New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-11

., i'i'i 'i t', VI '
q DO you know him \. Ycs ,., ,o,,oo
q Who ia hc7 A. think h0 ID now employed ht IOHco
~ - bc conmr . with The Cu.tomhouscl A. AZ
ono time / understood he Inspector; at hnoihrF
Clerk in tho Appraisers once. ,.a
@ How long .incol a. Not long some two Or uiree
O. DO you know how long ho was occupied thoro
A No, ar.
TESTIMONY OF IGnN s. BEEcuER.
John g Bcecbfr importer OF toas and wines ut No.
es Froptst testified that he had been IN the present
firm II years in the Fail of 1867 quantity of shery
wine belonging 10 the Grm was seized that was the
only seizure Of their goods that had ever been made
@. DID You make compromise 2 a. Yes
Q. state the particulars A. They seized orr DOORS
with the goods least. they stopped our paying du's
on them we compromised BY paying to The Governments
$4,000 in currency.
@ How was that payment madcl a. think We gave
it. 10 the Y. :. District Attorney.
q. Was any suit commenced a. don't know; never
O. Who seized the booksl A. The Mar4hal'5 Deputy.
forget now; he said TO reside in Brooklyn; We m
CURED Mt the Custonbousc to ascertain who no was but
could only find that ne lived in Brooklyn
q. How long were yOur books aud papers k'pI rom
you at tho Cusonl-houscl A. / should think ABOUT three
weeks.
O. What was the irrceuarity' chargcdl A. Undcryn
u3tOn Of the invoice o. wine.
q How came 1t then mat yon paid such coneIdrrahe
we could not tell how much man owed us without
going TO the Cu,toIn-honse to look at the books
Senator Bay1rd-fhis IL the only occa, sion when any
imputa0n upon Your tairdealng with tho Government
O. Have You ever discovered who wa the party
making The AFFIDAVIT on winch the seizure Wa madr| A.
No. IN we icl bat coud never find ms name; vent to
the Collectors office to ascertain; he stated Chat he re-
sided II BIUvalyu we never cou'd find his bu,inr'5'
SHERRY WINE CASE.
q. state fully why You submitted to compromise
A. We had been the habit Of buying certain brand
Of sherry wne-l low crldo Of shorty from house in
NewYort-thc firm Of Galway & Caslda; it had a GER
tain reputation trade mark in "a liz several
years ago tried 70 purchase this very brand OF wine;
they refused TO scll 10 us simply because IL would
te i YIN tneir m%Sitt 'o' "Pn IiIr s,ta
c0uuf-fiye or ak Der ceat-on the price we had been
paying them here the proposition was accepted con
tract in writing made that should purchase from
them 800 casks during the year at xcd price if
did NJ take the $500 lid nj e, hi. dis ouut of; We
purcha, the wines to he delivered the wharf here
when they came over the side Of the snip they were at
and paid them $7o001 for the wine. aud 10 that time
had sold very itci mink We hau at tnit llle ABOUT
eG00 worth Of lo wine in bond our check. were given
10 Galway ~ CuSada, and in fact We did not know
the wncr', Oath swearing to The invoice. and
The true value OF o good we took the owners OATH IN
parties had their Goods seized about the same time.
