Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-09-16
Brands at New Orleans.

From the Washington Cor. of Bait. es@ete.I
The way in which the laws are executed, IS
illustrated in the Investigation OF the New
Orleans Custom House frauds. Collector
Casey ard naval officer Dillingham; reported the
discovery OF immense frauds by merchants IN
that CITY by false invoices Sugars and cigars, II
was reported, were Systematically importer on
invoices which gave in many instances not one
third the value of the articles, and oy TINS euL'
the Government had been deiIauded 10 the eGoi
nous extent of hundreds OF thousands OF 40,
lara That this had been going on Tor years. Al
of this is true, and there is no honest man IN INC
country who would not rejoice to see Justice
meted out to the guilty parties. But what was
the action of the Treasury Department =
special agent was sent out to make an invest
cation. When be reached New orleans he
ascertaiped that the frauds had been OF con
slant occurrence for several years and that a
thorough investigation would implicate proml,,
nent Radicals, holding high legislative ana
civil positions These facts were representa-
70 the Secretary, and the agent was instructed
n confine his Investigations to the admlnlstra
tion of the immediate predecessor OF Collector
| Casey-Perry Fuller. Mr.. Fuller was lem lei
ocrat, aud friend Of Andrew johnson. ms
statement is, | know, almost Incredible yet II
| is no less strange than true. Such an exhlol
ton of political magnity and otlclaI coEfup'
ton is without parallel, as the history oil those
| frauds prove. -,
The facts are: Four years ago an ofhcer OF
| the New Orleans custom house came 10 TINS
| CITY. and reported TO then Secretary oil the
Treasurv that he had discovered that immense
frauds were being pcrpetrated by merchants
and others in that city, in the importation OF
cigars, with the connivance OF Government
officers that sugar was brought into that por!
and PASSED through the custom house, lnVolceo
at the lowest grade when it was OF the highest
| that the weight reported was hight to the cx
tent of one half, and, in many Instances, two
| thirds that cigars were passed IN tue same
| manner. He also stated that he had asc2T,
tanned beyond doubt that there was ring
| in New Orleans, with a capital OF over two
hundred thousand dollars, who were amaSsing
fortunes by these transactions.
This getleman asked instructions a. 10 what
| he should do in the matter, and was informed
| that he must return and attend TO the duties
| of his office, and not NEEDLE with matters that
| did not officially come to his notice.
These facts have been in the possession oil the
| Treasury Department from that time, and were
we'll known here and in New Orleans when Col
| lector Casey, without consultation, exposed
them. 1t is not too much to say that thor
ouph investigation and expose Of the New
Orleans custom-house frauds will exhibit al
amount of long continued official and indld'id
ual corruption unexampled in the history o
any other nation. Such an investigator vii
show, too. how the men who have been sem
South to fill the offices and their carpet bag
friends have so suddenly become rlch-so rlcf
as to be able to buy their way into the highest
legislative branch OF Congress, 1t will prove
TOO, that every official who mcddied IN ih'
matter subsequently lost his Office.