to bare 1920;
oil. faaln Tho
President and but about hundred and fifty dol.
lars day. including the sacred one day iii seven,
| which Collectors of the Port. as well as less adj
vanced Christians must devote to the interests OF
| their immortal souls. How the Government can
pect the revenue to be honestly collected for such
paltry pttance passes our comprehension. The Gus
toms Department in New-York City collects about
two-thirds of our entire gold Revenue at cost in
currency, exclusive of the rent Of the public build.
ings as followsi
Collectors Department, employiDg... 347.. $4,000
Naval oaiceTs Department employing Co.. ioS,oOa
weighers' and Galgers, Dept empioy'g ST.. 10000
Rent OF Appraisers store. ................ 1900
fncidentals, stationery, &c. ............ ioo,ooa
Warehouse Department. rs pdby prop
Total. iIooos
total of more than g. 100000! As supposed slim.
illus to the vigilant collection of these duties the
aties and forfeures for attempts to evade the rev.
enue, was dyided-one-half to the Government one
fourth to the Collector Surveyor and Naval Officer
and One-fonrth to the nformeTs. We suppose this
to be a stimulus and yet, when the collecting officers
have six times great interest in having the rev.
enue laws violated as in having them obeyed. the
| 81. 70 nueAr II the passing Of
goods through the Custom House to be reeondits
| art and mystery, known only to the initiated and
afording q support to hundred or so Custom House
brokers and their clerks, many Of Nnom ve.si
family resemblance in name and features to tho
Deputy Collectors, and are publicly reputed to be
their soils ana brothers. One would suppose
that such confusion of interests would create
| family dissensions that the faithful officer Of
the Government, acting with an eye single to
the collection Of the most revenue possible, and
the faithful broker, DESTROYS that his client
should pay the least revenue possible,
would come into fearful collision. But they
never do. Indeed. the employment of broker
| whose near relative is deputy collector.
| rather lessons the ad vaorem than otherwise, and
softens the asperies of the tariff Another effect Of
the large distributive shares awarded to customs
officers and nformers in seizure cases is that every
persuasion and Establishment of the Custom-House
and Treasury Department are in favor of recovery.
whether the importer has violated the law not |:
and as no counsel can conduct seizure cases unless
they are in the Custom-House ring" the lawyers
whom the merchant employs to defend him could, il
they would, draw larger fee from the Custom
House for advising him to settle than he would be-
willing TO pay them for succeeding in his case.
But. as no honorable lawyer would accept such
| n fee, this fact after all must be quite inmate.
| rial rs lawyers are 81 all honorable men,
The functions performed in the Custom House con.
sist in
Recording the title Of vessels incumbraaess , &C.
q The measurement, inspection and discharge of vessela
III. collection of duties on imports incidentally entry
psnent ascertain the amour, Of duties
parable their storage under the duties paid caee
Orfs for attempted sTaoa' aud tao bringing salts Os
| such foreI,area
In the performance of these duties the Collector is
| assisted by
| /. The Surveyor Of the Port, the Hon. Abram
| Wakeman who is his chief outdoor deputy and
who has the reputation of rising at very early hour
in the morning as often it will pay, and of keeping
his eyes and ears open during most of the day. In
short, he is a very wide A. Wakeman." Mr. Wake-
man is assisted by deputies dozen clerks,
pa Inspectors nspectresses l25 Night-Inspcctors.
beside Measurers and Weighers. lie has two Reye-
nue. steamers, which is very handy. sail out he.
| yond Sandy Hook on warm June afternoon. with
pleasant party of ladies' and abundance of the latest
! importation of champagne or the oldest Madeira,
and the consciousness that ones personal services are
being paid for in the meantime at the rate Of SO
hour are not calculated 10 give one an unfaSorsble
! view of life Hence Alr. Wakeman is not on the
| whole, misanthropic. but is inclined 10 give the
| world in general his bengnant approval.
| Mr. Wakeman through his SSS subordinates, boards
and examines the papers of all vessels entering port