New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-09
TIE CUSTOMS.
PROPOSED hb' VICE.

PROPOSED hb'' VICE TIM =. s
x-aov. FENTOS ~
srrEcH OF EtTNSTE YEsTERpAi, Ao to,loving
-, 81 New York m'', ~. In 80 Reg
Senator ,hc senate yesterday
ps,be Customs ser\i'S l;scusson Of the provisions
siR M propose to take ." and proper relations
OF INV 20 their iuipor..S oir nrinted order, The
"a without reteIen Itout two hundred mlli'on uoi
a,rce from vhtcn .rs Treasury annually Is mat
lsrs gStherea iusrS.,ncc> and fairly deIaIus tue
ter Of grave l,'a,on from the Na'ls'i"i -
most careiul W. close Of the last Session VI Uo"
ture. TowafI Il the bill now under eouS'u'
gress, t,cre would " time iof "''Un npV"
hardly can time have not Weailou VI 'i ~.
] tben' III 'ne - succeeding inquiry hs' X y
sa@ec' auO 49, views then expTeSS' ~ ~ w
confirm me An thi. or scpls ~ ne'sr.
wisdom oi psSiss SsTect abuses, avoid lrreGuia'
which SHAH t e~g simplify complicated n.
tee "1'uS. DER somewhat teuable official posi-
Cbi,sry, and render SO'''
'o' Co;aittee on Finance, 10 which this p'iA We
Ia have carefully considered every se0'lV' -
- hove unanimously instructed We !" e,so
anu NO." a. senate. trusting that it may mere as
u'''io ~ onnroyal It's main features may
ID in a few words ,,,.orsa-
10 change and adjust positions anu service
81 tbe various officials al the - and re-
u3.b view 10 fair remuneration loi i"'
IT, a50n+ uniform system of appInsetrT"'
rcbandise in all the important PoI's y" +bo port Of
NJ % Nc cTeate a separate department III VIZ igI
~ " WI, in which 10 perform the duties ol "eie"
ing. gauging. and measuring. Tho Treasury super
:: 10 - ~ Worebonse and General Order business
,a,ririnc General Order warehouses 10 ne J"I'lsu
ous 70 the wharves where goods are lanGeu 'a ~
prohibiting officers OF customs laVr whatever
10 Mace the business of the public cartln0 SUB
500; ~ the order and control of the secretary Oh the
Treasury. .... =, A. ,o,,,,o4e,,+ and
t,ittfUl officials for a given period. thus removing
them in some measure from the seductive influence
VI partisan politics
ES0RMOUs EMoLUNmNrs OF COLLECTORS AND
OTHERS.
porbars the most noticeable feature of the present
+, il the enormous e1noluments of the collectors
naval officers and surveyors, and the peculiar ana
as IL seems 10 me- pernciOus practices by when 'hey
are obtained Nearly three-fourths of the lmporta-
lions Of the country entered at the PoTt OF New
YorE and in treating of the practice ana enect mere
shall best present the errors, the abuses anu VIE
ron 10. of the system itself the principle Inv OWED
apulies alike 10 all other Customs districts. g,
The officers have named receive certain hXeo
salary and in addition are entitled 10 snare IN the
nroceeds Of all fines penalties, and forfeitures, I-
posed and collected in their several districts me
report If the Secretary OF the treasury OF the lou
day of February ISL in response TO resolution OF
inquiry passed by the Senate some time previous,
purDors 10 show the net amount paid into the Treas
from these sources from the lst daY OF January
1858, 70 the Both day of November, 1870 According
10 this exhibit, there was received during TINS PERIOD
from the Ports Of Boston. New-YOYk, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, New Orleans and San Francisco, as the
result of fines, penalties and tOrfeltures the sum 81
SlI63.577 OS; of this amount the moletles paid 10
collectors. naval officers, and surveyors was
Sl-44S5 50; T. the former, Sj62S7 q; to naval
ClACcInf -4~ts'.Jt 80 duQ TO surveyors %I-f,tJ4
making. In all. S3Oj,427 30. II appears, however
from careful examination, that this report does not
give the full collections into and distribution in
moieties from the Treasury during that time. The
Secretary says IN his explanatory letter that
The headings al the top OF each show the date
Of the month which the money accrung from the
therein stated was paid to the Collector OF course the
payment into the Treasury by covering warrant after
deduction Of expenses &c, occurred in each Instance
some weeks subsequently,"
LRGE MOIETEs NOT n THE TREASURY REPORT
IL seems therefore. that the maaey received at th
Treasury on THIS account. from the LIST of January
1stS which bad been paid 10 the Collector before
that time but not covered by warrant until subse-
ouently was not accounted for in this report; nor
sums which had been paid 70 the Collector prlor 10
the S0th Of November, 1870, Tor which WaITrntS
had NOT been drawn. Ii known that, some
time previous this last datei at the port OF New
York alone, nearly S3oOO0 ARISING from settlements
or upon decree of Court for fraudulent practice III
weighing was paid to the Collector, to be accounted
for Of course but which does not appear IN the re-
port In one case the Court decIeed as understood
hv confession Of defendants) that there should Dt
paid Sl2OS17 90. In this instance the amount pare
6y the Court to the Collector the 18th day OF No
vember SO, after deducting costs and fees OF Tue
DistIlCt-AttOmcv with his commissions, was 81 q
156 ~. Others of great magnitude as am informed
were also settled or otherwise disposed OF and the
money paid 10 the Collector previous TO the 5Jth
November 1870 which do not appear, for the reason.
NAV be- that the distribution of moIetes had not
taken place at that time. IL IS important however.
20 know all these facts 10 reach correct estimates of
the pTincelv salaries of these officials.
have obtained from the Office of the Commissioner
Of Customs statement showing that from the Isl of
June 1870 10 the 3lst of July, 1871, period OF 4
months there was paid tot Collector at New York.
in fines penalties and Norfeitures, the net Of
Stg-sl H. and that this officer received from the
Treasury, for bis mOiety, SJl9j %, viii appear
from the sutjOiucl abstract:
Merchandise