The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-07
REVENUE RASCALITIES.
The Mobile Customs Officers Lcvyina
Contributions upon q steamer ON
Trumpcd.Up Charges.

The Mobile Customs Officers Levying
Contributions upon steamer ON
Trumpcd-Up Charges.
The Mobile register OF the 1st inst rectes the fol-
lowing details Of the manner in which United States
officers squeezed about $500 out of Spanish vessel
at,that port
1t Is the misfortune Of our Southern ports, gen.
orally In the hands OF administration collectors,
wholly alien to local interests, that these collectors
look more TO the squeezing OF the last dollar OF
duties out OF the ships and cargOeS that visit them
than they do to the commercial welfare OF the cities
under their jurisdiction. Our readers Will remem-
Der how, in the time OF Collector Miller the Register
had to complain that his narrow and nliberal
policy in the appraisement OF ENTHUSIASTICALLY or
cargo OF cOffee-had driven vessels from this port
to discharge IN New Orleans. And in that case we
had to intimate to the Collector that he sadly mis-
took his office, If he supposed that the Whole duty
OF a custom house was to grind the most money
OF the United States. 1t Is the business OF custom
houses to foster commerce, as well as to levy upon
1t duties for revenue. The legislators shape the
tariff and IN this age OF "protection" the Congress
Is not apt to need the assistance OF collectors Of
ports to put 1t high enough. Excessive tariffs and
superserviceable and stringent collectors initiate
the owner OF the goose that laid the golden
egg. II they kill commerce they put an
end to revenue duties. We had supposed
on mis- shoulders head too big to make any such
picayune bunder as this. But the following facts,
as brought to our knowledge oy the parties az.
Spanish steamer Cortes, Captain J. M. Yirbas, ar
rived IN this port on the 2Sth NOvember-and by
the way, we took the occasion to congratulate the
Mobile public on this arrival as the pioneer ship OF
q regular European llne and to advise our mer-
chants to encourage the line by all means IN their
Mobile cOmmerce-the purscr made out the mani
fest OF the cargo in duplicate passing, among other
ing IL bottles of brandy. There were also
two broken boxes OF medicated cigarettes
used for medical purposes that the purser
small matter. The boarding Ofiicer examined
the ships stores and found them all regular. Four
weeks afterwards the steamer was again boarded
by special officers. by whom the seals broken,
the WINE casks tapped and left leaking and gen.
eral search made, the whole raid resulting In TAX
ing away 24OO CIGARS as excess OF StOres IA bottles
OF brandy (of which only IL were landed) and the
two poor little boxes OF medicated cigarettes,
s.. There Is said TO be no law to de-
termine what amount Of stores are to be
spared by the United states customs for
ships to pursue their voyages, that matter being
lett to the discretion or the collector. What
Is considered by our Collector as q sufficiency Of
stores Ior a large passenger steamer, whose crew
complement IS 80 men 1t Is to be hoped that III
a long voyage across the Atlantic nobody aboard
will have touch of cholera, for surely ''cognac"
as remedy Will be very short In TACT, not bot
tie left Tor sickness on board. The notice OF the IS
worth OF mcdicated cigarettes which the captain
meath contempt, ana we can hardly conceive Of an
Of1icer OF the United States government STOPPING
TO II. And what was the result OF this second tOray
upon stranger ship in our port, entitled to gene
rous hospitality and most liberal treatment Aoray
made, too just as she was about to get her clear
ahce and which she was refused until n new bill
was squeezed out OF her Tor additional duties and
for seizures-a bill amounting to $l00 0S IN gold
for duties, and 1904 70 in currency Tor seizures
tour times the value of the goods. That Spanish
captain must have thought that he had run into
den OF pirates instead OF the port OF a rich and
civilized country He Is indignant, course, and
has a Just right TO be- We are informed that ne
has represented the case to his Minister at Wash
ington, ana we sincerely trust that the secretary
oil the Treasury will carefully scrutiDize the trans
action. ut hath ancient and fish Ike smell.n