, 1870-06-03
cUsT0MtAT RoaTS SeEENrel

-----.. !
The Transportation Of Foreign Goods
Across the Continent, or to In
terror Ports Of the United
States.
A Change In the Law Recon-.
mended--Ncccsslt Therefor.
The President Of the Chamber OF Commerce.
Of Chicago has received the following copies
Of documents from the San Francisco Chamber
of Commerce and Commercial Association
relative to proposed change in the present
system Of entry for goods paeelng from the
sea cpsets acrose this continent to foreign
countries, or to interior towns in the United
States.
The first ia an Address to the Senators and
Representatives in Congress from the State
OF California, ns follows:
Congress has made most munIGcens grants to
tile Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad
companies, In order to connect the tWo great
1crars Of the world by continuous line OF rail-
tend. II has also recently allowed . subsidy Of
une Hiiliou dollars to the Pacific Mall Steamship
Company, III order TO secure a sem-Inontoly line
This has been done with the full approval Of The
people OF Tie United States, In the hope anl ex-
pecta1'on that American railroads and American
steamers would becpme the great medium
u Intercourse for tue commerce o.
The world between Europe and Asia:
The almost simultaneous eo@pis.1on .aM nc+,Ia y;
route and has rendered an eaf1est strlc 1of inc
trade necessary, II the above end Is 10 Dc aecon-
p.lshed. ,o..,. On a-,ro,,
our reone and our national legislature are anxious
that no unnecessary lmreotdehis sno1to pc n.
fpr which such vast SUNS arc beng expended 1t
il. however, true that quarter OF century asn,
under the customs Laws, systcm for the rTnns-
poTtatiou OF foreign merchandise IN bond, within
tic limits OF the United States, Tas adopted {un-
der the belief Of ss necessity ur utility which is
now found to operate dlsadvantaEe0usly, and even
dtsastrousy, to the trade before referred to, Is
we'll as to the interest and convenience OF the va
which are compelled to make use OF it.
We aim to show III this communication that the
inevitable losses and delays entalca by this sys-
fem arc not necessary evil which must be en-
dured In order that tie CUSTOMS revenues may be
collected
1865 articles 46, part 8, Lperativc1y require that
merchandise arriving st one port, and intended
for another port ot entry III the United States,
shall not be forwarded 70 its destination until the
duties have been definitely ascertAined, aud The
collector of the second port tof destnation)
| charged with the precise amount due thereon
an as1 to rn14r tas II ,h aI BE-
chantise in tue usual manner; the United States
appraisers must receive and examine the whole,
q ana must maze formal report 10 the Collector oi
| its dutiable value and classification under the
Tariff acts; the inspector, Thu Is assigned TO the
importing vessel, within three days after the COM
| picte aui final discharge CT the game, must mike
lis return 10 the Collector Of the goods supposed
e On ,a na sn Of 1e g9eds
states FaugcEs, must IN most cases, ascertain and
repoll The quantity OF the article, aid the time al
| lowed by Law III which to claim an abatement Of
duty for damages sustained oil the voyage, must
| expire THIS time Is ten working, OF eleven or
twelve calendar days, after the landing OF the
mt rthandfse, aud, II the merchandise be damaged,
| as much longer as may be necessary for the ap-
praisers to ascertain AID report the fact, After
th.s delay when the reports Of aat dpt,ahle value o.
aud o1 damage, If any, and Of quanttty are had,
the altustor OF duties commences his calculatlons
checked ] By lie Savai once. The importer then
Is Ut liberty to give bond for the due delivery Mt
the second port OF entry. After that certified
spaTtat1on entries are made ont by the Collector.
The goods are delivered TO the Importer IN &C.
cordance with Article 50, Revised Treasury Rcgu
Ills bond, must TeJeliTer tie merchandise to the
collector at the second port Of entry, and then tht
entire process above described for the ascertain
nent OF duty must be gone through with anew
! | and the amount due must not be assumed on tn
strength OF the PREVIOUS proceedings. II tn,
sV ae pe in tns amount e das
charged, which can only be Tec11ed BY means Q
! an indirect correspondence between the III
1f11ces, coIducted entirely through the Treasur
, | Department ut " Washiugt0n.
Ii requires prompt action to accomplish all thi
In two weeks anu cases occur where delay 0
even four weeks is amost, Or quite, Inevitable,
Tie delays are not the only evil attendant upDl
I Tie prtsen! system. Fragile goods are liable L
-hlnas Of goods, which have been packed BY eS
Z 1srls In that particular business, cannot well b
iclacked by ordinary persons 80 Is tu bear anothe
t " long tuurntf, without great injury.
