, 1870-04-09
APPRAIsEMENT AND INSPEC-
TION OF IMPORTS.

Letter ft0m S&CIEtnry A00EUElks
TREASURY DkrARTxkS7, April s., 1870.
SIR: The department has duly eonsidere
the several features Of Ssnato bill Nc. S72, or
titled "a bill to reet,1ata the arp1aiserneu
and inspection Of imports in certain cases, an
fol other purposes" incfoR*ll with your lettc
Of the 2Gth OF January Last, requesting n
Eiewa as to the necessity aud propEety Of til
| legislation therein proposed.
A. tho measu1e oontcmpl.tes q materia
change in the manner OF collecting porto,
| Of the public revenue, 1t has been though
prnrer to give it careful examination, with
vits3 Of ascertaipinE In what respect the in
terasts Of the government may bc affected b,
| its provisions.
T.ha bill authorizes the transportation of i'm
ported merchandise, from the port of first ar
rival within the United States TO Cheago, Gin
c.'nnati; and St. Lo,,is. without examination
ea isting law, are required to bo done at tie
saaboaTd Immediately uTon tic discharge ot
tlt, cargo from the importing weasel, for the
pn Pnse Of securing the dutes on the ssme
The transportation o. goods IN bond through
tho country furnishes 81 olp1rtcnity for Snug
ject to considerable loea, Of revenue, uotwitl-
standing the utmost efforts cf the department
are dirccted to the pEevci ,ton Of frauds in this
branch Of the service. The till is heparture
from tln* practice author zed by existing laws
il this: that goods are to be tranapoztal-in
bond, to be suIo-but yet without aay k1,oyl.
edgs on the part Of tho officers Of the govern.
ment OF the contents OF th packages, and. of
conrae, without any compal ison OF the goods
troductiou Of the system viii furnish oppo,tu-
Mties. which 9ill be avaifed Of, for the subssi-
tuition Of goods while IN rvu ute oeer the enun-
Try, and will promote snngg ling 1t the inland
ports OF entry. and it is also certain that the
cost or collecting the rcven ae, in proportion
10 the amount collected, VIII be largely in-
creased.
The means Of estimating: the value Of the
goo<ls i'll foreign countries are very much di-
mirisled on the part Ut ex aminers and An
Hraisers located at interior places in the couls-
try. i is apparent that daily facilities for Az
cestaining the value Of goods III European
markets are much greater in tho city OF New
York, through d variety OF sources, than in
Chicago. Cincinnati and 1t. Louis.
The only real practical difficulty approhenil-
cd Which seems to me to justify Legislation is,
that Goodp, destined for merchants doing busi.
ness At the interior cities named, are delayed
ln their delivery 1t New York. and that mer-
chants doing business in New York, by per-
coma! solicitation and other means, obtain al-
vantaGes in the matter Of time in the e1an,ina-
tlon and aprraisement Of their goods.
have submitted the question to the Col.
lectoE OF Customs At Nev York. who states
that, eo far - he IL able to ascertain. no such
special praEIeEcs are enjoyed by tho merchants
Of that city over merchants resident at INLAND
eities, and that. whatever may llare been the
practice heretofore, he will make every possi- |
Bile e1e11ion during his administration to prc-
vent any such advantages Oh tho part of resi- |
dent merchants.
If, however, in view Of the facts, Concresa
shall be Of opinion that come legislation is |
necessary, I respectfully submit that It would |
be more economical iu the collection OF the !
revenue. aud would secure more uniformity in |
valuation, equal efficiency in every respect and
ayoid all the dangers OF smuggling by trans-
poFtdt!on Previous to an examination and COM
+ Of the goods with the entries, to cstal-
lleh i'll the Appraisers Department at New
York, where goods destined for the interior are
rhiehy bonded. 1 hnEeau devoted exclusively TO
The examination Of invoices and goo4le destined
[or tie interior Of the country. Thus ali r.
saly between the merchants residing in New
FORK aud others would be avoided
Packages not deAigucl for the Apnraiser's
stores could bo forwarded immr.liasc!y, with Al,
opportunity on the part Of the Government, in
'ase any undcsxaluation was ascertainel, or
my discrepancy between tho goods sent to tho
appraisers 0f.ico and the invoices, to atrcs; ,,y
elegrapl, tue delivery to the importer Of TIC |
foods eent forward.
In this way tic mcrrhante doing business in
Western citiea would be placed upon an oqual
outing with merchants resident in New York. !
The payment OF lnties in gold conIa BE- A.
asily madc in New York a. At the interior
itiet. It could only he by the transportation
i gold from New York a1,l tho return Of il at |
ne expense. on tho one part Of tue merchants,
nd on the other of the United States. or bv I
ho substitution Of gold notes, OF exchange il.
have the hohor, therefore, respectfully to
& commend, If any legislation il nccessAiv-
Inch does not seem to be established bv tho
acts in tho possession of tho Department.
Int Ere.ial DnEeau BE- organized at tho port
New York. ~ the least expensive md most
tlicient OF the plans proposed.
enelotc herewith memorandum. which !
As been prepared in the department, setting
pEth more in detal objections to tho bill. I
ave the honor TO lie, very respectfully.
Gso. s. Boutwell,. SECRETARY. /
len. z. CHASpIEE, Chairman Committee on ,
Commerce, United States Senate,