The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-01
THE TINKERED TARIFF.
Changes in Customs Rates Under the
Revised Code.
A NEEDED TREASURY REFORM
Loose Construction and Administration Of
the Revenue Laws.
Fernando Wood to the New York
Chamber OF Commerce.

Chamber or Commerce.
WASHINGTON. Jan. q. 1878.
DEAR Sn-so many letters OF inquiry and com.
plant respecting the increased rates OF duty
which have been levied on merchandise imported
under the Revised Statutes have been addressed
to me by business men In New York which deserve
reply, that venture to avail myself OF the Cham
Der OF Commerce as a medium OF answer 20 all BY
one communication.
That the revision enacted by Congress, June %.
1874 contains part OF the laws, general and per-
maneut in their nature, which were In force on
December l. 1878, cannot be denied, for Congress
declared as much in section $685. OF that enact
ment Whether the revision contains all the
laws then IN force must depend on an ex-
animation In o specified case, to see whether
y particular law mas IN any part been en-
braced In the revision Tor the last clause
OF section 5,59j declares that "all acts or
Congress passed prior 10 said last named day
December !, 1879, no part OF which are embraced
In said revision. shall not be affected or changed
by It's enacsmeni.u by mo part" must be meant
no part oil the operative text of sucn law; and
this be so the seventeen volumes OF statutes prior
TO the revision may be as important IN tariff mat
tiers now as they were before June ~, 1874, be-
cause there are many laws and Joint resolutions
regulating the collection OF the revenue on i'm
ports which contain not more than one or two
sections. IL cannot be denied either that Congress
understood, and the country understood, that the
revision was to be faithful rejection OF repealed
laws ana true expression Of those which were
unrepealed ON the lst day OF December. 1873.
Abundant citations from the words OF those di.
rectiy responsible for the revision. ana looked to
BY the houses for the faithful execution OF the
worg, can be made In proof OF this from the pages
OF the Congressional Record OF the last session.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE REVISION.
The principal Facts In regard to the revision are
these:-On June ~, 1866, Congress authorized the
President to appoint three commissioners Ito re-
wise, simplify. arrange aud consolidate" rde stat
ures. The duration of the commission being prac-
ticaly limited 10 three years. 1t was revived for
three years more by the law OF May 4, 1870, and
finally the commission reported in the form OF
two large volumes, printed Dy Congress. On
March 8, 1873 Congress authorized joint CON-
mitee OF the two houses to accept, but did not ap
prove or adopt this report OF the commissioners;
TO contract with a suitable person to prepare,
under the direction OF the committee, the com
missioners report. and print he same IN the form
oil bill, to lie laid before Congress next Deem
Der. rhis proposition was introduced by General
Burler Who SAID THE WORK authorized Is
merely clerical" The joint COMMITTEE was raised
1t reported, directed to the house, through the
chairman. on December IL, 1879. and the report.
In the FORM oil one large printed volume, was re-
IeTred 10 the committee on Inc REVISION OF the
desire to premise here that your committee iet II
ss % a not h lar ns Hs could as
hsI rne ~ oe Of ws ysr
sIersnon OF words and phrases. or to make some
su ss no. 20 s kn N
the law IN single wora or letter SO AS to make dicr
strike GU, obsolete and Condemns am
aa an1 In re 80 s s. as q
err q the United sisies under which
sress that i shan pass without undermining
once beginning e amend The revision BY Altering the
law whS & w S soan an ana Which,
never ma shore.
And on the same day. pending this debate. the
myself
Mr. wooDI1 tn, the sensemsn from Vermont win per.
The ,rEAkER-lf this matter consumes time the Chair
Mr. roIssD"f 90 not intend to take any time myself.
but WIN hear the gentleman \ question.
this revision of the laws that we have not already IN
shall be.
Here we have a clear exhibition OF what the
committee OF the two houses intended the re
vision SHOULD be. Ii was an elimination Of obsolete
provisions; o condensation and consolidation OF
statutes IN par htaterid.
On the 18th OF The next month Mr. Poland in
formed the House that he was directed by the
Committee on the Revision OF the Laws 10 report
back the OIL and. by unanimous consent, the
House undertook TO SIT two evenings OF eacn week
In Committee OF the wao,e for Its consideration.
1t was tnen stated by the chairman OF the com.
mittee that Mr.. Durant LAWYER In Washington,
had oeen employed by the committee to revise
the work OF the csmmi- sioncrs. VINO mad made, TO
some extent changes IN the Law, anu correct sucn
changes, IN order That the bill might he a truthful
renex OF the existing statutes In force And It
was Iheu added that since the work had been
be ore the Committee on the Revision OF the
Laws, IL mad Deen thoroughly re-examlned
that the Committee were able TO assure the House
that the bill as renor.ed by the committee IS IAN
fpun INT a. Ped nj fnan 10
statute aSt law OF NE United states.1
portion OF three evenings OF February 10, 20
and Is, were devoted to tne tarln on imports,
wherein many amendments To the work OF Mr..
Durant were proposed aud carried In Committee
OF the Whole Finally, after "a lew evenings. the
bill reported TO the House with the amend
ments, wnicn were not printed and passed with
May g. 1874. aud the CHAIRMAN OF the COMMITTEES
on the Revision OF the Laws In that body Senator
CobkiDg) declared toat the aim throughout has
not to change tine law In any particular, however
minute, but TO present IN miniature, or conoensa-
ton, the law IN all its parts as IL was actually
found to exist dispersed through seventeen
volumes OF statutes.r
Upon the Iaith OF this representation, as be-
ieve. the bill was adopted IN the Senate without
any substantial denDeration or discussion. The
different steps toe progress o. the revision. and
these distinct utterances OF members Of tne COM
mittee who mad it IN charge, wnIcn are given IN
dence that those VINO voted Tor the revision. as
well as the whole country, believed. and had q
rlgnt 10 believe, that the law regulating the rates
OF duty on imported merchandise STOOD In the re-
vision pi ecisey as 1t existed on december J. 1879
The revision Dy It's terms. took efIect lmme-
diately. Ii became Law unto the people OF the
United States so suddenly that those whose con-
duct r governed could not OBTAIN copy ana the
Secretary OF the Treasury, IN the beginning OF his
report IN reply TO the resolution OF the House OF
December IA, 1874 dcvotes a large portion thereof
to an xpanaton OF tile difficulties he encoun tered
In obtaining and distributing among collectors OF
customs that portion which relates To duties
on imports. The importers oil New York and the
other large POETS OF Ine United states having
been informed. WINE the revision was under de-
Liberation, thar. although amendments were pro-
posed and adopted TO tue bull as revised by Mr..
Durant relating 10 the CUSTOMS there would be
no change wnateyer In tue law prescribing rates
OF duty naturally took no interest In ne matter.
But wnen the revision was put into practical ope-
ration oy the treasury Department. both lmpor.
tiers and consumers we're astvnIshed 10 md that
rates o duty under II were largely increased from
those winch had been evIcu on the nrst day OF the
previous December The complaints oil the extent
and magnitude OF these exactions ia the city VI