, 1874-01-01

ises to be . repetition of that OF rhelpg, Dodge
course of FIVE yeara' impo1.ationE, amounting
to $4,000. 600, upon which Phelps. Dodge
j. Co. had paid from $40, 900 900 to @15, ,000,-
900 in gold duty to tue Government. the ag-
grcgate amount Of duties lost to the Gorern~
ent by the alleged frauds did not exceed 81 $50,
orless than the -Efheth part Of
Fer cent on the value Of the imports. Nor was
there ANYTHING criminal in this loss Of duty.
Phelps, Dodge l. Co. had made contrncts extend
ing over certain tune for certain descriptions Of
metals. and during the period Of these contacts
tho market price ductuated, occasionally raising
slightly above the invoice Price. As these
metals were received, Phelps, Dodge i Co. paid
duty on the actual cost Of the articles, and not
on the advanced price. They paid duties in the
aano way on these goods whom the market ratea
we're lower than the contract. price. The law,
moreover, with view to complicate and en-
barrass trade, requires TINT the cost Of trans
portation from the place OF manufacture to the
place Of shipment, the cost Of boxing, cartage,
commission, end port duties be added
to the invoice-va!ue. II By accident or
design either Of these minute items is
omitted, the penalty 1s forfeiture Of the whole
invoice Of gooda, tho proceeds OF the confsca-
tion being divided between the Government and
the revenue officers and informers. II, in an in
voice Of goods worth 100000, all item Of SIS be
omitted, the importers forfeit 100000, one-ha1f
Of which is paid over to the informer and Gus
toms officers. The actual duty lost to the Gov
e:nmeut would not exceed, in such case, $3.50.
In the case Of Phelps, Dodge l. Co., clerk har-
ing knowledge Of these technical Irregularities |
informed upon them, and they were compelled
to pay $2G1, 900, to bo distributed among the |
blaclunalers without the slightest pretense that
any criminal act had been committed
The case Of Jordan, MarBh T. Co., OF Boston, |
is now undergoing examination. It seems that |
he United States officers managed to hive a de- |
tective employed % clerk in that establishment,
two years ago, and this man has been deyotiag |
himself to the discovery Of every instance in |
which there nas been an error in the invoices. |
Acting upon his information, the rrrenne officers
have seized the books Of the firm since 1869, and /
carried them of, for examination. The
Boston papers. Of all shades of opinion,
ire unanimous in condemning the in
famous act Of 1867, which permits the
cooks and accounts Of merchant to be seized
aud carried off upon the mere suspicion Of an
|
or SIX months, ard in the meantime they are
advertised to the world as swindlera, whose entire
property ia subject to conlscation by the Gov
'rEment In such cases, 60 far as absolute and
1'rect injury Is concerned, conviction rrecedes
examination and trial, and all for the benea: Of
ertain customs officers. who have already beeu
'ad for the prevention Of the VERT oneuse for
shich this firm is accused. The ninth sectioa Of
he Thrift act Of 1866 provides:
There eha1l be added to tile cost OF to the actual
shoesale price general market value at the time Of
lortatiou il the principal markets OF the county
rom whence the same shall have been imported into
he United States. the COST !, ct transportation;
hpment; J, tranRshipmcnt; 4, with Ill the expenses
acludcd, from the place Of growth production, OF
whether by land water to the Tessel
! which Shipment Is Iuado to the Unted States; s, |
1e value Ct the s2ck, ho1 or Governing Of any kind
i which the goods are contained 6, commission at
,e uEna1 rates, but In less than ~ er cent?
brokerage; export duty and O. nil oher sctual or
Eua chsr8es for putting up, preparing. and packing
'r transportation or shipment.
After man purchases goods in England or
t1oce, and obtains his bills, he must add there
every penny Of expense under either Of these
inc heads TO the invoice cost OF the goods; the
silurc or omission to do this, even to the extent
Is cents, subjects tho importer to penalty
lual to the value of the entire invoice. 4 mer-
,ant in New York or Boston. receiving his in
oices from his agent or partner in Europe, pre-
nts it at the Custom-House, and then begins
10 following process, which, to tho disgrace Of
ode1n civilization. is required BY our laws:
1e tripEcate invoices, made ont by the pur-
asing ageu: abroad, setting forth IN detail al
a miu11ta charraa s1a nyoxn to hv hjEa ha{ore