The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-19
TIE Difference Between Personal Influence and
Official EMBELLISHMENTS All Voluntary
Memories Of Abuses Under Grin
pell-The Steamship Agents
Again on the Stand.
Revelations Of Mr.. Je.letsOn,
o Heavy Importer.
He Has Bribed a Number OF Custom
House Officials Ex-
pected To-Day

since the committee nave moved up town has beer
decidedly thinner tnan when they were at the Aston
House. and the Custom House officials seem now u
have 1t pretty much their own way.
The following letter was read by the Secretary
Ihave read the evidence of M Greeley your
heard Of Mr.
ss that III
.ss % h foa s
..ssrsioTe, that unlicensed Sy oonsins,
menl Of what wisert and be done No Custom
s s1 Albany
| The Secretary next read the following
FROM O. b. MAITEsoN.
r. nrrrrv svror..,v. or E Urea, Jan .. 1872.
DEAE SK-Un my return home from absence OF nearly
two weeks find your the 18th nst
ny the
find large accumulation Of important business matters
day,. Or some avoid goiSs % NY n:
so sr IL. Ss n Nv
enion has been called to letter from named Carl
am suOp@nAed in consequence of that letter .rrpsou
General ARTHUR came forward to disclaim that
he had had any consultation regarding the ad-
vancement of the CLERK Terry, as stated by charles
S. Grant, former witness. He further said that
he never knew anything about this person Terry,
other than that ne was one OF the clerks In the
Custom House.
Plncus Poialsky, cigar dealer, testified to hav-
ing lost much OF mis- invoices Of cigars from time to
time, in the General Order store; 1t is only within
the last three or four months that we have been
sending goods to general order stores; ne had to
pay from two dollars to three dollars q case for
storage and cartage he also lost cigars from time TO
time In the Appraiser store; he missed as many as
two hundred and fty cigars ont Of case Of 10, 900
In one instance; many times he missed various
other amounts; when make an entry and pay
duties upon invoices on the day OF their arrival
cannot always get them out in less than ten If
teen days; have tried often to get an interview
with the Collector regarding my difficulties, but
have never been able to him; while In the public
stores our cigars were lessened any greater
extent than might be accounted for by sampllng,
but since they went to the general order stores we
have been in the habit of losing from three hundred
onve hundred In each invoice.
Mr.. A. b. Cornell, having been sworn, gave the
following testimony, after few preliminary ques-
q. DO you know anything OF threats or patronage
having been used to influence The Conventions Or
1870 and 1912 A. No. sir; nave no reason sup
pOse-nO knowledge-thXt patronage used,
either In the way Of threats Oh removal promises
OF appointment to control these conventions.
z. DO you know anything about the difficulty chat
has been talked aboCt9 A. 1t has been usual 10
issue tickets to members and a ternates; l issued
these tickets for the Convention AT Syracuse;
was told by Mr.. Spencer two or three days before
the meeting that a plan was on foot by the Opposi-
ton TO take possession by force OF the Convention.
ana he suggested that should provide for It's pro-
tecfion, but declined; on the morning OF meeting
order In the hall; some persons dld actually try to
fierce their way into the nall, aud succeeded after
me- maDs M G @ Were , Of
to get possession OF the platform.
Mr.. CORNELL then entered into an exhaustive de.
scrpion OF the origin and progress OF the faction
tins city. lie threw the onus p Of blame ne
Opponents. He %ent on P'0H 70 say in resard
to inspectors that none OF them allowed to ac.
an arrangement approved by the secretary OF inc
Treasury; in such cases ten dollars was the fee
allowed Regular night permits to steamers have
been abolished but special night permits are still
IN force Mr. Cornell stated that ne had discouraged
the attendance OF Custom House officials at the
convention of 1871, but That III spite OF thi5 forty
or fifty OF them had gone,
Q. Did you punish any of them IN any way for
no dlsobedcnce OF orders involved; merely repre-
sented to them that great press OF business made
Of absence was due to them 1 had TO
let them go II they insisted upon IT. do NOT think
sence; only know the republican party / do not
know any divisions in IT; do not think the num-
per OF Custom Honse officials at the 1871 Conven-
lon was less than at some previous conventions for
instance, at the Convention OF 1854 were more
officials; Ia 1869 the same was the cases. there Is a
difference, in my opinion, between personal aud
ofhcial influence; think In 1871 Custom House
officials used their personal influence, but not their
ollcial power; do not think threats or promises
OF removal or Offices were empoyed; l
DO not think that more than forty or fifty
political visits 10 their homes; the great majority OF
our oince-holders are permanent residents OF New
YORK, BROOKLYN and Jersey Guy; | have never
made but one political removal, and that was q
democrat; IN regard 10 inspectors taxing bribes
have done my best to discourage It and nave
W N al nnf In tytNa tn
officers; the trouble Is that merchants too
anxious to bride the officers IN order to inauce the
charging a cargo; | nave known cases where money
has been sent TO the residence OF officers.
money!" for instanceY A. Not mat know OF;
sometimes officers take books nome and work at
allowed.
O. Would not that excuse any kind of bribery
A. I do not know: the competition between the
steamship lines IS so keen that they are verv anX-
ious 10 clear their vessels with all the expedition
decreased since gave evidence before the last Iu-
vestigahng Committee TO the eject That the in
spectors mad ali confessed under oatn to having
taken bribes from the steamship companies; IN
OF inquiry into these matters we do not require
absolute proof of guilt for punishment but merely
q. How many inspectors have You punished for
these malpractcesY A. ! cannot say Without re-
ferring 10 The record
q. What Is the condition OF the weighers' depart
juent with respect the persons
ployedY A. There are nineteen weghers employed
by inc government who are authorized In their
discretion TO nlre as many laoorers as they need;
think they have been more careful recently IN re-
gard to hiring labOrers than they were formerly;
they nave been more restrained in their action IN
this matter; the number OF weighers Is Inc same
now as before: cannot say whether the number or
labOrers the pay rolls has been reduced or other
wise; the returns TO be furnished TO the committee
Will show tnat; weigher named Burns was sus-
pended IN 1869, and considered him guilty, though
there was a dispute between him and his assis-
tant to the responsibility In the NATTER he was
restored by Mr.. Grnnell and Is still In Office.
q. What about inspectors accepting brides TO pass
Passengers baggage2 A. l think there are not
nearly many cases as has been stated the matter
has been very greatly exaggerated; that Is my opn-
ties Is by means 80 extensive as has been
charged do not mean to say that IL does not exist
the newspapers have said that every man who
TO the port pays bribe to an inspectors; that
II not so; sucn cases are very rare; do not think
brides are gwen IN five cases In hundreds; we have