New-York tribune., 1872-02-01
TWENTY-sECoND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.


The following letter was read from A. De j..
Rogers of the firm Of Eddy Rogers, coal dealers NO
s53 Grcenwiclst., in this city;
OFFICE OF EDDY & ROGERs.)
Dealers in Coal and Wood No. s3 Greenwic NV 81 ST. ito
Hon. W A. BUCKINGHAM, Chairman Of ne Se""e
DEAR SIR beg to submit for your consideration the
Our firm imported from Liverpool, per ship Princeton
49, ISL Upon the arrival of said ship early in De
cember last, deponent upon gong on DoaIa az Liner
No. 49, East River, was approached Dy tIle Oisoill
house inspector whose name, nhuerssa,ntd, ,tu -
W. A. Clays andl man by me name OF u,h Mu,Icr'
representing James VI Thompson hlted ettte "tLer &
These men said to me- "Giyo rs three loads OF ynnr
camel and weiwl make tine weight come out rght We
think you must have $40 uns Send tIe caci @ ~ % oi
house giving street and number tha cohhOt now Ieuo
lec aud will let It 20 at not over l26 tuhs ol %
refused to listen to any such prOpQslOn i pcoyts
disnterestcd city weigher 10 WeiSh our cahheI III Io
ashort distance from the shP as ~ Vas Was % nI
weighing 2sIlGj pounds, or 26 tuns - cwt, qrs ana
10 pounds, which all we received the nuuOer OI oaS
corresponding with the count taken by te cioth oi nc
ship we now find that the above lnN0ice mas @ oeen
returned at the CustOm-house by James NJ thompson,
Unitod states Wcigher, 13 tuns, IS cwt qTS ana 10
pounds being about per cent III excess Vi tne wright
There was another invoice Of camel board the same
ship and understand the owner was approached IN the
refused the invoice returned about per cent III eA
OF the quantity received. ,.. ,s % ,ba C,us.
tomhouse be cancelled, Am ready to give you any luz
thcr information regarding this matter.
A. DE l.. ROGERS, firm OF Eday * Rogers
Mr. Rogers was subpenaed to testify further. Inc
clerk was instructed to telegraph to Gen. Porter ana
Cen Babcock that the Committee would hear them To-
morrow il they were in the city.
letter was read from b. II. Hutton OF Bernhard
Hutton, accompanied by bills to Bernhard Hutton for
General Order charges from 1906 inclusive, in
suppor OF the testimony given by Mr.. Hutton before
the Committee. The charges for storage, labor ana
carriage ranged from so to 70 cents per case for
four years; then tho idea began to prevail
hsVr and fha
charges increase until in 1861 they reached
their maximum; then the charges were reduced, and
the transfer the whole General Order business To Lect
stocking; the letter made part OF Mr.. HuttOns
testimony, and the bills placed on Tile.
TESTIMONY OF CHARLES BELLOWS.
Charlie, Bellows an importer OF brandes testified as
follows:
About a year and half ago we imported a lot OF %
casks OF brandie by Lafayette, from IIayre
when the brandes arrived they were ordered by the
Cusomhouse authorities to bonded warehouse on the
afternoon Of their discharge from the steamer was
waited upon by q person who desired to know If We
wished our brandies watched upon the deck said we
did not as they in the charge of the Government
he said it customary and he had been employed by
number of parties to watch their goods, heretofore
told him the Government good enough for me, and
should look to the Government in case was wrOnged;
but took the precauton to 90 down to the foot OF
M0rton-s where the Lafayette discharged; saw the
brandips on the dock; some OF them were the most
costly that we could procure; / asked the Custom
house officers who were in charge If it was neces-
sary that we should have special watchman TO
protect goods they said no, that they would be
there until l2 o'clock that night and then would be re-
leyed and that the dock covered and locked dock
satisfied with that went on board the ship and saw
the captain of the vessel told him how had been ap
said the goods perfectly safe but the vessel was
left the ship so left them, supposng had done all
could to protect the goods but when they came TO be
robbed OF five gallons notwithstanding the watchfulness
OF the officers on the dock; made Application to the
not responsible after the goods we're landed from the
THE EXPERIENCE OF IMPORTERS.
O. Did you know whether the robbery committed
on board the ship or the wharf, A. We know this
much that 1t the experience of almost every who
imports those goods that it is customary for many
to he permitted such goods in the presence OF
officers and inspectors.
Senator Bayard-Haye you any reasons for believing
that there couson between the legal custodans of
that property and the people who stole IL I A. Well,
have only general to govern me- because those
things have happened frequently in many cases
gentleman OF this Committee to be present upon the
wharf when goods OF this character are delivered to dis
O. How much do the regular lawful sample bottles
hOdl A. should think under quart; should thlnk
that would be very liberal calculation.
O. what is the value of the most expensive brandies'
A. About sl2. gold, per gallon, dutiaDe value
Q. That would be about - for sample from single
O. DO samples OF an expensive brandy by officers often
reach such an extent as that A. Yes, Sir
q. For the purpose Of merchants sales, would not
halfpint be "a liberal samplel A. should think II
would hut would not object 10 sample Of pint, or
even quart, If we thought the party was honorable
O. Has there been abuse OF this system Of sampngi
A. Yes, Sir; there has been.
O. Under color of what authority are these samples
taken A. Under color OF right by the officers making
the inspection; they esteem 1t privilege right, To
sample those goods for private purposes. T., 49, ,.,.,.,
Q. Is that a custom A. Yes Sir 1t is an habtual
rule throughout the trade.
O. Are the samples taken than once A. hardly
because those goods
generally go to Government warehouse ana remain III
bond they supposed to be carried there immediately
landing from The ship. subject to cost ana Gaugers
returns.
O. Are we to understand that this system OF taking
these xpensve Liquors, under pretense OF sampng in
cxravagant quantities drawn from the casks amounts To
serious loss to the merchantsi A. Yes, Sir.
O. As much sometimes as five gallons from the cask
A. Yes; precisely.
DELINQUENT CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
O. Do you consider that there either gross neglect OF
duty or absolute couslOn the part OF United States
officers charge or goods upon the dOCksi A. There
10 doubt Is by collusion with tho officers on duty
@ Because your eask not full when you got 1t you
think 1t have been robbed that night A. The evi
dence in the case is In favor of that belief my loss is
not the only one Is the experience OF every who
imports that species OF goods, upon almost every i'm
portaon specify this case because IL is the most'
prominent In my mind.
Don't yOujknow that such goods arc liable TO
be robbed, In small quantities, than any othersf A. fes
Sir
O What was the value of the five gallons that you
lost A. AT that time. not over 81 galon fortunately,
the most expensive goods not taken do not come
before the Committee because OF the extent OF the oss
but because they are 40 frequent. .
o. Can you name any other loss YOU have sustancdf
No; not particularly at the present moment
O. How large loss In other instances have you drs-
tanedi A. We frequently have our packages lose two
z Can you mention any instances A, There IL hardly