, 1874-11-26


Henry q. johnson, Commissioner Of Customs,
las mado ha report to tho Secretary OF tho
Treasury. from which 1t appears thcro nos paid
into tho Treasury for tho yoar ending with Juno
last. 819s, ,ss3 on account Of customs IN
fnos, penalties aud forfeitureB, aG51 ,27l; bteam-
boat Inspections, 1914, $50; labor, drayago,
storage, etc., &4a3,G84; Marine Hospital tux,
$685., $3.50; official foes earned by Collectors,
1864 S42, making In round numbers a totul Of
e1B5, 480, ,609. Tloro was paid out Of the Trcas-
ury, on cuBtoma account, e22, ,ac5,27S This sll1n
includes 81. .9lo, 4G7 uxnonBes Of collection
81, 225 7o1 refundng oxcess Of deposits duties;
$1,301,97 On dobohturcs; %, 1888, 05i on public
buildings; $2,4s0, Reconstruction and maiuto-
nauco Of liGIals 31,106.658 construction aud
maintenance Of revenue cuttors; S40o,037
marine Hospital Service; &3l7, ,981 distribution
shares OF tnos, penalties, and forfeitures; $780,.
164 preserving llfe and property from shlpwreck;
aud $107, ,039 miscellaneous accounts, The COM
missioner says: THE evils Of tho moiety sya-'
tom In its practical administration woro undoubt-
edly great, aud By tho enactment Of repeal, June
~, 1874, Congress appears to havu rendered its
Judgment that thoY wero greater than the OWLS
the system WIS designed to Prevent. So far as o
faithful and Jealous execution Of the new law by
this Bureau can effect that object, tho judgment
of Congress against tic moioty system ella1l
be sustained; but 1t ia yes Too carly to stato
what tho result has been or to predict iutolli-
gently what tho ultimate result will bo upon the
revonue md mercantile classos. In order to
give the new law III advantageous tral, and to
prevent the diminntion Of tho rovonne AZ appre.
leudod by many. it wil bo necessary to sustain
1t With all the adjunctB Of Bnccoss suggested by
oxporouce. In this connection it may DO stated
that the bost mode Of arroating tho owl OF
nnderyaIuation Of goods has occupied tho
thoughtful attention Of Bome Of our largest in~
porting merchants. whose feelings and interests
are thoroughly IN accord with those Of tho Goy-
ernmont. One Of tlo methods suggested Is to
ratse tho STANDARD Of qualification OF examuorB,
aad to lpcroase Their Pay SO as to command n the
much having boon accomplished, aud the OK
listing lswu having boon 50 amended as to require
moro thorough inspection, 1T is proposed
to hayo the entries md merchandise examined
with reference to quality and valuo BY tho oth-
oal, With tho same cnre aa they would DO By o
poraon intending to>purchaso tho goods. Uy ap-
pointing examiners Of integrity ind fttieHR In
sufficient numbers, 1t Is beloved tho appalling
cesstulay con,bated. and tint tho expenditure Of
. few thousands in rala way Hil bo compensated
by turning many millions Into tho National
Treasury, This shoory III Sustained BY our mer-
chants, with but few exceptions, and approved
by our most experienced customs officials. It
appours tho laws Of tho Genetal Government
authorizing warrants: :ol-soarch for a1nugglcd
goous ore detective nna often M ,nopoGnsTe. iuas-
much as there IL no Cnitod states olllclal who III
empowered to lBsue these "rits II Commission
ors Of tue unltod statea were anthor'zot, under
proper saiogstnrda TO- perform these duties. It ls
thought the difficulties coniplaiued Of would bo
obgialed:
It ls estimated the American tour!HtH returning
from Europe during tho year ending juno 50,
1875 numbered 3G.390, mud oacl. person brought
on tue average acyen trunka illlod with dutiablc
goods, clalmed to DO poraonal baggage, not dutl-
able. Ne hhyc thlla nn average OF 257 BIO trunks
Al!ed with articles olaltned ~ duty ireo, repre-
sonting, on valuation Of $500 for each trunk,
tho cnormouH sum OF sl3s, ,0o0. It to vel
known that much OF this baggage il in reality in-
tended to be put upon tho marriott az merUilan-
d!ae. and stll! other 'nortons u It arc brought
over for third parties. WHO ilaya remained at
homo. Most OF thoao ong!god in this kind of
Importation are peoi!e " wealth, WHO should
cheertully bear tholr just proportion or tito mr.
tional ilaebte0ness, md Whom thoy ta to do
20, by this lnolpleiak 1ofm Of smuggling, tho
burden falls more hoa9hy on others, and
6jAE0HrhEAH thu hOn0HE ull1Follnnt In