New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-04

ask to have OF these General Order stores A. lie
all come to me and minated to me he would like to he
Interested In some one OF the General order stores
changes were 10 be made.
Q. by whom was he indorsedi A. ! do not know. By
large number OF Senators and people, beginning with
the President, and going down. He was introduced TO
ire as a military man OF respectability and standing.
There illusions IN these letters to any appoint
ment hut his letters very strong In speaking OF Linn
as y man OF character and respec,ahility.
Q. Did YOU receive letter from Gen. Porter the Pros
dents Private Secretary from the President asking
You 10 give Col. Leet any part Of this businessi A.
O. Did Col Lect intimate to you that the President
desired that you should give him some Office, ad
vantage from the CustOmHOuse busincssl A. Col Lcet
on the first visit York presented 70 letter OF
introduction from Gen. Grant IN which The President
army, and a most faithful and Trustworthy officer
saying that Col Leet was about to retire from the army
OF New-IOrk II 1t was in my power. as an old mer-
chant 10 dOSuything to forward his views II would be
letter or communication that received from the
President, bearing directly or indirectly Col. Lect
him number of months he did not desre any
office. When the time around however. for me to
folt very DESTROYS 10 do something for Mr. Leet' and
suggested that he had better make some ARRANGEMENTS
with proprietor who already had store, and who
stood well with the community; and to do that ne must
become party interested with them The arrangement
wOs made, but not by What the nature OF IL was,
not know. not know what the extent OF 1t was.
Their arrangement made between Themselves.
q Did you aferward give 20 Sir BiXby one OF those
General order st0rehOusesl A. dr BiNby had when
came in, and he kept it night along understood that
Nj. BiXby was Democrat, although never asked MN.
@. knowing him to he Democrat why did you keep
him a. The merchants petitoned that al thg Wdle
@ Did MIR. Blxby inform you that he had entered INTO
an arrangement with Col Leet2 A. Yes, Sir.
O. VIII you give the Committee your reasons FOR trans
frrrng the General Order from Jersey city 10
New-YorK9 A. ! thought the goods were better pro-
fced here i'm the yarbouses than in stores there
under the immediate ana control OF Tue toofoI1
the steamship companies VINO owned the stores My
idea wac thai the moment the goods Should be taken
from the snip and taken possession or thdi no person l
terested In the steamship company should have any
hng 10 do with them whatever That in That way they
were subject TO manipulation and changes and liable to
a. were t6e rrorIIeor responsible for the loss ~ goods
while in wareboUsel A. No more than they were on this
O. II goods were lost in their General order stores
would they be compelled ia pay the loss A lher bonds
would be the same as tine bonds OF tn9sc stores over he
NV serious objection Was 10 Inc mode ana manner ia
which propretOrs held and controlled by the llil
OF those steamship cohihfS' nay rs " we're
the property in their own hands. Their interests run All
the way the Atlantic. 10 the docks and stl con-
though they upon American soil
O. Merchants complain that tie present system Is more
expensive 70 them than the loineI ana less
A. I cannot account for 10.
Q. II was after you leit the Office OF collector WIS H.
that entire General Order business on the ofth ~
was given to Leet StOckiugf 4. do not know That
c. d" Won reminder the number Of districts on the
North River, at the time You were Collectors A. Four
O. Was there General order warehouse in each sec
tonq A. Tier. were tour places ON the North RIVER 20
receive general warehouse goods, 10 make convenient
Tor the delivery of goods from the steamers, "
g. Was ne number ever reduced Wine you held the
a. % tullerfprf =. y 90, IN.
O. Were any serious complaints made 20 you Col
lettoriu reference 20 delays OF merchants in obtaining
their good. these General order store- ~ hen y
were anxious % get them sent to the Appraisers A.
never heard Of any complaints.
q. DO You think tiii the present h!sith a a4inlS
tered 10y yuu' was io cheap a. idl "hi'h eA't ll''
10 your coming into object A. answer unhcsi ur s.,
cheaper The system that l established co-t tAe
er,haut less than when he was la the habit 81 ~thc-
u Jersey CITY and Hoboken for his goods MY .! stem
elbows less cost 10 .he merchant tIau under ana! t!S
TEN that existed before / made the change.
