The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-28
GhsGeteIIfattr
The "GenerAl OTdeF'' COrruptiOns OF
the New York Custom House.
From the Chlcapo Trihnnn.


service in the world" is the New Yorl
Custom House, with It's countless com
binations Tor swindling both the mer
chants and the government. OF these
one OF tho most outrageous, and ont
which has continued under the present
administration, is the General Order
busidess OF George X Leet and his con
lcdcrates
Previous to 1870, tho goods which were
discharged from ocean vessels aud moi
Immediately claimed by The importers
were taken care of by the transportation
companies, under general order" from
the Custom House authorities, and in
warehouses belonging to the companies
These warehouses came into existence
because the necessities Of the ocean
traffic gave importers hui iorly.eiCht
hours to claim their goods on board the
vessel which brought them over, and Il
was not ccnyenient-indeed, II was i'm.
possible-:Or importers to do this, as n
general rule. The system OF warehouses
went on smoothly, and there was no
complaint OF its inefliciency, until in
January, lSIO, an order was suddenly
issued from the Custom House direct
ing that all goods not delivered d.
rectly from the vessels to the importers,
and duties paid thereon at once, should
be consigned to ono or two warehouses
owned by private parties, and placed
much less conveniently to business, and
in a locality where the, danger from Are
was much greater, and the responsibility
Of the warehOusemen much less than un-
der the old arrangement. Some Of The
workings OF the new system may be
learned from the testimony OF New York
merchandise. 7. Stewart, William H.
Dodge, sr., William u, Dodge, Jr, and
others whose word is equally unquestion-
able. MIR. Stewart testified that the
charges Of Leet & Co., the prOprietors of
the general order business they were al.
lowed TO charge for carriage, &c, and for
u months storage, even though the goods
should not remain over a night in their
warehouse), were % him from $3.50 to &c
per package; but other merchants, whose
influence was less feared, swore that they
were mulcted from 81 to $3.50 per pack.
age. Mr., Stewart being asked relative
10 the charges under administrations
previous to that Of Leet u Co, tes-
lifted that they had been $l.95
under Squire, and 90 cents under
Bixby-these being, in their order, the
predecessors of Leet. Mr.. Stewart fur
ther swore that there was much less secu-
rly CbGyond all comparison under the
present system than under the former;
Nlso, that the losses from theft and the
damage 10 goods were much greater, and
the facilities for obtaining goods from the
warehouses much poorer than formerly!
This last cause Is due 10 the TACT that there
were len warehouses under the old sysI
tenn, each OF which II was for the interest
OfthG prOprietOrs the steamship Compa.
ncs) to keep well served with help; where.
rs, under the present system, there orc but
two warehouses, so Cralnmed with goods
that 1t Is difficult TO find anything, while
importers arc Obliged, for lack Of help
about the warehouses, TO send melI Of their
own to handle The goods. Indeed, 1t will
he seen that, since plumber Is the main
consideration with LGGt IL Co., 1t Is for
their interest having monopoly Of the
business, to keep goods in their ware
houses US long us possible, and make 1t as
inCOnvCnient rs possible for the owners To
get them out. Such policy adds to tho
storage charges and stimulates the C0ntri-
button Of CiOaceurs by the importers. Hero
are II question and answer from the OK.
animation of MIR. Stewart:
question. Does the government, In your ludg.
meut, derive any advantages under tho present
system which II did not under the OldY
No, ttt1tn Nltn Neaa n8tl ans
can only be used to annoy and yex and depletd
IhcpOckcts Of the importers.
Aud here is n passage from tho testimO.
ny Of William Il. Dodge, ST.; /
QatItiOn What Ia the affect oil tho present
Custom House management upon the mercantile
interests of New York city az 10 the dlverLing Of
trader
Anarsr can say this: tho complications,
annOyancCs, vexatlonB, and the dangers which
are occurring TO merchants from the present Gus
tom House management arc such that every mer.
chant whose Imports come from Europe sends
them to any other port In preference to New
York, II no can arrange 10 do 20.
question. Does your own firm send any freight
In that wayI a .Eu.
Baltimore, New Orleans, and Portland, In pref
eencctO New York. -.|.0I.'
Anstsr Very largely from that. We have
local laws which are very unfortunate In regard
to our quarantine. Tho simple point Ia, that
our Custom llousClsa political machine.
All of the many merchants examined
by the committee corrObOrated their tesI
tmOny in all It's essential points. Luther
Horton, an exclusion House officer,
whose sworn statements may DO taken
without question, except that which
would naturally arise from his calling,
declared very positively that the three
parties commemorative government, tho
steamship lines, and the importers
would oil be benefited by q return TO tho
old system. Then followed this signinI
cant dialogue with Mr.. Horton:
question: Is there any legitimate interest con.
neCted with this general order business that
would not be subserved by transmitting IL u tho
Jersey City shore, % II was beiorel .LT
AnSrtr Nothing but dollars and cent? Jor. d
ring; that IL what Is the matter, and is a nlcd
little job II they can keep II up, and I tell yOI
they have power enough TO keep up. 4
OF such testimony rs this, uncontra!
dicldi, there was bulky volume taken,
and upon II the Congressional Commit.
tee based very urgent and unqualified
recommendation for the suppression OF
MesSrs. Leet l. Co. The Secretary Of the
Treasury also made o praiseworthy effort
in the same direction, and wrote both to
the New York Collector and to the Com.
mttcc quite earnestly upon the subject.
But by the time (June, 1870 Murphy had
become installed in the Custom House,
and was prepared to carry out, without
scruple, the policy Of his predecessor,
Mr.. Grinnell, Of running the Custom
House Tor the benefit q Of the Republican,
party, not for that Of the government or
the consumers Of imported merchandise.
Boutwell, seems to have quAiled pOwcrlGss
before Nurphy's combination; and when
Senator Sclurz inquired In the Senate the
other day, Tor n copy of the Secretary's
Letter referred to, Senator Patterson, who