The Republican journal., 1873-07-10
Barnabas N. Roberts Arrested. A Grim.
inaI Charge Under the U. S. Laws.

United States Marshal Marble arrived
in this city on Tuesday morning, and re-
manned during the forenoon. After din
ner he departed for Stockton, and it soon
began to be noised about that his bust
ness was with Barnabas NJ Roberts, Col
lector of the Port of Belfast, and that he
was armed with warrant for the arrest
of that official on a charge of violating the
revenue laws of the United States The
warrant is issued by w. H. Clifford, Esq,
United States Commissioner at Portland,
and charges that Roberts. being an officer
Of customs, is engaged in trade in viola
ton of the statute which forbids and pro-
vides penalties for such acts. We after
wards learned that the warrant was sery-
ed that afternoon.
The law for violation of which Roberts
has been arrested, is an old one for the
regulation of the treasury department,
having been approved by George Wash
lngton, in 1889, and is as follows
And be it enacted, That no person appointed
to any office instituted by this act shall directly
or indirectly be concerned or interested in car
rylng on the business of trade or commerce or
be the owner in whole or in part of any sea
vessel, or be concerned in the purchase or dis
posa of any public securities of any state or OF
the United States, or take or apply to his own
use any emoument or gain for negotiating any
business in the said department other than
what shall be allowed by law; and if any per-
| son shall offend against any of the prohibitions
| of this act, he shalt be deemed guilty of 4 high
msdemeanor, and shall forfeit TO the United
States the penalty of $4,000, and shall upon con-
| viction be removed from office, and forever
! thereafter incapable of holding any Office under
| the United States. Provided, That if any other
| person than 4 public prosecutor shall give in
formation of any such oiense Ipon which q
prosecution and conviction Sha he had, one
half the aforesaid penalty of $1,000, when re-
covered, shall be for the person giving such in &.
| formation.
A subsequent act, approved May 8,
| 1892, provides that ''the restriction so
far rs respects the carrying on Of any
| trade or business, be extended to all Off
GERS of the United States. concerned in the
| collection on disbursement of the revenue
| thereof.n
This law has always been held as a
most important and salutary one 1t will
| be remembered that in forming his first
cabinet, Gen, Grant desired to appoint az
Secretary Of the Treasury, Stewart the
| great dry goods dealer OF New York
| Finding tins law to be a bar, he sent a
| special message requesting its repeal, but
| Congress refused. On that occasion Sen
ator Sumner made an elaborate speech in
| defence OF the existing law, az necessary
to the purity of the public service
We 90 not see how it will be possible
for the Collector to avoid the extreme
| penalty of he law in this case His of
fence has been open, fragrant, undenled
and undeniable. Protesting to be attend
| ing to the duties which he had taken a
solemn oath to faithfully perform, he was
| daily dealing out goods ut his store in
| Stockton, in violation ot the law of which
| he was made the guardian We do not
| speak as a partizan in this matter, but as
| a citizen has right to comment upon a
| public indecency. We speak only AZ the
whole republican party Of the vicinity
speaks. Not one has mentioned the mat
| ter in our hearing who has not rejoced
| that this great scandal is to be stopped.
Roberts will be arraigned before United
| States Commissioner Clifford, at Portland
ami bound over to the September term Of
the q. S. Circuit Court, when the matter
| will he presented to the Grand Jury.