New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-06
New York Customh0use Investigation.

New YORK, February AT the Custom
house investigation to-day, Colonel Edward
johnson. who was formerly in the general
| order business, testified that the other day
business. Formerly the price of storage was
regulated by the chamber of commerce.
Witness thought the recipients of the gen.
eral order monopoly were obliged to make
I'D by charges on merchants for what the
privilege Of those having the business COSTS
Leet & Stocking can make money by charg-
ing five dollars load of twenty-five pack
ages. and charging merchants twenty five
dollars. There is an immense profit on
storage, because a months storage is paid
on the goods which remain only few days.
Their places are then taken up by others on
which another months storage is paid and
80 on until loft in the general order store
makes for its owner five and six months
storage in one. / never heard of SO much
pilfering in the general order departments
of carriage, etc, as there has been since Leet
& Stocking have had the monopoly of this
business.
collector OfIthe port. He has power to shut
up every customhouse and general order
store if he feels so disposed. suggested to
Mr.. Murphy that he should correct the ter.
rible abuses growing out u the present gen.
eral order system, representing to him the
damage they were doing to the Republican
party. l told him that merchants were
complaining on every hand, and that he
must do something to alleviate the burden.
Mr.. Murphy replied that notwithstanding
his well known control over the stores in
general. he had not the power, and could
Eot interfere with this part of the general
order business. / know that there are hun
d eds of men in federal Offices now whose
only recommendation to their posts is their
ability to manipulate rascals who control
the primary elections. The greater tire
scoundrel, in my opinion, the better his
chance of good appointment; | have
heard men say they have been discharged
because they refused to pay the political as
sessment demanded of them.
James H. Young, inspector OF customs
since 1869, was examined. and said there are
sixteen European steamers week. On the
Cunard dock there are ratiOns of six or
eight bottles of English ale and porter, with
a decanter of liquor sent to the inspectors
office at IL A. NJ. every day. Ills brings
crowd of good for nothing fellows to the
a very easy way of doing the business of
smuggling gentleman going to Europe
takes measure OF several lady friends for
wardrobes. On his return with them the
ladies for whom he has made the purchases
come down to the pier when the steamer
arrives. The gentleman then declares that
ten or twelve trunks he is landing contain
the wearing apparel Of these ladies, whom
he represents as passengers Another
trouble is that on the arrival of steamer
persons having tickets are permitted to go
down on the pier. This may bring num-
Der of improper persons near the steamer,
and facilitates smuggling. MIR. Terwilliger,
when he took upon himself the right to
come down to the docks and grant per-
mits to individuals to come on the pier
when a vessel arrived, ruled then that
tickets of admission to the pier gave per-
sons the privilege of going on board the
steamer when her gang-plank was put out,
thereby atfording smugglers splendid OPP
pOrtunity to operate. l have observed
abuses and frauds Of the most fragrant char
acter among custOmhOuse officers, which
reported to my superior with very poor re-
suits. remember an instance when num-
Der of ladies came ashore at the quarantine
IN the directors boat, and afterward exhib
tied large quantity of diamonds and jew
elry which they said had been passed by
the customhouse officer on board the
steamer at quarantine Witness told of an
incident which occurred on Cunard
steamer: corpse was brought over in
case and hearse was on the dock to re-
ceive it, but in placing it in the vehicle the
bearers shook it, and ringing noise was
heard. The case was opened, and found to
be full of French clocks
Senator Bayard remarked: THAT was a
corpse for time, and not for eternity"