New-York tribune., 1872-09-11

fees, or in other words bribes, to the IN
spectors. The ."gratuity' for each Euro
pean steamer is from s15 to S25 and
three bottles of liquor. "As matter
of fact can state, / think" SAID
the agent of the Bremen line, "that none OF
"the steamers of our line have ever discharged
"cargoes at this port that have not paid
"gratgity of some kind to the Custom-house
"ofiicsr in attendance; and believe that no
STEINER has ever left this port that has es-
"caed this tax, or that has not violated III
"sone way the laws and regulations with inc
"corsent of the CustOm-hOuse officers; anu
"that in 4 large measure is what the gratulty
"is paid for.' This is one sort or unauIhor-
lied emolument to the inspectors. Another Is
the surreptitous tax upon importers, VINO, ac-
corliug to the evidence before the same COM
mitee. are regularly obliged to pay " gra-
"t,ityr to secure the prompt delivery OF their
co,ds. Sometimes the imposition Is OF tne
most barelaced and insOlent kind. Mr. Rogers
of the firm of Eddy g. Rogers, coal merchants,
had an invoice of 1876 tuns of camel coal, anu
when he presented his permit to remove 1t, an
in,pector named w. o. ClOyes met him
on the ship and said he thought the
crpo amounted to as much as l4O
TINS. But, he added "there are three
"of us here that want some coal-some OF this
"conneI. You send us a load apiece to our
"houses and we will make this l4O tuns come
"out 1876 tuns" Mr.. Rogers refused, though the
demand was three times repeated. He had all
the coal weighed as it left the ship, and it
cane To 12G tuns and q fraction. Inspector
Cloves weighed ten or twelve tubs counted
the rest, and returned tho weight as ia tunS
and fraction, upon which Mr.. Rogers was
compelled to pay duty. Many similar cases
we're reported, and such proceedings seem to
have been the rule for years. They were DIS
covered by the Patterson Committee IN 1871,
and when the second committee returned to
the subject in 1872 it was found that the same
abuses were still Aourishing, and we have no
doubt they are Gouishing now.
In the examination of pasSengerS luggage
tbora is a similar system of bribery and ex-
tortion. Well-knOwn citizens testified TO their
o,-u experience of this abuse, and Inspector
lanes II, Young showed how it was GUS
toma-y for all passengers who did not want
their trunks disturbed to settle with the
officer privately. There is, or was, man
named Davis, q CustOm-hOuse broker, who
'bas appeared to have control, even sUpe-
81 rior to the Surveyors deputy in charge OF
.the dock, in regard to the examination 9t
@bacgace,n and it seems to have been through
him that the transaction was most frequently
arranged. 81 have heard it stated" said Mr..
Younc "H,at gentlemen have said that thio
"man Davis has had their baggage passed for
Ca consideration, and that they have paid
Davis frequently. / know there has been
"dread on the part Of inspectors ia regard to
etbe influence which might be brought against
" Them bv Davis.r The English traveller whose
letter we recently printed tells US that these
abuses too are in full force He says:
aecosted by IN individual Of portly appearance
and lofty manners, cad ia suit OF dark bthe cOth'
with great extent OF whIto shrtirOns,ln tlie center
of which sparkled diamond stud, ruby-coisred te
and g. white calico hat with spose the ladies would
notlke their things all thrown OUT" Ladies seheray
dopos" said In that case we had better make thiS
a mutual aElr," he rcnAed "Very we'i,' grcwled ],
djsgusted but curious II have nothing e1cisaole un-
less Lete Of brandy and box containing % cigars
v hich YOU will find ia that pOrmanteau" be GNi NOT
trouble himself look for then but contented hnSe
by cut Ing tive cords OF two packages, opening
and shutting one box TO make show OF aetiyty, lie
il.H
derp I.rndered bin English sovereign yalue ~, at
which he grumbled saying " We are all in league and,
having % divide this is very ttle." told him 1t was
a great Ceal too much, considering had noJOno aitce
ON which he could Lave fairly levied duty, ard only
made the payment to save the ladies in ny pary from
annoyance.
Fveryn nersnn connected with the customs Is
obliged on drawing salary to make oath that
" during the period for which he or she II to
" receive pay for salary, neither ne nor she
" nor any member of his or her family has re-
" ceived,. either personally or by the interven-
" ton Of another party, any money or com
" pensation of any description whatever, nor
d" any tromises for the same, either directly or
q" indirs etly, for services, &c, in connection
% with the customs This oath, of course, Is
taken falsely by most of the INSPECTORS in
every instance. Ald yet our Civil Service has
been reformed
FRIGHTENING N0RTH C4RCLINA-
D,Io;Db " q rnra,vS