New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-30
The POST-OFFICE AND TIE CUSTOM



1t appears from the official reply to Mr..
Dawes's recent resolution of inquiry that
there has been a conflict of opinion between
the Custom-hOuse and Post-Olice authorities
as to the proper course to be pursued when
letter, supposed to contain dutiable articles
diamonds for instance), is received in the
mail from foreign port. Not only that, but
there is, or recently has been, conflict be-
tween the regulations of the two depart
ments. The Postal Regulations provide that
when such letters are received at any post
office" the Postmaster must give notice to
the Collector of Customs, and retain the let
tiers a reasonable time, for the purpose OF
allowing the customs officers to examine
them" The letters, however can only be
"opened by the parties addressed, who should
be notified by the customs officers to appear
cat the post-o0ice and open the same"
The Customs Regulations, however, pre-
scribe that "all letters or packages
suspected OF containing articles liable
"tO duty must be deposited
"at the Custom house III charge of an officer OF
the customs, and notice gwen to the persons
"to whom they are directed to cause the same
TO be opened in the presence OF such officer OF
" the customs AZ the Collector may designate
for that service" That is to say, the Post
Office holds it to be the duty of Its agents to
deliver every letter to its owner, only warn
ing the revenue officers that they may seize
the goods afterward, in case there has been
an attempt to defraud the revenue. The
Treasury on the other hand has insisted that
suspicious letter should be delivered, not to
Al Afte
and that it should be stopped at the port OF
arrival, whatever the address. In accordance
with this view, Secretary Richardson went so
tar last September IS to direct the Postmaster
of New York Ian officer over whom he has no
cOntroD to turn over oil dutiable mercban-
disc discovered in the mails to the Collector
of the Port. correspondence ensued be-
tween the Postmaster General and the Secre-
tarv of tho Treasury, which seems to have
resulted in a victory for the POst-Office.
1t was six weeks after this that the cases
occurred which prompted the inquiry by Mr.
Dawes. Three letters supposed to contain
diamonds and addressed to persons in Boston
were stopped in tranSitu in the POst-Office at
New York. and the owners received notice
from tho Collector to come on here and open
them at the POst-Office. The Postmaster of
Boston complained, and insisted that the let
ters should be forwarded to their destination
leaving the officers at that place to take what
ever steps with regard to them the law re-
ouired. In at least one Of the cases the Col
lector of Boston seems to have been furnished
with an invoice by the owner, in order that
the duty might be promptly paid. After con-
sutation at Washington, the letters were at
last forwarded, and it was agreed that sus-
pected letters addressed to a place where
Customs officer is stationed should not here
after be stopped in transitu.
This, of course, is the right decision. Under
the Treasury rulings an innocent person might
be compelled to travel from San Francisco to
New York in order to get out of the post
Office a letter which some superserviceable
clerk suspected, from diligent lingering of
the envelope, might contain dutiable mer-
chandise while under the order Of Mr.. Rich
ardson to turn over all suspected letters to-
the Collector of the Port, it is evident that the
grossest abuses might be perpetrated. But
the law on this subject needs revision. These
questions should not be settled by Mr.. Rich
ardson and Mr.. Crcswell, to be unsettled per-
haps by their successors Mr.. Dawes will find
food for reflection in the answer to his resO-
luton.