Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-07
INVASION OF RIGHTS.
Threats Of Espionage in the Postal De-
parimeRtL'SmuggliUg Through
the Mails."
The RemedyL'Repeal all Duties on Ar
ticles that eau be Struggled
Through the Nails"
..om me Nn,r y ok Rnnetin.

From the New \ ork Bulletin
II fthecustonhOuse wishes to unite the
Whole people OF this country in solid
phalanx demanding its utter and
prompt abolition, il can hardly do better
than 10 push TO completion the schemes
ii is now reported to be Matching for the
purpose Of extending its espionage to
ihe mails. The proposition to place an
officer in the poslOffice, % decide what
articles are entitled 10 pass-as If any
sbiDe on which postage is paid was not
enltled 70 DO sO-and empowered 20 for
ma OF delay the delivery OF any package
Al his wa pleasure. ob.ige The owner to
come 10 the postOfiice at whsteyeT loss
OF time or money, aud compel him 10
disclose the contents of the package;
this p-opositou if carried out, will
vest such an oppressive power IN the
hands OF a practically irresponsible
clerk. and will inevitably lead TO such
abuses. that the nlonstTOus institution
which preys on the commerce OF New
York. and through that commerce on
the people Of the whole country, under
pretense Of collecting the revenue. IL
likely 10 cut its own thrOst thereby. The
iuvlSlability of the mails is one OF thF
prfvileges Of American fTeemen, which
Us possessOrs will be very slow to re-
linquish. The effort to expose private
correspondence OF any kind TO the pry'
lag ewes OF revenue officials il likely, u
seriously entered on, to raise storm o
which its makers little dream. When
Jnen fad packages, on whose prompt
=, r,Neeipt important affairs may turn
81 ved and held at the will
~ ,e clerk on the bare possibility o.
their containing something whereon s
rifle OF duty is legally eollectable-ol
worse slill, when the package actually
does conts,in nothing dutiable whatever
and when this petty despot whom 1t Il
proposed to create prohibits the delivery
OF the package at all unless il is opened
m his presence, and he is made aware
of its contents, he being at liberty u
use his knowledge If he chooses to th'
disadvantage of the owner by giving IN
formation TO his competitors and nVali
or otherwise; and when tnstesd OF hav'
ing their property delivered to them II
the regular way, men In active business
find themselves forced TO go 10 th'
pnstoffice, perhaps daily, and to oper
their packages in The presence OF any
spies or hangers-On that the oihcisl may
,ehOoss to invite TO witness the opening
tperhaps come special ageDt OF The
treasury on some such plea IS that as
sistance is nesded in classifying the ar
ticles, while the whole trouble, expense
and risk of repsckiHg and safe trans
portation TO place OF destination falls Oh
owners or consignees, the indignation
thus caused will gather in cloud thai
will burst with terrific force over tht
heads OF the promoters OF this lnqulsl'
aorial scheme. The true remedy FOL
smuggling through the mails lies IN ex
actly the opposite direction to the cour.'
now Contemplated. Ii consists IN repeal
f,,.s Ell duties on articles that can be trans
mi,ted BY mail. The amount realized
from sach duties is comparatively TIL
fling, probably does not repay the ex'
pense Of collection; and there is no rea'
son for continuing them except TO afford
excuses for arbitrary stretches OF power
Postnas er-C General Cresswel and AT
torney-General Williams have shown
epmmeudable spirit in protecting th'
ssnctity Of the mails against Official en-
.croachmeuls, and We call OF them Z
exercise a like watchfulBess against thl
signal attempt st wholesale invasion o
that sauctity.