New-York tribune., 1874-04-13
TRAPS FOR IMPORTEKS'
, or,,p,cNr CONSPIRACY.

.prc,,r AGENTS ARE NOW DOING GRNAl
GOVERNMENT CASE ,,
7, vas shown in an article recently puoIsheu
q, TINS TRIBUNE that the system OF speciai agents
,,,ho Treasury TO investigate and prosecute irdu"'
- Tho revenue ia one of comparatively recent organ
-, o,d which has found its full development unuct
NJ 1853 and its amendments and that these acts
,n no mart Of the system OF laws Tor the lppos'oh
and the collection of the revenue from customs oue are
an excrescence upon that system which ought 10 NC re
p,sysd The practical effect OF these laws anu Vhel
utlity and propriety he best judged OF ana Illus
trd In their practical operation in cases OF spec"i
class. 49,.
The first subject TO which the enterprise OF 'neSe
SPECIAL az nts WAS directed after the passage OF 'he ac
OF 1863 was the importation OF champagne III was proo
ably true that the inviting prospect which TINS nhpora
tation offered was the PRINCIPAL motive of these agents
IN procuring the passage Of the law
THE OPPORTUNITY.
The importation of champagne to America presen'eu
some peculiar features and circumstances hot i"NO,"
IN ordinary importations from foreign countries Inc
district OF country in which champagne s produceu Is
eomparatigely small the number Of houses engaged IN
its production few aud the wine itself s prepared Tor
speciaI markets. Champagne wines exported to TINS
country are seldom sent elsewhere. They are pre-
par,d with special reference to the American
market. and there is little demand for theIh
in other countries, almost none at all ln
the country OF their production. There were there
fore no facts OF circumstances fixing Their market
value atithepace Of production for there were no sales
at that place. Most of the houses had agents IN this
country to whom they sent all the wines produced py
them for sale here The fixing OF their market vaue az
the place OF had always been attended with
oinicutics so great fact that various attempts had
been made by the importers Of these wines to agree WIN
the Government upon rate OF valuation OF the diner
ent classes which would be satisfactory OOth 10 'e
Government aud the importer This rate had been nXed
for some years. after consultation between the m-
portrrs and officers of the Government specially ap-
pointed for that purpose, and almost every importer OF
champagne supposed that no departure from those
rates would be attempted by the Government, at all
events without tull them. This agreement was
i'm fun force was in writing lodged IN the Custom
house at NewYork at time the special AGENTS OF tho
Treasury began operations under the law OF 1863
HOW THE TRAP WAS BAIIED.
Shortly after the passage OF that act, ou-
reau was established IN Paris called the Special
Agency Of the Treasury of the United States, under the
general direction OF individual who inspired the act
of 1863 Ii was fact the place where the system OF
espionage upon the merchants and importers IN
foreign counties first is operations were con
Quoted in concert with those OF certain officers OF the
revenue both upon the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
From that o,e in Paris dcc1y letters sent out,
mailed at Liverpool and other places remote from each
other, inQurng of the producers OF champagne, the
lowest prices for their wines for expectation,
not to the United States, but TO heXi'
co. South America and other places, with WHOA
tie writer's pretended to be in communication, ana
where they pretended to have facilities for creating
demand for these wines. The champagne producers OF
course had slightest suspicion that these letters
had any possible connection with the dealings with the
United States, but supposed that they were as they
proesscd TO be- written in good faith aud by persons
honestly desiring to purchase their wines. They did
not respond fayorably in the rst instance, and it
only by repetition OF these lcteTs3wlth sther state
fnauts Of prp.u.ctlye and profits, OF
them at length consented to price at which they
would dlj small orders for the markets proposed The
sales wholly exceptional and experimental, made
20 Strangers and under circumstances showing
that the purchasers cared little for the price,
which was be settled finally after the
experiment had been tried In this manner n few
baskets Of champagne were purchased from time TO
time aud to the places ordered 10 these letters
After reasonable time had ciapsed, sufficient to ship
them to South America Mexico, other letters were
written showing the success and profit which had
attended the former shipment, the popularity OF the
wines in the new mlrAet accompanied with request
for the repetition of the order These producers also
had agents in Paris and L)nI1n for the sale OF their
other wines. Requests made 70 these agents for
prcests showing the price at which they would under
take TO sell in small quantities wines prepared FOR
America other countries These requests were al
most always accompanied by statements from the agents
that the proposed purchasers could buy cheaper by
going directly 10 the producers. The purchases being
small of course the price much higher than the rate
at which large quantities could have been procured In
the champagne country In all these cases the pur-
thasers careful to procure bills OF sale or invoices
showing the rates and prices of the different classes of
wines In OF these had the wineproducers
or their agents the slightest knowledge that the pro
posed purchasers other than what they professed TO
be- that they in any acting for in behalf
o. the United States, that these exceptional sales
would have the renotes possible reference to then iu
pOrtations OF wines into this country.
TRAP SPRUNG.
After al these evidences had been carefully procured
invoices and propositions received from all the promi
nent houses IN the champagne trade and the cOnspr
acy thoroughly worked up and perfected upon day
aud without the slightest notice premonton 10 tine
importers and their agents. every basket OF champagne
3n bond or in the CustOm-house, from Maine TO New.
Orleans and on the Pacific coast, was seized by the
officers and special agents of the revenue underva
uaiion upon the evidence thus procured The quantity
seized enormous Proclamation Instantly
made that the evidence showing the undervalu-
alton complete aud perfect. The seizure
was timed lust at the beginning OF the emand
for the wines, aud the consequences OF this seizure
almost the destruction OF the champagne trade
II immediately and completely arrested The bus
OF every dealer stopped suddenly as it had
been struck by lightning. The amount Of capital in
vested was large that the suspension of the
period of six months itself enough
ruin the agents OF the importers. and in many cases.
the importers themselves. Some OF these houses which
were thus stricken down have recovered frop the
shock Some OF the agents driven into insolvency.
and cases actually occurred which they driven
10 insanity Some Of them known 10 have died in
insane asylums.
THE YARvEsT OF THE SPECIAL AGENTS.
fruitful harvest for the special agents OF the Treas
ury immediately began The alternative presented TO
the owners compromise ruin. Some Of the
eases we're compromised without the slightest ref