New-York tribune., 1870-01-06
THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.

OF ROBBERY Isl NbSlOm-hOOcE Oi''N'SN''''
The Collector and Surveyor have instituted
= numeer OF reforms in the management OF the Ne
York Custom House, most of which have been beB' =,
70 the importers as well as the Government, N.s
there exist some abuses which demand the imr 20. sen
teution OF the Custom House officials 1t - .n.
Investigations are being daily made in 10 a., ,.a.
zDents under the direction Of compete -. .sa..ahano
authorized by the Secretary of the =,
their inquiries in every direction - 80 no ,no
slightest suspicion Of fraud or II 49,, rno a,.oor
cry Of one irregularty fr~u v develons otners and
the result has been the bc ,sbmont Of ,es do
pAI'oh's a"u i0O Lcu Of clerical force Longestab
- ' " corr ptioR have been broken up and
~ '"oS' 's0' " disl 6noet inefficient incompetent
s"'cdis nav been NRseved. The COrdiug and Sealing
DIVISION, and the SoAlh Division, nre things of the
past Two deputy collectors came to grief one for al
oeTd completely te drawback frauds, and the
'Ssber Tor alo @rg dishonest importers TO swiDdle
the Govern 0eat by having forwarded 10 the
public storo for appraisement Of linen goods
which shonld have contained silk goods. Under the
direction of Special Agent Frank e. Howe, lIleOO hogs
heds of sugar in bond have been resampled and reap
Halse3-yhe result OF which has been that In several
Nases II found that the carOes classified quite
low ami the importers compelled TO disgorge which
they d with alacry rather than be prosecuted; WHILE
tbe other hand, the imported by hrstclass
houses found TO be honestly appraised The position
OF Wccher longer for political favOTites when
tfsse ayros contained the names Of an army Of political
fstrihors.
These are some Of the reforms in the Custom House
proper but st wider field for corruption and rregular
aies and which requires the and untrDg
vigilance to detect. is in the Surveyors Department in
which are the inspectors, night officers, gaugers,
and woighers, numbering about 450 employees.
Surveyor Cornell has given his department
bs undivided attention. and has already made many re-
aorDs particularly regarding the manner Of weighing
merchandise but the evils in the Inspectors Depart
Oeut arc manifold and 1t would seem from revelations
made In certain quarters that Eumber OF his subord
determined to make money to say the least in
. very dishouorable manner The ruling passion OF
every official In the Surveyors Department, from the
Chief Deputy the night watchman, is TO make selz
nre the principal incentive being that in the event of the
goods being COnhscated he receives Onequaer OF the
amount after dcductinc expenses for advertising and
DistretAttoney, Marshal and auctoneer's fees, and
suites The that a bill 10 he introduced during
she present session Of Congress abolishng fees TO in
formers and the heads OF Departments Of Customs has
sccasioucd considerable among Ithe Custom
House employees and the consequence is that they
unusually communicative regarding the BlOdus operaRdi
OF conducting seizures.
On the Surveyors staff are several experts, whose
specially working mp cases of supposed smuggling.
The slightest information often enables these officers to
discover astounding frauds In most they are com
promised by offenders paying the full appraised value
Of the goods and the duties which they eyaded Ere.
quenty they prosecuted By the United States District
Attorney, and fined heavy sums, Of which the Govern
Onehaf, the COIecOr, surveyor,
aieer quarter. and the officer making the seizure
The remainder. Notwithstanding the constant watchfu
ness Of the officers however the Government lie annually
derauded Of millions OF dollars, and the class among
which The least offenders arc found are SUBJECTED 10 the
IoOst yIauOus prosecutions on the part OF te inspectors
who taking advantage Of the ignorance OF the emgrant
consider him legitimate prey.
CONSIDERATION FOR TIE CABIN PASSENGERS.
