New-York tribune., 1874-03-09

PROBABILITY THAT $2500,000 HAS BEEN REFUNDED
on ACCOUNT or TIE SILK RIBBON AND FRUIT
pFcIsIoNs-PRoPosED PASSAGE OF A BILL RE
sTRICTING THE REFUNDING OF DUTIES
lBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRrBUYE.l
WASHINGTON, March S.-The Secretary Of the
Treasury in late letter to Senator Sherman, says:
Ihave the honor to state the following facts In rela
ton 20 tho money refunded to be refunded on account
OF duties paid upon fruits heretofore imported-the
whole amount, se7o,co7 62-the last payment having
been made Jan 81 last There remains unpaid IN cases
where protests and appeals we're taken and suits com
menced the SUN OF 2s2 81 The suits IN these cases
were discontinued by direction OF the Department on
the ground that tho Department would refund the
amount OF duty paid.
From this it would appear that the actual amount
of money to go out of the Treasury in consequence
of the Secretarys decision that fruit had been
placed on the free list is only about $4,000. There
is good reason to believe that this sum represents
bat small part Of the money actually refunded
under this decision aud that it will be shown in o
few days that the Secretary either made . mistake
or purposely understated the amount
The truth is that, in consequence of this and one
other decision of Mr. Richardson THAT relating to
silk and cotton rbbOns). the amount of money re-
funded on account of duties has been very greatly
increased The amount refunded on claims settled
at the Treasury Department for the whole United
States, excepting $4,000 paid under the Chicago
Fire Relief act. from March T. 1878, to Jan. ., 1874
was 81 74O IS. OF this sum $976,987 95 or more
than one-half was for duties refunded on silk and
cotton ribbons. Since Jan. s. 1874. and not included
in the statement made by Secretary Richardson IN
either of his letters dated Feb % and March 2the
former addressed to Mr.. +. H. Roberts and the lat
ter 10 Senator Sherman-there has been refunded on
the same account Sl42 $50 90 making in all refunded
ON silk and cotton ribbons alone since March 4,
1873, S1,1l9.3Ss 20.
In addition to this there sent to the Collector
of Customs at New York between March l. 1873, and
Feb. %. 1874 to pay to importers for excess of de-
po,its to secure duties $2o5O.O0O. As the average
amount annually refunded for this purpose has been
Sl.oOOOO0 il il fair to suppose that the increase
$SOOOO was required on account OF the decisions IN
regard to fruits and silk and cotton ribbons. This
would make the amount paid out since March a. 1873
to refund duties on fruits aud silk and cotton rib
hons as follows Through the Treasury Department
3S 20 by the Collector at New York, $o5O0OO
total. 81. .969 33s 20; but this amount does not in
clude the amount paid out TO refund duties on fruit
paid at Boston and other places so that IL may safely
he assumed that about $2,5OOOCO has been paid out
ON account of these two decisions. The amount re-
funded through the Department from March 4, 1919,
In jan 1874 on all other decisions, was Ss45 52 80
making in all ES3 S45 752 90 refunded on decisions
over and above the ordinary excess of deposits
arising from the regular business between the Gus
tom house and tho importers at Now-fork and other
places Now, it ia proposed 10 stop this by the pass-
aae of House hill containing sha following Ure-