New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-03
REFUNDED DUTIES.

letter FROM SECRETARY RICHARDsON-TIIE WAY
TAXES ARE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MONTH RE-
QUIRED TO PREPARE A DETAILED STATEMENT
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THR rRTBuNRl
WASHINGTON. March 2.-Tbe following letter ex-
plains ITSELF
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Fob. 2s 1874.
The Hon. E. H. ROBERTS. Commites on Ways and Means,
House Of Representatives..
DEAR SIR Referring TO your conversation this morn
ing, and your request that would inform You, ms
nearly as am able 10 this time OF the amount or
money refunded ~ the Government since March, 1873,
advance of the full and complete answer 10 the reso
utions Of the House OF Jan. g. 1874, directing in-
formation to he furnished OF tho amount
Of money refunded since March a. 1873, on
account OF customs duties and internal taxes
previously paid into the Treasury, The names Of the
persons whom paid and the amount to each respec-
lively, and upon what articles the said fund wac so
made together with recital OF the reasons for said
payments and the laws under which the payment was
made have the honor TO say that find from Inquiry
ana examination OF the papers now In process OF prepa
alton In answer TO the resolution that very large part
of the refunds arise in this way
Importers when they make their entries at the Gus
tomhOuse being anxious to withdraw their goods i'm
medatey and without waiting for careful calculation
OF the Of duty actually due and the reduction OF
invoices from the foreign money OF account IN which
they made TO United States money, usually make
deposits OF enough coin to with certainty all
that they will be obliged to pay on final adjust
meut with 9 margin additional, in order that
the Collector may be fully secure. Upon first
adjustment frequently appears Of course, that they
have deposited much larger amount than was actually
DUE and this amount is refunded to them not as an
erroneous assessment but an over-deroft The
OF OF deposits and refunds paid back Tor
the scal year ending June So 1872 was s3eO92 co. or
the amount thus paid since March 1873, cannot find
returns In the Department that there mas
been paid on OF protest and appeal and
on suits more than &c. with t9S70 "a interest
and costs allowed by the in judgments recovered
for such refunds and suits discontinued without udg
ment making all thus paid 81 .s2274o rs. Az nearly as
I able 10 estimate, whatever sums may have been
paid above that must have been paid rs excess
OF posts These figures may be entirely accurate,
and when fna returns received from the custom
houses throughout the country, now called for by
the Department, the amount may be somewhat In
creased but to what extent 1t is impossible for me to
ascertain.
proper to state however that the snin speened
81 s2 o TO- thus paid includes not only what has been
refunded upon protest appeal but that which has
been with interest and costs upon suits pend
ing in the courts OF which, after having been twice
tried and each time decided against the Government
and recently, finally determined, was commenced In
1852 and others OF which have been pending for diner
en periods since that time IL also includes the amount
refunded under the Chicago Relief act goods i'm
ported and In the rebuilding OF that city, as well
as money refunded under the law authorizing refund
OF duties for materials entering into ShlIrDuldlDg
lam informed that It viii require q months time
United States details sufficient TO the reso
ution completely. but what nave stated will give you
general view OF the condition Of matters aud the way
in which refunds occur Yours respectfully,
WV. A. RICHARDSON, Secretary.