The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-25
NEW YORK.


NEW YORK CUSTOM HOUSE INVESTIGATION
New YORK. Jan. 24.-The retrenchment
committee continued their hotel sessions to-
day. A letter from the National Reform As
ISOLATION was received Saturday night that the
Secretary of the Treasury had his attention
called to the abuse in the examination of for
eign baggage, and that measures were about be-
ing instituted by him to break them up A
copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Reve-
nue. Reform Association to Secretary Boutwell,
was enclosed 1t recounts the allegations that
favOrite inspectors are sent to foreign steamers
on their arrival, who collude with Custom
House brokers who ara permitted to be on
board when luggage is examined. If the pas
sengers have made everything all right with
those brokers' the colluding inspectors pass
their luggage free without examination. If
not, they are subjected to annoyances, and if
the inspectors do not enter into arrangements
with the brokers, the latter will cause their re-
mOval. Collector Arthur transmitted letters
and documents to the Committee showing that
MIR. Kembe of Boston, who complained of hav-
ing to pay duties on wearing apparel, had one
piece of silk and one piece of worsted dress
goods in his trunk, the former valued at $S3,
on which there was duty of 60 per cent, and
the latter valued at $25, on which was duty
OF 90 per cent The duty was duly collected ac
cording to law in such cases made and provided.
B. H. Hutton testified that the only complaint
as an importer he had to make was of increas-
ed general order charges
John belmont, clerk to Stewart produced
bills of Leet q Co. for general order charges,
| which were reduced on a written agreement to
$1.75. They never paid over the latter rate
since 1870
j. j. Roberts, importer, testified that he paid
year ago SzoO duty on case of watches worth
| $2OOo, and never got the watches, which were
lost by a carman on the way from the ship to
| the Greenwich street stores. He got no salts
faction from the carmans employer or the Col
bond.
James w. Buchanan, an importer. testified
to having been compelled to pay general order
charges on ten cases of goods which were never
III the general order Stores, but were left outside
in the rain.
AT the evening session of the Congressional
Committee Peter Rafferty, was examined in
reference to the auction sale of unclaimed
goods. AT public sale he had bought rug
purportlng to be filled with English down feath-
ers Tor S32, and on opening it found it was fill
| ed with rags, also box marked tea, and on
opening 1T, that it was entirely empty.
In cask of rum purporting to contain 60 gal
Ions he found only seven. He had made pur-
chases to the extent of S100 at a sale in August,
1869, and the value of goods did not exceed $40.
He was guided in his purchase by catalogue
and did not see the goods till he had paid for
them. He had seen the boxes catalogued as
containing sewing machine machinery, which
when opened was found to be filled with scrap
IRON. The other evidence is uninteresting.
PUBLIC MURDER
John b. Panormo, professor of music, was
assaulted and robbed on Myrtle Avenue car,
Brooklyn, last night has since died. The Rail
road Company profess ignorance of the affair
and there is no clue to the murderer.
NOT AT PRESENT.
An army officer writes from the Texan front
Ter, Jan. 18th, that he just returned from the
interior of Mexico, where he found the people
most unanimous for immediate annexation tc
the United States.
SMALL POX
There were 16 deaths from small pox in
Brooklyn last week.