The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-19
TsnE TARlEF MURDLE.

u
so as to make some kind of sense. II is
said, and it is doubtless true, that there Is
but one man connected with the New York
custom house that has any familiarity with
the laws upon the subject or, even, with
the proper manner OF conducting the
routine business of the office. This 10 not
only so now, but IL has been the case for at
least n quarter Of Il century. This is not
strange when 1t is remembered that the
laws governing tho subject matte: extend
all through tho legislation Of Congress,
from tic organization Of the government,
and their meaning can only be determined
by most CAREFUL examination and com
parson OF different statutes, passed, per-
haps, fifty years apart. Another difficulty
suggests isclf. An importer never knows
whether he has paid his duties or not. He
submits his invoices TO the Inspection Of
the proper Office. This having been in
pectcd, sent from one Office to another and
passed upon, then the goods, themselves,
are examined and inspected. and, in some
cases, the Threads counted" The duties
are paid in gold the goods passed over to
the owner, placed in his store and sold
Then some prying investigator finds that
some form has been not properly complied
with, some old statute overlooked, some
thread not counted, or some tcchnicality
not strictly observed, and the officers of
the law or some John Sanbornc pouncc
down on him "likc thousand of brick
for penalty altogether disproprotionatc to
The value OF the goods. The importer is
like the fly in the spiders web. lie cannot
eXtYicate himself from the mcshcs of the
net which has been spread for him, but
must remain quiet while the spider dcyours
him. These John Sanborrca care nothing
for the law. as law, il they can only find
I vioator thereof. The more innocent OF
intent the more apparent the mistake, the
better pleased are these Johns, because
their prey can be the more easily devourcd.
What good would o las do them, if every
one could understand it, and pay the pound
of flesh eXactpd, a. they honestly intend
lnG try to do, and suppose they have sue
ccclcd in doing These, for Sanhornc and
company, would be poor kinds Of law, as
,.aa, .San.,.. -, ,.,.. ,a ,,,aaa ~,
lions Of dollars year.
ms may ho' oc inc worst Oh IT, ii II
WIS uo'o'u'c'J 'cr'a'" ''''' 'uo'o was oii'y
one ciause oca''i'g On 'iie SUBJECT anu tdat
embraced N two or Three words Or lines,
the importer "oulVh nc any better OH
Let us ILLUSTRATE anu we are indebted to
ashihg'oh dispatches Tor the ilc's' In
hhkerlhS WIN Inc tarif m alteration was
made in the free list"-that is, statement
Of articles which may be imported free of
luty-which was published i'll the Congress
'lonal Go,e aud IN INC yee Official editions
u inc laws printed ny authority OF Con
!rcss' including what IS known as the "oi-
lcial legal edition OF Lttlc, Brown % Co.,
Is follows; "ffult-pIahls' tropical or DINER
WISE ihat Is TO say tiuIt-planls marx
the hYpheh-should NC imported Tree ct
Uu'!' LINUS from tue laws as oihclaily
'''l'cu unu Ff"0au'sa'c'' " Is eV'uent 'ha'
"hPor'cu ''u''s 'Hus' pay uu'y' NOT oe'hS
III '''0 '''o i'S'. 1ne Sccie'''y VI tnc ''c"'
'"''' va oPPe''' ~ uoo'uc'' nc Ma" 'ne
printed 'aNS oc'orc num- anu cou'u hot nave
ec'ued oiherW'sc' Inc printed laws arc
III 'nat luuSeS anu ia"Ee!s haNc' anu inc
p'hnll OF any respcc'ao!e ilWyer OF cour.
Noulu nave oeeh inc SAINT Inc people on
am Iher NhoWle''ge from inc same sources
"i'e9S 'n'y rely upon inc oiuclal news
.'"Pe' '"oi'0".'"p'' III "i' VI "ulon' also'
MS SAINT nyP"cii was uScu' business pro-
'ee'c" up On 'l''s construction uiilli some
wv il''''"Hs u Uo''"'S "u" peen Pulu "s
'lu''cs Oh ""i'icai Iru's' when so'he ne"
ioFH lawyers CLAIMED ''la' inc law was not
Puollshcd as passed. approved ana enroll
~ Upon examination OF me enrolled
NV "hich WE take 10 pc tile ~t'ma M"se
VI so''on "'', "0soiu'o'S ucc'si'c Oh 'hc
NAT 'r' WIS Iouhi oIc'u i'ui's, Piahls'
Fopi'a' 'hu olher"'sc' ne iel'er
III Il com u" taxing inc pace OF me n.y.
P"en' 80 'nH' lhSe"u Oh lru't-p'an's,
"hc we understand 10 mean plants pear
'hS run all fruits ana pants were placed
On tue Tree ISL Upon ms discovery the
secretary reversed his former decision and
'rdeled me reminding Oh '"e TWO millions
OF ooilafs "nile9 heretofore paid 1t Is
fia'med, win some slo" oil feaa"h' 'hat
'lo az" o"''H'" nave pceh 'nscr'c'i
,
,,,,a...,.,.. -,
'''"'o "',' '1'" 'a,',p''e'
- NV 80 '"'''''''''e! "no',,e'