q. WLol 4. Mr. Milan. and others importing, or
rather bnyinc the s'me brand; they said they would
not settle with them. went 10 them and told them
stopped orr business we were then selling two three,
and four hundred thousand dollars worth Of goods in
,hinE VII" Icco,n,rc1e Srbsr g. Graz, toIIs ~ men
who were fam lar with that business. and We did S0i
they told U4 It could DE settled within hour We
wished We toll them we wanted our books We WIZ XII
proposition that came from the Collector was s6po We
Told them tElt % hc goods worth only s'0"C"c
preferred my should Keep them: another proposition
came IN few dav,; This time 5Io WIS 49,. '
next one was :iOo0G both were derlincd tnry 1
old If We would give $4,000 IN currency ,ne1 DV ,
give our books within an hour alief ul, iio d ave
paid paid n, and they released our f"", n"stion
rs FREQ permit MI these wine'; mau' nIJ
~ Galway a Ci.ada that We would scio Ivy Vine:
7 i've agreed q o do t 80 it the percentage and FL
ference in order 70 20 with our business ~ M,I5
hat The other parties holding these SANE "inoS
rand 10 sell we put them up at nn advance q" 10 c'hS
md sold III oar wines we weri nIN0 "nNl', ~ yrbc,,
old was III ana going down all the thr ana We knc"
we ct It - in s, II would not be decided Tor mtny
months. and gold would be clear cow I'' ''
lone ot MILAN ana the others were s-O'o''
now sl5aoo WAS EXPORTED FROM Al IMPORTER
O. How did the slIts terminate! A In favor oil tue
merchant
O. Before whom wa' the case trleu' a '"""o h'"'ou'
fond
O. What was the namo Of the agent who made that
scilnrc aud setemcnti \. never kuc" any one III me
c"S' VINO bi yoIi book. IN charscl \. don't remen
her his name or what ne Was; tank, however hc Was
j" q Va ia DEPUTY collector! mink not
O. what il the feeling of merchant oI hsh character
when he u IN tins charged with an attempt to dt-
fraud the Government A II i very unpleasant.
u no WAS collector n that time! \. SulN Inc.
tn me- H' 4. 'I' G me- now ,'''' ''' sum- ~
a. DO YOU hear Of these seizures often A. Very sell
dom a merchant very seldom tells Vi those thugs be-
cause il hurts his business. 80
o Who was the District Attorney ut the time OF the
seizure. A. samuel q. Courtney, 49,,
senator stewart-Do You know what disposition was
rum,tancr that drew check for $500 and thnk
gave II 10 our attorney. and suppose he tlu II mo o
O Thcn they not only compromised for the ohense
charged against You, but they 1t y" nave 'no soo"
d What time did you say that settlement was h"ue
A. / think in November. 1865.
senator Buckinglmm-Q. Was the paYmth. on !",, ,
part any cOnccson \. 1t would seem 80 l" pafueS n"I
knowing The circumstances. $4,000
saTy, in consequence Of making tniS payment; iantd
than resist the wrong A. w lclt that We coulu Ia"o
care OF our reputation IN the future
TESTIMONY or JOHN u. M'KENZIE.
John d Mckenzie merchant in the tea business for
the last Is years. was next called. Previous TO his eX
animation Beecher the last witness, came back to
statement he had made that the suits OF MILAN
and other, were decided In their favor and against the
Government lie had just been informed By oS-5nr-
voyOr Wakcnan that the Jury disagreed MI Mckenzie
was then questioned as follows:
Senator Pratt asked to inquire you were cog
infant OF any weighing irregularities IN the custom
house A. Not OF my own knowledge, but good many
brought 20 my attention where mere nave been
Irregularities have had business with the custom
Guilty with them 80 far as my own draT,ment - con
ners have paid than S3OOo0O wear cash duties.
q. DO you know Of any weighing irregularities ~ the
department. during the last year A. Yes think the
Government Weghcr5 do weigh the goods landed at
this port, although they make return that they do;
have knowledge that purchases perhaps amounting
1000 chests of tea yearly when landed are weighed
by the city Wcghcr who makes the returns to the Gov
eminent Wegher and they turned in 10 the Govern
ment his weight; think that is IA fact know 1t to
! be 80 In "a good many
| Q. Can you give the Committee the names OF any
WGighcrs implicated IN that practice A. MOI do MT
| know the Government Weghers.
O. Can you locate the place where IT is done A. No,
Sir; goods stored all over In warehouses, but
think that IL the general custom the Weghers Of
district down SOuth-st. the last time had any