5 TEen the importer must also harc an agent 4
tic port o. arrival 10 mike entry for him, to Civ
eo In TIE a ea 70 e 9s.
the agent be not paItner), and also to give III
( necessary transportation bond, with sul1cEen
goods 10 the collector at the second port Of ent3
}en5c, NhEh, In the aggregate, sometimes exceed
the cost Of transporting the goods across the Al
: As ali snis must tie gone through, both at sa
g FEancisco and a. New York, in the case Of good
7 Le supposed that the snez Canal rouis
! Of lslhmus Of Panama route, either {
penses and M delays, I'll not 6e preies1ed b shii
Ee1s7 III what a5ai1 Is the Increased speed OF Uu
: i1ute II The goods encounter q delay in the tw
$ Custom Hopscs which fully neu1alize1 TT
, But the delivery OF the goods to lhe Importer 70
| transportation WAS thought to render these sale
! eilsr ' merchandlze within the Territory Of ii
| United States, between the two ports Of entrJ
Why then, deliver the goods to the importer nj al
Until duties have been paid at the second port
, We have, therefore, framed bill which doc
rot provide Tor any such delivery, anu would
tu taEe away amcst all possibility VI fraud On III
part; which enuusts the to dislnte1
.sted and responsible parties, who would be, nece:
I &r,I,V tjtnP.
and dela}s to the porter Incident 70 the pfeset
: system, and saves the government the expense {
g Judgment, affords ample protection to the reVenu
] OF Inc Untred States 1t Is general in Its prov
sora ard, MS Its tit'e indicates, Is intended to oer
e 1T the Interior ports Of entry, ~ well aa tn
= great thorou1hfares across The continent
= We would respectfully urge upon yon in speed
0 systcm, bciorv : prejudice against the transit 5
. Why Of IN United Skates ls established, both 1
b Europe End Asia, which afterwards even by q
I Signed " J. 4. Stow: Il. Heynemann; Adar
: Grant; Thomas BREEZE; Alvan Well; Tholna
= Tobin, and T. Locan, the Joint COMMITTEES Of u
e San francisco Chamber Of Commerce, and I'll
r San FTancisco Commercial Association
| TUE BILL. .
. AN ACT 70 facilitate the transmission Of Astaht
AUSTRALIAN, and European merchandise Into an
nclOas the territory OF the United States Of Auel
lea, and for other purposes:
Rtvgesat;rts ~ o1 e. Gn,d ata 1,Io of a1 Imt19e
Congress assembled, That from after the - day 4
! -, any goods, wares, or merchandise arrtyln
from foreign countries, at port Of the Unite
: States, which are shown by the manifesto Of th
> importing vessel TO be destined for 4 couectto
district moIr interior than the port Of original In
l,ort2ti0n, destined for any place In either Et
rope, Australia, Asia ria the Unlted statea, MA
!, l,c Immediately conveyed to thelr destination
lie manner prescribed by this act
SEC. 2 lie 1t further enacted, that any raflroat
steamship, or transportation company or con
3 1anics, duiy Bonded In the manner now prescribe
! by law for the transportation Of foreign merChal
u disc In Lond he and are hereby authorized to d
Mand ED RECEIVE from the Collector OF the p0
| CT nDal destination In the United States, any me
IS tElnlise imported IN the manner prescribed
!, the foregoing section. H1orided, that the sal
y y railroad, steamship, OF transportation coEpaI
!, The port where such goods, wares, or meEchandil
1irst landed In the United States, IN invoice
tic culy verified by the Consul Of the Unite
States residing at or nearest the place Of sh!pmen
y | which invoice shall be quadrupicate COZ
!! TT the Invoice required by the first secto
It CT an act, entitled, "An Act to prevel
i, and punish frauhs upon the revenue, etc, etc
4rnrOyed March 3 1t6s; and shall also hare prev
1us1y extcntetl and given to the C0llector OF ii
pH Of arrival good, sufficient, and satistactol
lUnd IN double the value OF said invoice, for II
disc, unopened, unchanged, and intact, to the Co
!ector OF their final destination in the UnIte
Satesf furtdsd further, that merchandise In t1Al
. sit from As1n and Australia 80 transported IN
destined for Europe shall he delivered BY sue
ctmpany into the custody Of the Collector of
EuE1 lh the Atlantic seab0afd Of the United State
~. and may thereupon be exported by said compan
u from such custody to Europe, In the manner no
prescribed By taw, and merchandise intended Il