The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-20
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


IMPROVING THE CUSTOMS LAWS
The House took up the bill reported by Mr.. E. Il.
Roberts, from the Committee on Ways and Means,
to amend the customs laws and to repeal the sys.
tenn OF moleties to informers IN customs revenue
cases. '" ~ .r b.
Mr.. DAWES (rcp.) OF Mass, chairman OF the Com
mittee on Ways and Means, moved an amendment
to strike out the third section OF the BILL ana to
add to the sixth section provision that any in
former who shall pay to any oficer or the United
States any portion OF the money received by him
shall have perpetual right OF action for Its re-
covery. "-- ....9. ALI
Mr.. BECK, tdcm.) Of KY, member Of the Com
mittee on Ways and Means, also submitted an
amendment, making 1t unlawful Tor any Senator,
Representative or Delegate in Congress TO act as
agent attorney, proctor, advocate. solicitor or
counsel for any person against whom suit or pro.
ceedings are brought for violation Of the revenue
laws. Both OF these amendments are pending.
Mr.. E. Fl. ROBERTS, (rep) OF N. Y, opened the dis
cusslon on the bill. 1t proposed, he said, to limit
the time within which prosecutions for onences
against the revenue laws may be commenced. Il
submitted as a separate proposition the question
OF intent to defraud. 1t restricted the penalty
for tho omission In the entry of goods
OF cost Of charges and packing to an
amount double the sums omitted. y IL restricted
the forfeiture for, differentiation to the particu.
lar items to which the fraud attached but It added
o fine OF not exceeding 5000 in any one case. 1t
swept away the arbitrary process for the seizure
OF books and papers. It abolished moieties and
substituted specific rewards. 1t sought to do
grave work for the adjustment OF the customs
revenue system to that standard of freedom and
intelligence which prevailed In other statutes.
The bill was an outgrowth OF an Investigation
which began IN February and closed on the 20tn
OF April the result OF which appeared in printed
report OF nearly 300 pages. The appeal for this bill
had come to the committee with all the authority
OF organized bodies and with all the eloQuence
OF some OF the sblest men in the country,
and with that stronger eloquence OF individual
experience and Of personal facts. The customs
laws had ranked like letters Hate had grown up
crusn s pV these laws Ruin had trod IN te ioot
steps OF the United States 0ficers Offences had
been committed as 0frences would be committed
and CRIME was cultivated, by harsh punishment
The FIRST duty OF government was to remove oil
81 and
Offenders. The reliance Of the government
their conscience and their character the
government had TO depend for the administration
than rubs better than armed
men, better than all forces. Besides the conviction
that Injustice followed the administration OF the
laws must be removed before an hone ST admins
traitor OF the laws could be secured. Ii this gov.
eminent retained the violent and
HARSH MEASURES OF THE BARBARIC AGES
it should not complain II It met with resistance
and with attempts at fraud, which, were always
Instituted by extreme measured. It was only in
this country that such q relic OF barbarian as the
seizure OF rnerchants' books was maintained
Even supposing that some little revenue
was obtained through such MEANS he asked
whether an American Congress would
not ten thousand times rather stand BY the liber.
ties or the people than to sell them out for lew
dollars Of revenue. The Committee on Ways and
Means was clearly OF opinion that the power OF
selling books and papers should not be intrusted
to the ofilcers OF any government, and that such
books. In conclusion, he said the purposes OF the
bill are to protect the liberties OF the peoples to Eit
igate the enOrmtttes OF the statutes which have In
terfered with their due enforcement, and to pro-
vide some method for collecting the customs reve-
mes Let Congress abolish moieties; let ~ pro-
tect the secrets OF business and OF friendship from
arbitrary invasion; let IL free commerce from
cruel and unusual penalties; let II punish nten-
tonal fraud more than careleseness or honest mis-
construction; let IL thus enlist the conscience as
well as the interest Of the merchants In
mark an epoch In legislation. Brougham fore
snasnwed the boast OF an ideal administration
which "found the law the twoedged sword OF craft
and oppression and left 1t the stan OF honesty and
the shield OF inn0cence.n Something OF that boast
yOu shall make for this Congress, II 1t enact this
IN NJ srcx. CT Kentucky said that since he had
been a member OF the Committee OF Ways and
Means no pueanOn had been before It which mad