Cabin passengers arriving by the foreign steamers
treated the consderate manner and unless they
suspected Of attempting to smugee they meet with
little detention in the examination OF their luggage
On stepping on the wharf where their luggage has pre-
Ueded them they make their written declaration as TO It's
An officer detailed TO make the examination,
aud there are any dulaD!e articles an appraiser rs ht
hand. and the duties can be immediately paid and the
passenger allowed TO proceed on his way That the Off
are frequently imposed upon by INSCRIPTIONS travel
is undoubtedly true and Is also true that officers
pieces few weeks ago a trunk which had arrived by
European steamer was beng carried of the wharf
Inspector, indicating that it had been examined and
passed one Of the Surveyors special officers suspected
something wrong and stopped the trunk for reGxamina,
ton IN found several uncut silk dresses and
trunk Acknowledged thatit brought by OF
the passengers and tnat he was there 10 receive H. In
sn unguarded moment he stated that he had promised
the officer who passed II $50 The trunk was taken to the
selzurercom at the custom ana Ihe SO1ectoI de
eided that the goods We're connsGaeo rev days aef
received from the Treasury Department at
ts TRe ocer Th6 passed the trunk was transferred
10 the debenturereon, where he is now on duty. In
tempt TO smugge articles of 6jolaere ana too often
ey succeed And as long as travellers feel certain that
the penalty statute dead letter and that they
wrl not be fined and imprisoned they Will not scrupe to
sake the chances Of detection.
ExrORTIOS FOR sTEERAGK PASSENGER.
There place in this port where Customs Inspectors
oJtrusve aud oppressive than on the deck OF
AL emgraut steamer ship, smashing" the baggage
Of steerage passengers The inspectors use the word
smashing It's literal sense The extOruon to which
lh been subjected 10y unprncipled horde
Of sharpers is well by the officials at Castle Gar
According the statistics Of the Commissioner OF
Emigration about 5000 cInlgrants arrive az ths port
every week all Of whom in accordance with the laws OF
the state have 10 pass through Iaslle OaIuGi moIe
than half OF them Germans NOTWeEldns ana SNedeF
few Of whom undcfstand thS ESlsn Ianguase' Sus'Uh
HOuse Inspectors, detuled speSlaiy IOI Ihls
DUTY, 40 amid their luggage, which ls anything
but pleasant duty. NMe tho examination IS
gong the owners stand by WIN wonder
and amazement perfectly ignorant Of what is required OF
them aud frequently not knowing what portion OF thelr
luggage 10 duabe There u 10 one Dy 10 give Ihen III
formation aud too often the few goods mat they may
have with them such as aiew pairs OF DIogans
roll Of bOmespnn cloth or some uscluI afuc4e VI eVth
ing rs hurried OF 10 the Public store.
our reporter, hearing OF the practices which, 1t IS
alleged. carried on al castle Garden mace inquiry O
the CustOm-H House authorities AneWspaper man around
the Custom House eyesOre 70 the Ohcas, great ana
email The heads OF departments CONSIDER nm IN lniu m
Hve the suOOTdMates don't desire that ne sha De
come acquainted with the IDOdUs opedHdt OF Custom
House business Almost every door has posted on IL
pIacard stating that no person not Sohnecteu WIN Ine
be allowed access TO- or permission 70 inspect eKdmlne
take copies have copies furnished, or De ADVISED OF
the information contained IN any record document,
paper letter. or account belonging % the
All Custom. House employees expressly forbidden 70
communicates either orally OF Otherwise any Information
contained IN the record or hes Oi the CusiOmhouse' 10
ANY person attached 20 the customs OF revenues eX
Others in the regular daily routine OF business passing
through the Custom House The penalty for an infrae'
tIOn Of this order l an immediate dismissal Inc inform
nt0n contained OeoN was oDtdne1 ~ ahotne, qItcl'
aud the statements there alleged be true II shows
atey receive the attention OF surveyor SOrne ~ is bot
intended TO charge any particular OmCei uutI lie II
can for what they say, assert tbat Tie abuses
beaped on the emigrauts are lDaDIOiO