New-York tribune., 1872-08-14
MORE ABOUT RUINoUS INVESTIGATIONS.

MORE ABOUT RUiNOUS INPESIIGAIIONo'
The Custom house Investigation, which, ac-
cOrdng to Mr.. COnkling, has proved ruinOus
to those who set it afoot, exposed various
methods by which Federal officers oppress the
commerce of the port besides the extOTtiOns of
the General Order stores. Take the system of
seizures and compromises. "The abuses
"practiced under this SYSTEM" says the
minority report, "would seem almost in
"crediblc." A special agent of the Treasury,
or some other interested person, suspects, with
or without reason, or at least swears that be
suspects. that an importing house has defrauded
the revenue. He procures an inf0rmer to
make affidavit on information and belief"
which can be done of course without risk, and
Herewith he gets search warrant. Armed
with this document he goes with cart to the
importers place of business, seizes tho books
and papers of the firm, and even the private
domestic correspondence of the partners, and
carries them to his Office. They are kept
sometimes for weeks and even months.
If the special agent finds no trace of
fraud where he suspected it, he roves
through all the transactions of the
house on the chance of finding fraud some
where else. If he fails entirely, he has in
CURED no liability in damages, for he is an
officer dischargiDg bis duty. But meanwhile
the merchant may have suffered irreparable
loss. His business is at stand. His credit is
shaken by the scandal of seizure. His pri-
vate transactions are at the mercy of unscrupu-
lous agents who may sell their information TO
his business rivals. He is sometimes, though
innocent of wrong, compelled to "cOmprO-
" mise" in order to get his books back; and
the informer, collector, surveyor, and naval
officer divide among them half the proceeds,
while the head Of the seizure bureau and the
United States District-Attorney receive COM
missions. Thus a premium is offered on op-
preston. During the eighteen months from
June, 1860, to January, 1871, the sum of
$6l7,6S3 76 was obtained from such seizures by
single one of the seven special agents in
this city, and on the values thus confscated
duties amounting to $4,000 in currency should
have been paid to the Government. The du-
ties were not paid, however, and the whole
sum was divided between the Custom house
officials and the Treasury, Mr.. Special Agent
Jayne getting for his share about S125,O0O, be-
sides his pay and travelling expenses.
The case of Naylor g. Co. was one of the
most fragrant exposed during this investiga-
ton. Here was rich firm of iron merchants,
one of the oldest and most respectable, doing
business to the extent of s12,OOO,OOO a year,
having the highest standing during an exist
ence of about seventy years, paying enormous
duties annually into the New-York Custom
house, special agent charged them with an
undervauation of five invoices of steel rails
and fish plates the books of the firm were
seized; custom-house agents held possession of
the establishment for five weeks, stopping the
sales and involving the concern in very heavy
losses, and at the end of that time the Dis
discovered that there was no
ground for action in reference TO the invoices
named in the search warrant. In the course.
however, of his miscellaneous examination of
the books tho special agent came upon another
alleged instance of undervaluation, whereby
The Government he believed, had lost S17G.
md upon that undervaluatiOn the proceedings
were continued. A member of the firm tes-