New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-14
PRICE FOUR CENTS.

York. least 4 n afb
bnt few have been presented to The Grand Jsry er convicted for
Fosr That while The presen, system noeIe. eoarues hbo
fe GeSn % o. '1s "sSsrs sasd ha tbs pee rs Of
Fr; Judgment ost,ei se,aea maze With per-
. sS sgs d # s s ss"@ @ 1 y,sa, :s
% which lie entitled before dbg the us received H tho
STA That oaea frsas. Of a, m.gnaae ar. rot s,ve-., until
@ ns lapse Of the tine sEed By Law two yea vii Limits crunAl
s.sna That the expenditure for the collection Of
Stg That while the salaries md perque, tie esca,
a Ky u sIe.ss Of Sh adequate to e daa and Fcpoa.
p si a ss e OF .s5s more sS S' are .
reform 5 si o2e 4sI o@ 1sfSfs @ s',s % sss ss
1t inter- s N me business III alike improper ai Illegal
suhOus TO the interest merchants sassctEg % % aefeass eT
peD,ue and ireqsnty e,ang st DELAY thereby ehhaucng pnes
at which goods can oe placed on The Gaf,e: consumption va l.
TsA That the present Of Pablo eaage neeis reform nc
win not now dwell on these several points ami am
Of facts will suffice incline those who are well disposei
TO give full and fair investigation the whole subject
known or believed to exist win find ample Justification,
while amount OF testimony win be sufficient for those
will refer however to the fact that uncer the present
system the Collector, Naval Officer ana surveyor enjoy
powes privileges, and benefits which, while peconiaTiy
advantageous ~ them, tend directly TO draw money
from the Treasury that legttlmately 6eghSs 70 tse
examine the laws, decisions, and authorities whcn
allow these officers mOiees Of the fines, penalties ana
ments from offenders against various Customs laws and
practices which have thus gown up and prevailed. Ii
Will he fond that the seizures OF goods attempted to DO
smuggled into the Port OF New-lork duflns tue as ~
years have amounted to annual average OF over
S0OO00 In addition TO this full $4,000 has been col
lected from fines and penalties for dcffauong the Feven
The goods seized generally within the class eae
duty, Of great value, such, for instance as silks, pay
cent and other essential oils, iaces diamond watches
and jewels OF all descriptions. with reference 10 th9
and cOuson defrauced the revenue, it win he found
tAat they mainly those who have no real interest la
The Government or its credit, but Aliens and agencies
And here desire accept the favorable opportunity
presented by this discussion to repe the imputauon
recently made In this Chamher, TO the eneot that me
interests OF prominent Aewlork merchants are nor
identical with faithful and honest administration ~
the Customs Department that they are prone to COM
plain when the officers In charge DO Wen, ana 10 oo
quiet when corrupt and official incompetency pre-
vail. This is alike uDfOunded and UNJUST suppose
there is equal number OF business men or any country
who stand higher In priority OF business eieo1I' or
whose intelligence, integrity, and generosity VIII htsS
the advantage by comparison with theln resent VIA
indignation any reelection upon the character Oh sueh
men the Stewards the Chttendens, the DOdges ind
Others that long list OF tie successful men OF New
York mention the names OF these gentlemen only as
they were referred to IN tue previous discussion 10 WHICH
L have alluded -
Leaving the question OF right and wrong wholly out OF
consideration, and even supposng that these large In-
p0rers disregard principle and eschew upright ana hon
orable conduct 1t is nevertheless tOr helf own pesu,
airy interest that smuggling ana fraud De dctecteu anu
ended They cannot afford to make false invoices or at
protection requires that every importer should
the goods imported Their business is too large and reg
uar safety security 10 Oe found In any other rule
view Of the matter to broader aspects of the subject
may properly refer to other forms OF fraud and sIn
agement under the present customs regu lions oOw
mant Tcishen or The 81 gadaaas Oc Ofe for
Of ghk. whereby 10 both cases no GUY f lloa
much SSs ' T % o. f INVOICES upo vlich either by
collision with custom oheers ne sec N eea;
me stry Witch % no, ,pof ne sa..y o.
