New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-21
The CustOmhOuse Investigation.

NEW YORK, January l7.-At the custom
house investigation this morning commu-
nication was read, signed by agents OF all
the steamship lines, confirming the state
ment that long lost packages have been
taken from their cargOes while being eX-
amined. A series of entries were made in
the appraisers books showing the goods to
have been received in bad order, which en-
tries are charged to be false.
A communication was read stating that
cartmen did not get receipts until some
DAYS after the delivery of packages, and
receipts then stated that the goods were in
bad order.
An affidavit was read from Bernard Hess.
formerly an internal revenue officer. charg-
ing that the present Secretary of the In
terror. Columbus Delano, has been cOgnizant
of certain defalcations and frauds committed
by Joshua H. Bailey, once collector of the
fourth district. but now a fugitive from
Justice, which information, received by said
Delano while Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, was ignored by him, and in con-
sequence great loss resulted to the govern
ment, which he could have prevented by an
investigation. He also alleges that there
are men in office in the customhouse, ap-
pointed by Collector Murphy. who are
largely indebted to the government for
illegal transactions while engaged in the
distillipg business, and he is ready to give
their names. Lastly, that all his efforts to
induce said DelanO and the District At
torney to further the ends OF justice in the
matter of the frauds referred to were of no
avail; but he will be happy to give the
committee full information. lie was or
dered to be summoned.
The first witness examined was Charles
Heyser. He testified am inspector of
customs: | have read Palmer's statement
before the committee in reference to my
self: the whole statement in regard to me
ia entirely untrue; he said l was removed
on a charge of fraudulently Withholding
LIQUORS, which is wrong.
Charles S. Spencer, lawyer, testified
wish to make statement IN relation to the
testimony Yesterday about the Syracuse
conventions: we kept the hall clear until the
arrival of the police; row was appre
hended. and some jurymen were appointed
to duty; the mob took possession OF the
hall when the police arrived; their object
was to drive the delegates from the hall
The committee then adjourned to three
o'clock. and then took carriages and drove
down to visit the general order stores:
At the evening session Charles &. Frank
lyn, local agent of the Cunard line of steam
ships, was examined. He said the chle1
reason wby merchants imported now b1
way of Boston and Baltimore is that the
DELAYS in passing goods are 80 frequent here
and the charges very high. Subsequently
he admitted that merchants can get goods
quicker via Boston than by bringing then
here, and that fact was really THE reason
why the Boston route is preferred. The
freight charged between Liverpool and Bos
tou is rather more than between Liverpool
and New York. Mr.. Franklin SAID that il
had frequently occupied three weeks to pass
an entry here, whereas in Boston three days
is the outside Of the time similarly sp' mt
lie complained that in one bill paid during
the past year, charge at the rate Of 81;
per package on certain merchandise was
made, but he afterward admitted that i,
was an exceptional case. When -, had the
general order business, we only realized the
rent of the store, $4,000 per annum. on,
charge was from seventy five cents to .
per package, never more than 81. The
charge now is generally 81 81.
The committee adjourned until to morrow