The New York herald., 1871-03-14

from xahs and making the gauge Of the whole line uni
form. -
BY MT. cosS.ss o. rsg) OF N Y.-ro amend the Bank
BY Mr. coLE' rspj Of Making land grant the
California and Arizona Railroad, aud creating Southern
By Mr. Hcws. trep.1 Of Wis-For ship canal to
ad e aid the & Green Iy and Lake son
va aao extending the time
constituting railroad from 81 Crox River to the west end
By Nj WiLsoN trer.l of Masa-To aid in establishing
and supporting the public schools in the States lately in
By nr NYK pep, Of Ney.-To incorporate the Colorado
Nv NsM NJ FnsToN trsp Of to eesapho
communication between the United States and foreign co
BY Mr. NrK-For relief certain contractors for
sracuon Of vessels OF war . and steam machinery;
The Senate then took up the bill recently introduced oy
enry IN he United States and the disposition o. nss pen
customs, and for other purposes.
SENATOR Ksros's spEE6m or cueToM HOUSE REFORMS.
floor address the Senate the bill After stating that
mporisSt subles presented BY bill Of reform N
ns soas with view 70 the .. Ine
do not h that our ms
'ei laws framed a as early period in our national
history when ,ss commerce sr.1 and ,ra as
@ d ay S 10 ne as
importer and The perpea.on Of fraud sy offer
ing inducements tho commission OF CRIME Without en-
sa he sessa @nasr the authority
as naa ss 20 a e BEEN BY the
Secretary Of the Treasury establishes the following import
Fi-Thas large amounts Of money received BY col
revenue upon the settlement Of Of fraud or smuggling
under judgments obtained in court usually by confesson
New YorS since he Of January, 1870 win not fall
That Of the money received BY the Treasury
onehaf has been paid to the Collector Naval oacer and
nansa ocais S 4 porn New YORK at S $soo each
q y the criminal. engaged in aeiraaains the
TIA. while ;hs Of mo,s.,e: con.
ss
the fraudulent practices continue to be perpetrated
sss With SS ne
s ssi s e G
titled before dividing the amount thus received with the OIL
&. sass wo %
years, which limits criminal prosecution.
SeeThat the expenditure fer the collection OF customs
while the salaries and perqu,si.es OF some Of
aaa The
NinAThat in departments divisions officers
are employed than are necessary while In others men are
Tsns-Thai the present manner conducting the ware.
business needs reform, and that officers Of CUSTOMS
which Is alike improper and Illegal.
ns h
ing them to increased expenditure anc frequently causing
Be placed on the market for con.umption, which
as 1ae Sa
sure that will be necessary as the mere statement Of facts
T suss to h he s wo ss %
the bill present remedy for the abuses known or be-
Of viii be .ucsn. for those Who per
as s % Ss s w Ss
oc and 70 pe ens
g the In supper Of !.
allow these officers moeties Of hnes penalties
ments from Offenders & against various customs laws and
practices which have thus and prevailed Il WI!
into the port Of New York during the last ten have
dollars addition this fun Eve hundred thousand
dollars been collected from anes and penalties
within the cass called uIare. and those which the
s
~ hundred
%ho g false aysies:
IL Dd Ssy % enss %
to e 0rsa aRs here pre-
ess 'h this sses the
Of New York merchants are not identical with
ment that they prone complain when the
prevail This is alike unoanded and unjust
there is no equal number Of Of
the the pSSses SOd others in that long ns
% Il hs o which hss s.vs
Leaving the question Of right and wrong wholly out Of CON
alteration and even supposns that these large importers
/. or a own a that
Afford make fase INVOICES attempt ihe Smuggling bust
and their protection requires that everv importer
on the goods mpor.sd fheir business is too large and
regular for safety security to be found In any other rule
In turning somewhat personal view of the
IN hrpaA nf
other forms Of fraud and under the present
FrstTbe rendering Of false weights by unfathrul or
rupt weiEher or the substitution by audang
both cases the ou s levied much less than tho actual
Sea"arhe pTesenam % false Invoices upon which,
either by deception colusen with custom officers the i'm
Of he
entry 2, Invoices which do no, M the gnsn
examination and afterwards falsely inserting such particu
frauds Of this detected and
ss up % establish s. : LIABILITY Of s 5
upon basis deemed satisfactory with without pro-
the
Rs n the me ss Whole M s
Officer and Surveyor and thendvduals styled "nformers
been no ~ The S looks 70 sorO%n
reguIaons and sste, guards - will IN my opinion give
Judgment e i shah not placed in operation AFFORD
snsrcs and q he us ss as he f now
stands fraud forgery and smuggling In the matter Of
toms duties declared to be felony, punishable by fine
and imprisonment Yet no case Of punishment believe,
be Found for these offences the of
in the city OF New York i would seem therefore, that the
Collector Naval Oacer, Surveyor and informers not
slow perceive their common interests the pecuniary
benefits growing out of compromise with violation of reve
laws, compromise with crime; at least q common
gain must suggest the less annoying and
direct method which TO be found settle
ments with offenders against the integrity Of the and
Of fraud to detech IT, Experience has shown that
even more than two years may elapse before the
discovery, and this completes the period within which
the statute Of limitation may in,erpose and
afford immunity from criminal punishment.
These cases, while not necessarily numerous are
10 furnish excuse BY government officers prosecu
ing such crnlnaly. In any event. the OF
limitations should be changed. It good policy,
Just permit officers OF the government other
obtain from the public the enormous real
other way. Why should the Collector at New York,
Surveyor or the Naval Onlcer be permitted by law make
fifty thousand dollars and upwards Of
thelr positionsP s earned By Of the
ability OF those officers or by the responsibility de-
yovsa upon themy No one prsends this The Secretary
the Treasury Of the United States receives but 80 0O0
n elnctdAt{oh AZ ~ AZ