New-York tribune., 1874-03-26
PRICE FOUR CENTS.

and have taken their own vindication in their ovn
hands. For. gentlemen, after all you may say asains
the informers and the officers, contend thas
the merchants this city the importers OF this countS
have chiefly themselves thank for the oppression WIN
which they have been pursued and tho tyranny that M
this matter has been exercised over them lAppiaose
You won't any moro OF revenue oppression, htht
tOrtiOn the part OF the Government and the Cusom
house officers when II ia understood that the meFN
chants Of New-York know their rights aud, hnowinS
them dare maintain them lApplause.l Who that ha-
looked into this matter does not know snt
realize that 10 Is the quiet submission OF W.
importers that has brought upon them te
attacks of tho informers aud the extortonerri
Why, gentlemen every honest merchant who has pals
tribute Of $1,000 ois6ooo or $4,000 TO the Government
to sae and avoid inquiry has invited similar attacks tn
be pressed with remorseless energy aud the same rec
suits upon twenty other merchants as honest az
himself "Who would be free"-it is an old maxim tb"o
"who would be free themselves must strike the blow
And II the merchants and importers only understood"
that this matter IL 10 their own hands, their grievances
will vanish almost a they are stated Move
what is 1t that they demand OF the Government Wh"e
is 1t that they ought TO demand Of the Government
Not certainly that OF the nights OF the Goyernmspo
shall be given up and conceded TO them not that any -
the safeguards for the protection and cooc
lection OF the shall be a0andoned not that av
due and adequate compensation even to nformers -
far shall be necessary 10 secure the detection of ths
guilty and the execution OF the laws shall not be a-
lowed NO none OF these tulDgs nave tnty
OF them will they seek What they ask Is that hs
revenue laws may plainly that oyery mer-
chant and OF common sense eau understand thenA
[Appause That is right that has never been conceded
to them for the last fifty years. Applause Ietme real
you what Of the very highest authorities "a
that subject have said. The present secretary o Ia
Treasury, In q very late report to Congress- says this
conac, between different s;ais,s,
'onaly between two provisions o. th- .sme a sud so
prov sons frequently held to embrace 90 eat meanEt I
aerene can be settled only BY ab'T nPe.H0" o. By '"'"
ton in tougress
One Of the Judges Of the Supreme Court Of tie Unti
States says:
IT'S great grievance that The many las, hat are a'-e ~ ..ts
ascertain Shat the state OF the law particular ssst
think that from very considerable experience iu
these matters and the state OF the laws, can say WIN
safety that there Is single importer In the city a
New-York, that there is single member OF Com
gress sitting in the Capitol at Washington, who has
got invoice OF goods arrived off the Battery 10 be
tered at the Customhousc. with the laws that are now
In force from the beginning until now, who could maka
entry OF those goods at the Cu.tom-h0use and run
the gauntlet OF the District Court. (Applause.l
Well, that Is one thing they want Another uinN
attitude before the law that they understand thec
rights and their duties and be properly taken earo "r
ton and these still more extraordinary means OF ehtors
ton placed In the hands OF corrupt
nue. officers and more corrupt !ntormers snail o,
stricken out lappause tha tney snail nave .he ns
fraud [applanse and that then homes and thor count
ngro0ms shall not be invaded by minon OF the Law
books and their papers, see II therein be oun d
some cause for accusation against them. fApplause
have been made OF late by the mercantile communny
imaginary while the actual cases OF oppression al
extOrtlOn which have TO the knowledge of tho
whole community which have startled the people froi
peached what il was almost Impossible to expect II -
have reached The conscience OF Congress sslf are -
oppression In these enlightened days could equal tbh
RADICAL DEFECTS OF 1HE LAW.
Now. what the chief controlling vices OF th' rev.
laws which the merchants seek 10 have eoneetedf
There subjects 10 which purpose to devote tie
few moments which the partiay of the Committee has
assigned to me, viz. the vices In the laws homsel''-,
and the still greater vices in tho mode 10 which thes
The first great evil lies. won't the borf"mtf
this thing, for think there Is one at has hardly b@
ad duties instead Of specific duties bui t4p
great evil at which the Chamber Of c"mnerSe aa-
mighty system as 1t is called by winch thcso oTifaora
nary Inducements. too great for human 'Ttae 10
resist, held out for oppression and ut!Ist 90.
tack upon them. You al know TO whi
half OF It goes to defrauded Government and ~
other half is divided, one-h8f OF u 20 the infofmtr Wa
brings forward the Information OF the other oiieu,a e
the other half among certain revenue Oients whO 49,
supposed be specially charse with the proec ion :
the Government In the collection Of duties Wei, n"N:
II happens that the amount OF the dstrli lDD au
ought to stand the merchant .ttempt
him under tue disguise OF enfoceuiont of ~"
should hardly be looked TO for the protection of 90
honest informer, II such miracle eau Appear i,
this day. lApRaulel But when i comes to giving M
sixth OF everything that Is forfeited Ia the Government,
to swell the aggregate incomes OF those genonrp
to almost unknown anount-sOmethiDg like $4,000
year apece-why injustice OF II, tie eBoriny e
it, does need any argument to display, Ana the.
even the DistricAttorney in whose Judicial Judgment
might say it rests TO say whether the prosecution
shall proceed not, even he TO receive percentages
the spoils. Well, If it went further than thIs,
would not go further than the law allows but roccny
| investigations tend 70 show that even these pc
centages are suDdivided, aud under the forns
| of counsel fees mud their way INTO to-
that II an unhappy merchant, struck by unjust
former should think that he might seek relief ~ wash
nSton In the once OF the secretary OF the Treasury hs
would lind busy member Of Congress who was inter-
ested IN his conviction there before him and whova.
whispering his malicious insnuaons into the ,r
| the chief Ofcer or the revenue. Applause.
COMPLICATION or STATUTES.
| Well then, what Is the next thngi Why, the next
thing is this complication OF the laws OF which have
spoken. Statute has been heaped upon statute Ia v
upon law regulation upon egulaton, construction upon
until at last they have got legal muddla
which I say it would puzzle Philadelphia lawyea
| 10 Investigate. fCheers.l ..
And yet they expect plain and honest merchant 10
be able to unravel all these intricaces which whole
century Of gslaures have work contrving
They expect plain honest merchant 10 uurayel them
all and make his entry in manner and form all the,
complicated laws direct. Tnen there other great
evils We have heard Of them all In tue reas Eases that
have recently been made 80 public. II you have an
aud there Is an undervauaon In one, however little
Intended, however accidentally occurring. why, tha
whole is forfeited item is wrong iAppause
| What outrage that is, gentlemen, upon commor,
sense, upon common Justice And nnaly, U evils
the law there is what may call theory-for u "a
new theory-of technical forfeiture the adminstrs.
ton In court or system OF constructive fraud which
never ought to have been thought OF m the admnsra
| ton OF revenue laws, lCheers.l l " ray tas
the courts feel bound to eonstrae in such =
honest, because Of some accidental omission soms
accidental naccueacy In MS invoice or his entry or tue