Q. Mr.. Cornell -pose OF ne.gnhor WHO commit.
turned out he retained by YOU, becau.c he was
brother Of the Treasurer Of the United States, Nh
spiUueri 4 do not remember the crcul'tahres
Tie Surveyor has nothing 20 do with appointments.
.. Did you make any Arrangements In reference
Weishmasiersi a. did / decided fbFt there should
be wcichInaster clerk and foreman m each district
ihaf these three would be entitled "a then fu pay nud
lat 'hv 5t m had been made i,y the n,r-
chants tla when they sent the Office have their
Goods weighed either for export on being landed from
In sbs DELAYS Were constantly occurring All lsbOIer,
and eyer,nody elre connected with the wcichma,tcr
were 10 paid by The hour or haIhnul, just ~ thtl
were called upon TO perform duty Ia addition thought
he Wcmas ~ in the ajtcnp; to make false returns 10
he custom House on the weight ncrch8udi-e The
AIRY as that Ot foreman, where there was pressure
of business upon him. This very satisiaco,S TO "e
Weipauiaetcrs ii relieved them from great deal OF
night-worE ia making up their accounts ana stopped hl
O What would you suggest as the best means Of re-
ie1ing frauds which seem 10 have erep INTO an depart
mput, of the CustumHOu-e A. select honest in-h ana
give them good honest salaries, suChas they can 4N Oh
~ ect them Tor their capacity and pay them according
10 the services rendered ana Inc fc>pohsID! "I ue
position which they are 10 hold.
% Would you, from political considerations sweep ON
The entire appointments al tlt incoming "l ever! Ar"
Administration A. No. Sir. ..
OF the people 80 large are supser'ed pN ha"Ii
politics the ground of appointment and removal 3 \.
Certainly nor, unless the appohtccs render themselves
O. do YOU think that the public business OF the country
should Dee prosecuted on the same pIlncI' a. Pi,"s
business A. Certainly. Ii Is the only true ana ec'ho
zeal way 10 do 1t.
TESTIMONY or GEORGE W. PALMER.
George W Palmer sworn: q. What is your depart
mentl A. am Appraiser OF the Port of NeW-1ork
As general thing, honest merchants Gth0Se VINO nave
reputation and character at stake cannot afford to snug
gle It's for their direct interest to have all imported
goods pay the proper rate Of duty. Therefore While
they are not wiling rs general thing, to become in
formers against smugeers the moment any goods which
nay IA rate Of duty exposed for sale under the
market value, they at once aware OF H. rom the
effect upon their sales and the market price When they
become aware Of this of things i'll many instances
they tell me and y reason of the referred to sew
eral dishonest importers and men who have committed
fraud on the Government have been driven from the
business and firdealug merchants can import where
formerly il was impossible for them to DO 90
O. Are these slnugccrs generally Americans or Tor
q Are they in the habit OF smuggling by under
and the entry of invoices stating false quaint.
10 l. another They have inv Oces showing different
goods from what are actually imported, aud in some IN
Stances they alter the quantite ON the Invoice ater u
las hsr entered AZ the CustUm-ilOu>e. d,
o. T. not the Consul al the port Of expectation re9heu
10 cfrtifv 10 the inv Oice A. Ne-, sir
O. Are there not three iuvoicesohc 10 'e deth9n az
the Consulate 10 be seut t0 the Collector ana INC
third 10 the importers A. Yes, sir.
o. Wolid moi au examination OF the invoice kept 10y
ne Consul cuabe the officer 10 detect fraud in such
.a-esf a. Yes sir That the way finally proved a
fraud. copy of the invoice was cent Tor AMI on DlS
compared with the invoice on wlpch inc goos "e' "a
ahmed found that The latter was lhcoiItcl anu
forged In very many tht tuPlcatc invoice Wbeh
should he sent TO the COcC cannot be found al me
Custom House
o. ON what invoice is the forgery or perjury com
mitted A. on the invoice Of the Importer.