, 1874-03-28
UFFlCTN[ BLACI[MAlLERS.
Tho EovClllfo Laws Made tho Instfu-
monts Of Plumber.
Iniquities Of the Moieties
System.
How tho Compromising Of Suits Enables
1nformcrs TO Ext0rt Money.

HOW lilo Compromising Of Slltts Enables
1nformcrs to Extort Money.
To The Editar Of Tho chfcago Tssbnne: |
Sin: Before tho Rebellion, tho 1aws relating |
to tho royonuo wore enacted with Il caraful re-
gard for tho rights Of u citizon But, whom the |
War broe out, mn i.npationco OF legal restraints
waa developed, and people Hoe1ned anxious toeut
through nil loyal forms. ThB Wis duo, in aono |
measure, to tho nocoBaitioB Of tho War, and to
tho faot TINT 1t was impossible to preserve the
Union by means which were always strictly lc-
GAL It became necessary to ra'so largo rev.
enue, mud people wore ready, In this NJ III NIL
other nattors, to uRo summary measures. The
ponRlllca imposed for violation OF tho Revenue
law were mado worry Boverc. and involved heavy
flnea aud Imprisonment. at last law waH en-
acted which =
COULD NOT STAND 4 MOMENT
It any onn had Tho courage to 'esist it, but which
has, until tho present day, boon onf,lced Md
held iu tarrorom over tue heads Of oil imrorIorp.
It was enactod March 3, 1868, tlat any district
Judge Of tho United States cot1 direct ar ofl!cor
to Rcizo tho boona and papors Of my person, II
affidavit was n,atlo that tho perHon had con,-
mittod fraud Oil tho rovcnro, or ovcn attempt
cd to commit such q fraud. OF cousso, such an
act would do no tnjuvyif IL u1l importers wero
Bm1Egors, or II all officers OF tho Cove rl,mont
weto absolutely honest and devoid OF original
sin, and no ono but smugglMs wero s,la pcctoa.
But tho act ia 1iablo to be used, ard l4ns been
raed repeatedly, by officers OF the Government,
tn oxtott money from honest importers, by
threatening tho Boisure Of tleir papors. aud
thereby stopping their business for MI intsoflnite
period. But this act did not scexn hoyere
eneNgt, or afford enough encourage.
mont to Government officers to mako
| seizures. Consequently, an att WAS paBsod
Feb. 20, 1866 rowling tho net of March s. 1916,
concerntug moieties. It 1rovidcl tAat, II n seiz-
uro Of forfeited goods was masao, ono n,oicty
should 80 to tho Government, aud ono ahouklbe
divided among tho COLLECTOR, Naval Ofi :or, and
Surveyor Of the PORT. But, II private inform ar
gaSo information, ho was to recoiYe ono -hHlf OF
tho inoiety. Tho distribution Of tho moSoty .sa,
aomowhat chaugod by subsequent laws, but tho
Government ollcors and informors woro always
to havo it. However, tho law of 1916 provided
o,,e safeguard by compelling the inftsrmor or
Government officer to loso his portion Of the
noioty II ho bocanao wituoas ut tho trial Of this
case. This was done AWAY, with III the. law of
1866, and tho moiety aystcm stood.
oFrER1nG A PREMIUM OF Perjury.
However, check wtE3 intciItosed In favor Of tho
importer, by allowing him to testify as we'll az
| the in former.
After opactiug the law for thu soizuro Of IN
pors, and revising tho uoioty system, Congress
proceeded to bring its work little noarar to ii 10
perfection Of evil by onacting a Royuaue In Y
which could not be oboyed,-a law 50 full o..
pnares TINT tho most honest aud careful i'm
portor would be caught in Its moshos. An act
was passed. July g. 1886. providing; that the
duty should be rockoued on tho cost-prico Of tho
article, or tho price in the marriott Of the county
wlonce exported, whichever hnppered to be tic
greatest and to this should bo nttl led tho "cost
Of transportaton, shipment, o. II ansahilnlent:
with aG tho expenses included from tho placo Of
| growth, production, or manufacture, whether by
land or WATER to tho vessel in wi,lt,a tho ahip
| ment waa made to tho Unitod States; the vAlMe
which sucl gooi1s were conlainoa: commission
at Tho usual rates, but in no caso hess tban ~
per cent. for putting M, preparing. axl packing
for transportation" The law also provided that
tribltesl over all parts Of the ilys,co pro rata.
| This famous clause has boom widely published,
and everywhere condemned, and further COM
mont is unnecessary lore. Wher this 1aw ,Tout
WAS guilty of tcchnical violation Of it, for no
ono could bring gooda into the country in ac-
corihnco Titl Its PROVISIONS.
Neyorthelesa those evil laws could have boom
| borlo lad it not been for
| A*orIi:I FAR WORSE.
| There was ono thing which prospcted tho mer-
chauts from slies and I,laclIunilera in some
measure. No infotsuor or Government officer
could obtain his mofoty Of 8oi2l.rcs made until
tho matter waa tried md the ncc,.Bcd condemned
by jury. American juryrnon like to SEQ fair
play Md when, il, the trial of caso it is mado
clear to them that tho party accusod s honest in
technical, thcy will cat through tue law aa,d ao
quit him or. il they convict him, they will find
merely nominal danlaGes- an American jury is
had Thing for blacsnailors.
1l,,ff1 1,fH ontN n II
the aet Of July ~ 1860, was inserted provision,
RoycnIo shall bo, n1d is hereby, authorized aud
ea't ton an tic seerotary Of tic Troasu:y shall
prascribs, any case arising un'lor tlo 1a-
tornnl Revenue laws, whether pcnting in court
or otherwise" Tho same law provided that tho
informcr could hayo bis portion Of tho moiety,
notwithstanding tic. COMPROMISE. 1t would BE-
interesting to know by whose influence this
conpro!niso clanso was inserted; for it is diii,,
cult to bolioye thai 80 ingoni,ls an arrangement
for the perpetratl Oil Of Yilfany could hare como
by accident. It you'd be- hard to 1lKl. III any
statute Of the United States, clause which has
beon productive Of
80 MUCH INJURY.
Before tho. passage oil tho law containing this
nlauBe, the infpr1ner could only obtain hla por-
tiou OF tho MT aoty afpc conviction; but, aftor tho
passage Of this law, ho could get 1t by frishtel'-
Ing hin yictirn iuto r compromise. Tllo penaliy
for tho vioatio,, Of tho Heyonue law was. in
many caHoH, Imprisonment ns vol aa honys
fiuo; anl it wan not PLEASANT to stand q trial,
though tho violation Of tho Inv might have boen
insignificant.
rho ayeb,ln Of pairing informera with tho
money which they could a1uoezo from their VIC
tins w:sa used not only III tho collection OF GUS.
ton-tlutios, b,t was extended into tho informal
Rayeaue Department.. Whoever neglected to
aflS stamps to articles requiring t.leul or who
oves neylec I'D to take ont Il livonsa when one
: was naoaed, WAS fabls to becono Ganio in tho
nasla Of inforacrs. It an Assessor or nla