New-York tribune., 1872-01-16
CUSTOM-HOUSE ABUSES.
PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL WORKINGS OF
THE REVENUE DEPARTMENT..


| DEPUTY-COLLECTOR CLARK's EXPERIENCE AND
OPINIONS--A STRANGE STORY OF POLITICAL
PRosCRIPTION-HOw TIE PRESIDENT srs-
PENDED AN OFFICER FOR OPPOSING hR.
MURPHY.
| The Senate Committee resumed it's session At the
AstOr House. yesterday, and prosecuted its invest
cation with much industry. "Decoy" Bliss was ~
pertinacously oicious as hitherto but, otherwise,
the Custom-hOuse men were reasonably decorous.
| I he first witness Deputy Collector Clark, was
| questioned concerning the case of DinOnd and
Lally in which il was charged that although The
Grand Jury had proof Of q fraud of $l20.O0 the
authorities compromised the matter for Sj0N0. He
said that he did not believe the fraud reached
$4,000 and that he understood the settlement w9s
negotiated in Washington. In regard to
the Redmond case he asserted that If
any threat was made as testified by VIM.
Redmond, it was made without his knowledge
or approval. Concerning pilfering from the Ap-
praiser's Stores he thought it impossible for tine
Appraiser to verify by the invoice every ding which
goes from that store He believed that IL = was
opened and part Of the contents were found to be
missing the importer was. Immediately summoned.
and that when loss was shown 10 have occurred ou
shipboard the ship paid for tho piss
ing goods. He conld not s2y Nhc,hr'
or not it possible TO det'ct ti'
thieves when goods were taken from the public
store, but he was that both eX-Apprai ~
Palmer aud Appraiser Darling had been exec. dinclS
anxious to stop all complaints Of that kind. Ou'-
siders, he believed, were not admitted 10 The Ar-
praisers store without pass In reference 10 CHas
KaiIe who paid several bills for goods lot dam
aged going to OF from the public store, tie tn's-
thought Kaile was careless or his cmplaycs dis
honest and that lie was justly held responsible.
Further inquiry being made as to the Redmond case,
Mr. Clark explained that facts came to his knOwl-
edge which he believed demanded further invest-
CATION but that the apparent differentiation was
found to arise from certain innocent trade dcyices.
thus relieving the accused from the charge of intent
to delraud the revenue. Hethought that undcUalua-
ton frauds could only become successful through the
ignorance OF ineflcicDcy of the Appraiser. Som"
discussion at this point upon the pos lbIity oi
absolutely preventing revenue frauds and senator
Bayard declared bis opinion that thero cannot be
fraud perpetraed upon the revenue except by cclln
sion of officers of the Government
Mr. Clark also testified that constructive charges
for storage bad in some been declared legal,
end that night permits had been found TO be entileiy
prohibited by law In the case of the bottles of gin
stolen from Clark & Schultz, he believed that the
cartman was responsible, and had made good th"
loss. Tho difficulties in the way OF CRIMINAL no-
ceedings were the reluctance of jurles 10 m
dict aud the lack of sufficient force to prepare iLe
cases. lie thought the present General Order sys-
fem was as good as the former one and believed the
complaint of increased expense nnfOundcd. lie
thought too that the laws against smuggling were
sufficiently stringent, but that the Inspectors
were not paid enough to secure mon at
once capable and honest. Allowances Tor
damage, he believed, should bo abolished
entirely and various "perils OF the revenue arose,
in his opinion, from too small customs force The
General Order business he regarded as the most
valuable perquisite in the Gift of the Government
He had no eht as Deputy Collector 10 any portion
of the proceeds from forfetures, but As iuiormer
he had often received share As to sezarcsoi goo"-
he thought they tended to some abu-e and oc'a-
sional injustice; if they abolished tho Govern
ment mi ght lose considerable revenue, hut it was
question whether the Government could moi better
afford to lose the revenue than to suffer .he odinm
Of making the seizures"
Geo IL. Van Cleft, City Surveyor gave evidence
as to the manner in which he was suspended from
his Office Of civil engineer in the navy through the
malicious influence of Collector Murphy. His fail
nre 10 aid Murphy in the proposed coalition with the
OBren Democracy, in the Fall OF 1870, angcred The
President so much that he refused Mr.. Van Cleit
hearing. and suspended him under the IenuTe-oi-
Office law solely for political reasons. la'gc n"-
Der of removals took place al the same iin.' Tor
reasons Of the same nature.
The witness attended the state Convention in FL
and had no doubt that the officers Of the custom
house were used To control is action lie inod ais"
that 500 extra men were employed in the Brooklyn
Vovy.yard lust before the election in 1910; that =
LIST of - names was sent 10 him Win statement
that tho Secretary of the Navy desired him 10
put the men at work ia his departments
that hc declined 10 do 20. ana that
three days after he was suspended. lIo Was 'os"ly
orestioued concerning the method of Rpuhlican
accumulation IN thi, city the operations Of the party
during the Lcdwth-Ilall contest im TIE Nay0raIiy
in 1870 and the interest that Tamnany took therein
and declared thar he favored the appointment Of
Republican nominee but finally supported Led"iih
in preference to Hall. In conclusion h, gHNe an
interesting account "f Murphy WancE'tr' g." ob"'h
control OF iic General Committee.