, 1874-06-30
Phelps, Dodge te Co. i'll KoplY to & Ge1l.
KutlGrs

10 Our Frtendd and The Public:
Attor the Iull statement heretofore published
OF the difficulties of our firm with tho customs
authorities, and tho Subsequent exhaustive OK
animation Of tue whole mnttor by the Committee
of Ways and Means, which resulted in tho ont,1e
ronotcling Of the ''noioty" and "sezurc
aots. we Ind not supposed itwould bo necessary
to a1l ANYTHING further In tho way OF explana-
nation. But in tue brutal aud cowarlly attack
mads upon us during the closing hours Of Con
gresH BY Gen. Dutlor, eortaln charges wero pre-
feried by him II his character as q Representa-
tive, upon tho floor of tho House, againat our
linn, 50 definite and With 80 much Of appnrens
authority, that We feel chilled unoa, III Justice to
ourselves mud tie public. to nuke once more q
brief statement.
The chnrgos specifically preferred wcro lii the
main:
FIrst-That wo Ind as a firm attempted TO da-
fraud the Government aud evntto tho royenue by
importing mctala n tho form OF works OF art and
statunry.. In roply to this, 1t ls ouly necedbary
to tay that tho importations to which Con.
Butler referred wero nlntlc before tho lirm of
Phelps Dodge Il Co. camo Into cxiatouco, and
before any QUO Of tho proson. Or lato lnenlbera
Of tho trin beoamn connected with tho motnl u-
porting business; the SENIOR member Of tho
iir1'. William i. Dodge, being at tho time OIL
gagged in tho tly.goods business.
Second-That III tho Yae4R net Of April, 1864,
which temporarily Increased tho IAtes Of duties
On imports 90 per cont, "Nr. Dodge went to tho
Treasury aud had comma taaen Out Of QUO
ElA y AlIl PAt III AAkltlHI+ AH4 bIl1EDf VJbAIcI
S2,250,0U0." The cxNrt fuots III respect to tAiH
charge aro as follows: III tho very tiill revision
OF tho tar,IR, as embodied III tho act OF Juno,
1864 (anu not the aut OF April, 1874, 10 specio-
ally mentioned by 0eu. Dutlor), 1t was decsde1 by
both Houses Of Congress, aftor full discussion,
that al iloreaso of dutloB tin and toruo p!atos
would impegil tho large Industries already tgxod
under tho Internal reynnue ln which tin waB l,Ael
Tor the packing Ut fuits, fish, vegetables, meath,
aud Tho like atd tend to reduce, rather thuu ill-
crlaHe, tho receipts Of tho Treasury. At tho
Bame timo it ssas decided to incroase tho duty
oil sheet.rou, galvanized with au admtxturo Of
tiu-which article haa boon imported under tho
l,atno of ':tn plntes galvanized" and 10 dotin-
itejy a1ld distinctly named in connection with
aud at tue Hn,ne rato aB galvanized hon In every
SUCCESSIVE tariW since 1907. Tho bill WIS pnssel
OIL tho 3ptl of Juno and wont lnto operation
lululodiatolY On examining itB provisions we
fund that, who tho duty OH ''t'n aua terno
platoa remained unchanged at rs por cont ad
va!orom. tho addition Ut 4 comma alter tho
word "plates," In tho Gfauso "tln ptatas galyan-
lzed, Iondorod tho whole paragraph ambiguous,
it not absurd, mud apparently imposed now
duty Of ~ cents ror ponna an inoTease OF l00
per cont on ox!Bting dutlos. Sooing how ln,pos-
siblo It would lo to entor our Invoices vt two
conflicting rates. for oe mud the SANE article, VIC
applied ut ouco to the Collector for decision
in respect to tho oourao to hD followed. Tho
Collector saw tho difficulty, anl rolorrod us 70
Mr.. Fcsnondou, thou ia Now York, aud Just np-
poiutod Secretary Of tho Troasury. Wo called