Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-03-02
infamies OF the Seizure Bureau

u the penitentiary.
infamies OF the Seizure Bureau.
Hall the rascalties, frauds, expressions. per
Jurles, and theits of the seizure system have not
been told yet Three days ago We published
catalogue of the merchants OF New York and
Boston who had suffered since the beginning nj
Gen. Grants hrst administration by the outrage.
OF spies and iniormers and the confiscation of
their property To-day We give table, show.
iug how the plunder in these cases was dividad
We refer our leaders 10 another page for the full
details. In this place we ask their attention Ia
the startling fact that the shares allotted IN The
informers foet up the immense total of Ss70 600
Some Of the persons participating in this sum
| are repatable officers of the customs who GET
small fees for discovering frauds and Irregular
ties 10 the course OF their duties; but the greater
part oil the money goes TO The professional snies
| Nearly million OF dollars tax enaysy from onr
merchants and distributed among men vbose
| name is a synonym for dishonoll There ia no
use in mncing words. The special agent and
his instruments are nothing but hired spies-
who set traps for the unwary, and temptatatiops
for the weak, who betray confidence, and teach
servants to lie to their masters, and pay Young
clerks TO act The hypocrite, aud crawl through
i. dark, and dirty. aud devious ways where no
honest man can walk-and who do all this vile
work not for any putl c cause but for filthy
wages, waxing fat and insClent on the ruin Of
their fellow-men Nearly n million dollars for
o the cultiyati OF the srts of lying, and near
= ness and breaking open personal letters aud
|. | packmaliing and tortnring honest men with
= the weapons OF tyrannical law. That il what
e the figures OF our table signify. But every mer,
n chant knows that they tell only part of the
e shameful story. They represent the penalties
% that have been enforced in the courts and diyid-
10 ed with the Government. They are silent as 10
a the heavy sums which have gone 10 further THAI
G. the pockets OF the spy and the special agent
e. the hssh money that mas undoubtedly been paid
,p in hundreds and hundreds of cases when mer-
lie chants have been cautiously approached with
&c information nj an irreguarity in their Custom
as house accounts. How much this plumber amounts
as @ TO Of course can never be Known; but every i'm
Nv porter is satisfied that it must be enermous
H. 1t will not have escaped notice that OF til G
,r whole sum allotted to informers NJ B. g.
nd Jane, receives almost exactly one-thrd. He
w w is charged with the hadsome total of 5000 900
SSo while Sir. F. T. Howe, the nextin order, gcts
oh only So. 900. This confirms the current ri.
ad NOR that Mr.. Jane is part of a powerful Gus
tom.house Ring, embracing not only officials
,ch in the executive branch OF the Government
,on but at least one well known member OF Con
81 gress, and that powerful political eumbiHa.
lon tion has an interest in his operations. ltwtl
,en not do to inter, however, that his net earuiag
los are reduced below the figures given ia IL,
n tdplc uy Ahe utteSSllS lUT ulNlulug Win 0tte
= il people 1t is probable that his revenue ha
,va been considerably in excess of the amount II
mn ported To the Treasury. 1t is reported tha
The sometimes he puts forward meaner-that Ii
fast =. - 5 " ~ .9f' ~ ~ iheis ~ ieCeh
ant piethoil. oanA @ account, lo-uay We nave 10
ded SUI Nv wv Gu Gu niescnantS M "no un
cord of sum much smaller than they actual!
as, paid. In one case suit was compromise
tnrN n ia nf hl Hraa
long accounts for The dstrihn,ian % Of anI, $40 on
''u Who Intercepted the balance, between Ne
,ceu York and Washington, it may be worth Il
i'm a while OF the Committee on Ways and Meal
bus to inquire lt is the most natural thing in II
lg of world that the Government when it takes l
,ot 0 dlsnOnoraOle business, should De cheated
with its own agen's
d in The scandal has gone so far now that the
new vestgation into which the committee was
made sensibly led cannot very well be dropped T
,his delegates Of the mercantile communities of Ne
lts-l Iork and other cities are TO appear in Was
,li,y, ington next week TO tell their experiences
h his We urge again that the spy and his victims
brought face 10 face, and that the commit
or Of pursue the liue OF inquiry which the counsel
New the merchants Will probably suggest. Al
treet committee has been appointed TO take into c.
thing sideration a complete revision of the custo
o less laws, aud il may be urged that the fruther
tn of animation Of the seizure scandal be deferred
him await this subcomm ittee's report. We tr
4: A however, that no such evasive course as
yern- will be adopted. Great abuses have been
Q him covered in the laws themselves; abuses har
q was less serious have been brought TO light in
age to manner oiexecuung trenl anu II IS pfooaoie
snub- officers of the Government have iaid themse
will open 10 punishment. The COMMITTEE OF w
alked and Means will fail in its duty if il hesitate
probe this matter to the bottom.-N- \. Ir.b
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