The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-02-21
Revenue Moieties and spies.


immediate abolition Of the present arbitrary
and disgraceluleystem Of custom house SELF.
ures, inlormers, moieties and spies, is likely
to rceeivea powerful impetus from the publ
cation Just made Of the profits Of the custom
house officials and spies in New York and
Boston, and of the terms of what are known
rs the "Sanborn contracts for the collec-
ton Of amounts claimed to be due the
United States under the internal revenue
laws. A synopsis Of the report Of the
amount Of fines and penalties collected for
violations Of the revenue laws in New York
and Boston from March |, 1869, TO No
yember 3, 1873, was published on Satur-
day. The document itself, which was
communicated to the House of Representa-
tiyes by the Secretary Of the Treasury in
response to resolution calling for the
information in question, is described as
being cylindrical roll, resembling band
box for lady's muf, and when opened
was found to cover two hundred sheets of
paper. 1t contains the particulars of about
three thousand five hundred cases which
have been compromised" or settled upon
the payment of fines, of which one-half
went to the custom house officers aud in
formers. In the great majority of cases
the indebtedness to the government was
small, ranging from $50 to 81 900. The
gross amount Of fines, forfeiturcs and pen
alties collected in the two cities and within
the period named in the resolution, was
si,S62, 4SI.57. The actual amount of du-
ties involved and paid into the treasury
was S24f, 606.03. The whole share of the
United States remaining in the treasury is
S2,2lS,S77.57 the balance went into the
pockets Of the officials and spies. In par
ticular, the report shows what fat thing
the collector aud other officers of the New
York custom house have in their respec-
tive Offices. During four years the collec-
tor received for his individual and personal
share s407 ,245.97; the naval officer, 1924.
05S.64; the surveyor, 1891 ,213.6l; the in
formers, principal among whom figures the
redoub,able Mr.. Jayne, S7l6,24S,0I. And
this, be it remembered, is but sample of
what is and what has been going on all
over the country, although of course, the
richest harvest is that which is reaped in
the city Of New York. The smallness of
the amount of actual dues supposed to
have been withheld from the United States
compared with the enormous sums exacted
in settlement is worthy Of special attention.
The payments made are not 10 be taken
by any means as a confession Of guilt on
the partof the persons making them. The
report covers cases of accidental and unin-
territorial irregularity as well as of attempt
ed and discovered fraud, and the payments
were often the price paid to avoid pro-
tracted contest with the government which
might have involved the stoppage Of credit
and of business and possible bankruptcy
to the parties assailed The New York
Tribune truly says chat the sums received
by the custom house officers and inform.
ers represent not the spoils of smugglers,
but the fruits of extortion and oppression
levied upon the commerce of the country
In company with this disclosure Of the
operations of the custom house under the
moiety system, come the particulars of the
contracts entered into by the Secretary of
the Treasury under the law of May s,
1872, by which that officer was authorized
to farm out the collection of internal reye-
nue. taxes unpaid upon "such terms and
conditions as he shall deem best for the
United States. Under the authority thus
given Secretary Boutwell, contracted with
John d. Sanborn, of Boston, and several
parties in Philadelphia, for the collection
of large amounts Of taxes due, the contrae-
ting parties to receive one-half of the gross
proceeds for their services and expenses.
The extensive operations of these contrac-
tors, especially in the city of Brooklyn,
and the large sums which were claimed by
them, attracted the attention at first of the
Department of Justice and finally Of Con-
gress, when q resolution was passed calling
upon the Secretary of the Treasury for
copies of the contracts under which San
born Il Co. were operating. A good deal
Of delay and difficulty was experienced 10
obtaining the information called for, and
when it was forthcoming il was found so
meagre and unsatisfactory that second
resolution has been introduced by the CON-
mittee of ways aud means calling for the
amounts collected and the names of the
! parties from whom the collections have
been made. This information the secre-
tary appeared reluctant to give, urging that
such publications be unjust to the
individuals concerned, and General Butler
objected to the consideration Of the reso-
luton, which, consequently, under the
rules was laid over. 1t is now freely
charged that Sauborn himself is proteqe
Of Butler; that the Essex statesman is
himself a party interested in the contract
and that Assistant Secretary of the Treas.
ury Sawyer, by whom the law of MAY 8,
1872, was introduced, has also an interest
in the matter. 1t is further insinuatcd
that large amounts of dues, which might
have been readily collected in the ordinary
way without additional expense to the
government, have been purposely left un-
collected, in order to furnish rich gleanings
for the contractors. The whole business
is 50 redolent Of suspicious of corruption
and fraud that the committee of ways and
means have unanimously resolved upon a
bill repeating the law of May 8, 1872. au.
thorizing such contracts to be made. In
the meantime, all these revelations serve
to illustrate still more strongly the iniqui-
tous and debasing nature Of the whole
system of treasury moietes, and of the
partnerships created between the govern
ment, its officers and paid informers and
spies, for the spoilation of taxpayers and
merchants, The civilized world probably
does not present parallel to the revenue
service of the United States in this respect,
and the quicker this blotand scandal upon
the legislation Of the country is gotten rid
Of the better. Congress should lose no
time in repeating every statue and part Of
a statue under color of which this meta.
rions division of spoils at the expense alike
of the government and the citizen is car
ried on,-B Baltimore Saa.
PROPOSED NEw COUNTY IN MARY.
LAND.-A meeting was held at Laurel, ON