.ard falsely Inserting part the invoice en,e
When frauds OK this character detected and case,
are Iuade up which clearly establish the liability OF TIA
importer TO certain amount a settemeA may BE-
arranged upon some basis deemed satisfactory Witt "a
without proceeding 10 prosecution and JUDGMENT. Thcn
instead Oi the Government 7 ocNiEg tAc amount II
duties to which IL Is entitled under the hT the whole
amount Is treated as fre ihi, divided mp accord
ugiy between tire Cailcct0r Naval O'cr, and surveyor,
ana tie individuals styled " mioILtrs,' the Gov.
ernment having q portion, tut oitn lar les,
h ias be s9 co oSg had iers bc a' no @
The present bll looks % q THOROUGH orfanzaton ~
and safeguards will in my opinion give Greater EN-
cheney 20 the revenue service and remedy abuses II
judgment it shall not. ii placed in operation afford
increased protection IN large degree TO the interests
law stands, fraud, forgery and smuggling ia the
matter of customs duties Is declared to bee e.ony punish
able by fine and Imprisonment; yet 10 case al punish
thc records OF the courts i'm rne tity OF New.
York. 1t would seem, Therefore, taat the
Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyors and infOImers
yere moi slow 10 pcrccyc their common interests in the
pccuniary benefits grow ing out of compromise With
violations OF Revenue laws IA compromise With crinel
At Least common cause ia personal g,in must suggest
the les annoy me- and more direct mcnod which j. to be
found in these settlements with offenders against the Ia
tety of the revenue and laws IL Is also true that il
often difficult upon the eoumence cn OF fraud TO de.
tect It, Experience has shown that even more than two
years may eldpse before tie discovery; and
Tins completes the period within which the
statute OF limitations may Aterpose and az
these cases. while not necessarily numerous, sufi
cicnt furnish excuse by Government officers for
not prosecuting any such case clnhdly Ia any event.
The Of mitaiO should BE- changed. IL IL not
good policy, IS IL just to permit any officers OF the
Government OF other persons To obtain ron inc pubhe
the enormous realized IN tie manner he had
Indicated or indeed in any other way Why should the
Officer permitted by law TO make $4,000 and upward
reason OF tIe surprising alty or tAOS onccf OF ny
the unequal responsibility deyolved upon them
No one precnds this. Tie Secretary Of Tie Treasury
OF the United States receives but 5000.
III further elncidation OF its provisions, w. Feno1
OF seizure and examination OF books aud papers Ia Ger
tain eases It sought, however To Limit III. exercise Of
the inteSeSts OF tic GoSGrneut In lie Whole history
OF the Customs Department there IL NOT exist more
napahe violation OF private " sts OF the ctzen than
the present practice under tic law Is L now ,iOJd.
Mr.. Fontoa then quoted from tue report or INC
! Investigating Committee upon N,U-1ork customs
afYs regard 10 frauds upon the Government 10y Elte
employees, the Committee suggesting thlt tcsc clunc
integrity and ca1acty lie continued. without
attempting 10 analy the ties mOny; IL se'us 10 ~
whoIe matter pons toward civil service reform a. need
Jul 20 the Integrity economy and efficiency OF inc reye
nue service could, with equal propuciy' embrace
in This summary OF Their n,esS oye1 In '"s
rre degree principles must be enforced thI ugn party
ion and il no step toward ciVli scihee rorn
would impair or asSa either J. az" ~ w '. ,H
very essence "f popular government hes III assoclasd
polite al action and the cause wIlI en-, haHemt
nne strikes at the other bnt the oei,en 1,,
oneraton of TINS principle Is smpaei Nheh rushnS;i
~, the extreme OF attempting r,gnent 1T al M
70 Wy There Is then thls dithchltl, a. Wen az
SS tlaf persons seek pepetuai u by the use o.
The effect - IN IN Increasing htbl OF
Ptohs.. au les unsellish dc yOtiOn 10 tne pubic
%elsre. Is painful to contemplate tie tendency zap ~
pafeh' :, ,he soci structure will become subordinate To
nv s,rfe and Intrigue Of political movements for