The Portland daily press., 1870-12-07
The Transftr Of the Revenue Steamer Mn
honinE.

honinE.
After several years. uninterrupted effort to
that end the merchants of Boston have succe ed
| ed in obtaining an order from Secretary Bout
we'll traslerring the revenue steamer Mahon-
ing from Portland to the Boston station and
supplying her place here with the schooner
Vigilant, now at that port We do not under
stand, however, that the order contemplates
any change of officers.
measure so directly affecting the mercan-
tile interests of Maine deserves attention from
something more than local considerations
When steam vessels were introduced into the
revenue marine on the northern and eastern
coast some ten years ago the attention of the
Treasury Department was directed to the need
OF Maine for more efficient system than the
one then in vogue, and the Mahoning was as.
signed to the Portland station. Every succeed
ing year has demonstrated more fully the econ
omy and wisdom of the arrangement. The
cruising limits of revenue vessel stationed
here have been from Mount Desert to Cane
Ann in the summer, extended east as far as
Eastport in the winter, covering a coast line of
about 300 miles, and lying in the track of a
large fleet of sail and steam vessels, both Amer
ican and foreign, laden with valuable cargoes
from abroad, inward bound, as we'll as large
coasting and fishing trade. 1t is the province
of such vessel to render aid to shipping in
distress, and the amount of suffering prevented
and the value of cargoes fand vessels saved
within the past ten years has doubtless been
ten times the cost of the cutter to the govern
ment; and the duty has been such as could not
be performed by sailing craft.
The coast of Maine is indented along its en-
tire length with bays and inlets which afford
an opportunity to class of vessels from the
lower provinces, laden with foreign goods, to
defraud the revenue by running in and dis
charging them, without payment of duties, to
be conveyed into the interior and sold. The
ponce duty which this condition requi1es of a
revenue guardian has been well performed ;and
the RECORDS OF our courts show numerous in
stances OF seizure and coAfiscation of valuable
ventures. On the whole length of our coast
from Alaska to the extreme eastern boundarv
there is no district SO exposed to the exigencies
of the elements and the cupidity of smusplers
as that of our State; and the displacement Of
efficient vessels from it, it seems to US, is to de-
feat the very object Of the revenue policy. by
removing all means of relief and prevention of
revenue fraud. The presence of swift, pow
erful and available vessel, under all circum-
stances, in our waters has exercised whole
some influence; and these and kindred c0nsid-
erations have been so potent to the minds Of
the authorities that Secretaries Chase, Fessen-
den and McCulloch, though often besought,
peremptorily refused to permit the withdrawal
0i the steamer from this port A comparison
VI 'ne requirements of the coast of Maine with |
.he hoston collection district is not necessary
here as tne differences are readily understood
py every lntelligent mind. We believe that if |
the present secretary will give the subject a. |
second consideration, and decide the Question |
upon its merits alone, the order will be speedi-
ly revoked. Our Board of Trade, which has |
such matters as this directly in its keepino |
will, we have no doubt, take such cognizance