New-York tribune., 1874-05-29
WASHINGTON.
CUSTOMS REFORM.

CUSTOMS REFORM.
THE MoiETY BILL THAT WILL PRoBAbLf.'beCOME
LAVA COMBINATION OF THE FEST ON AND ROB
rRrs pIII-PRovrsIoNs AS TO THrx SEIZURE OF
MERCHANTS BOOKS AND PAPF RS - PROPOSED
sA.RrEs OF CUSTOMS OFFICE RS AT VARIOUS
PORTS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE RIsuNR.l
WASHINGTON. May 2s.-The M oiety bill was nearly
,.rfected by the Senate Com nittee on Finance at
"a meeting to-day, and viii probably be reported
tomorrow morning. As anne <led 1t viii be substan-
tally combination of the fenton bill and that re-
norted by Mr. Roberts fro N she Ways and Means
Committee passed by the House few days ago. 1t
asthought best to unit these bills for two reasons
The Finance Commit &c were unanimously of the
cpnion that it would be unsafe for the Roberts bill
rrpealing moieties to become law without some
new provisions in regard to the salaries OF Gus
toms oifrias Such legislation would result IN con-
fus,on in the Custom-house and loss of revenue TO
,he Government; but if the Senate should pass the
Ho,sse bill and il should go to the President and al
te ward send TO the House the Fenon bill, the latter
sder the new rule of order would have to go to the
,.znmittee of the Whole on the State of the Union.
bause it contains provisions making necessary the
appropriation of money, and would hardly be
aaehed this session. On the other hand if the
Pe,ten bill is attached TO the House bill as an
amendment the House can at once agree TO the
Senate amendments. can send the whole subject
"a n Conference Committee and the bill can be
passed tins session.
The norton of the bin that came from the House
will be reported to the Senate with only or two
important amendments. An attempt has been made
10 restore the third section it reported from
the Committee of Ways and Means authorizing the
seizure of books and papers whenever the United
States Attorney shall aege to the court when suit
hnolr fnuni Qr
paper belonging to the defendant will tend to prove
the charges made by the Government, and II now
looks as though the attempt would be successful so
far as the Committee is concerned though they seem
willing 10 modify its provisions as to make the
seizure discretionary with the judge instead of
mandatory. If the judge is made responsible for
every seizure, acts of this kind Will be less
frequent and their execution less oppres-
nve Still the merchants absolutely deny
the necessitv for any such authority, holding the
custody of the goods TO be sufficient security for the
Government which has great facilities for ascer-
tanning the market value of goods the merchant
himself Ii is understood that motion to disagree
10 the amendment restoring this section will be
made in the Senate. and this motion will be sus-
tanned by Senators FentOn aud Bayard.
The only other important amendment to the
House portion of the bill relates to the submission
of the question of fraudulent intent TO the jury as
separate and independent question. The amend
ment referred to will put 1t In the power OF the
court on its own motion, and makes it the duty OF
the iudge when he is requested TO do so by either
party, not only to submit as separate
and distinct question the matter of fraudulent
intent but any other specific question material to
the issue. The effect of the amendment will be to
allow merchant against whom suit Is brought, not
only to vudcate his character if he is innocent, but
IN Of n do m other material DOlnt that
NAV arise The sections Of the Roberts bill repeal
ing moieties were taken from the Fenton bill, so
that If course, in combining the two, the cOrre-
sponding sections of the latter are omitted. The
remainder Of the FentOn bill, modified by Its
author and introduced in the Senate few days
ago. is preserved intact, with some slight changes
that will he noted.
The most important of these relate TO the
schedules of salaries for customs officers. which are
Iightly reduced in the BILL 1t will be reported by
the Committee For instance, in the BILL as Senator
Fenton introduced IT, the salary of the Collector at
York was fixed at $1,000 the Committee have
reduced II TO $4,000. The salaries of the Collectors
az Boston and san Francisco were fixed by Senator
FentOn at $4,000 each; the Committee have cut
them down 70 IS 900; and the salaries of the COllec-
tors at Philadelphia, Baltimore and New-Or-
leans which were fixed at $1,000, have
been reduced to S6,5O0. At other ports the salaries
are based upon a careful examination of the
amount collected and the tonnage at each the sew
eral classes being paid at the rate of $1,000, S250O
5000 $500 81 OOl and $500. The bill as 1t is 10 be
reported viii fix the salaries Of the Appraiser Ma
val Officer and Surveyor at New-York at $1,000
each. The same officers at Boston and San Fran
cisco will receive $1,000 each. AT Philadelphia.
Baltimore and New-Orleans $4,000 each; and at all
other ports where these officers exist, $1,000
Taken altogether. with the exception OF the sec
ton relating TO the seizure of books and papers, the
bill viii probably be perfect than any on the
subject ever before Congress, and notwithstanding
the known hostility of of the most influential
Senators portions of it, il is hoped that 1t
viii be taken up early next week and passed
Senator FentOn, whO on account OF his great
familiarity with this whole subject, would natu-
rally be intrusted with the management OF this BILL
is unfortunately obliged to leave Washington to-
morrow on very urgent business, and TO be absent
week. Senator sherman Will, therefore take charge
Of the bill and report it. 1t caDnot possibly be con-
ndered before next week.