The New York herald., 1875-12-31
CUSTOM HOUSE COMPLICATIONS.

Yesterday afternoon delegation of representatives,
of foreign express companies called upon Collector Arr
thur the Custom House. with reference tho pres.
ent embarrassments caused by the enforcement au
almost obsolete law about entering a miscellaneous
shipment of packages bill OF lading entry
The following Mr. L.W Morris statement TO HERALn
reportcr:-The trouble is that the Treasury has re.
vivcd old law of 1897, informed, under which
all packages one bill of lading must be entered az
the Custom House in entry. Express companies Of
standing willing to furnish to the Custom House all
the invoices they have received for the goods they
transport, but in many cases they neither receiva
invoices note of contents value OF pack
ages. The law requires, further that the own
ers Of the package swear to the owners oath,
and TO many of these residing
On parts OF the country great loss OF time on
in getting this OATH In the addresses
gwen Incorrect and sometimes the owners refuse
receive the packages ana consequently viii make no
oath Personal effects often sent home by Aneri-
travellers, while they themselves remain abroad
and consequently clearance be obtained for the
property till they return Cast-od clothing, SC arc
frequently poor people hero BY their friends
abroad They ignorant Of the money value of the
same besides which they frequently refuse to receive
the packages, as q duty OF thirty ynve per cent "a
charged unless they that they themselves
have used these clothes and that they have
only been six months in the country These
dcutes explained TO the Secretary of the Treas
ury and he ordered the Goth that every latitude
compatible with the law be given to the express
ages" but he refuses to allow separate to bo
made for the packages arriving bill OF ladng to
express company. This means that have
all our papers complete for each package vessel
and embraced IN one bill of ading IL we have pack
age consigned to dead man what dot We
are brought deadlock by the Secretary's letter
OF the goth. Formerly could remove packages
received the requisite oaths OF owner
ship, invoices &c Our only hope Is tho
repeal of the old law made long before cx-
press companies were thought OF. Collector Arthur
has kindly suggested postponement of the taking
effect OF the Secretarys order for such time say
months Will enable the express companies TO hava
all their foreign correspondents instructed re-
any packages without requisite declarations In
tho meantime about trying to get special enact
ments the subject As the reporter left Mr. Morra
he said, laughngly II had package yesterday tho
Portuguese Minister. Baron da Santa Anna, and the
Treasury made exception in his favor, although
there were over forty IN the same bill of adng
and which we have yet been unable enter. Bv law
all foreign Minister'S allowed to import goods for
their own use free OF duty.n
APPEAL.
A letter, signed by Wells Fargo Il Co and I. w
Morris was sent to the Secretary last night in which
the following passage occurs;-
We would respectfully call your attention to the fact
that several entire shipments Of miscellaneous pack
ages even including samples, have gono under Cen
eral ORDER for want of ability to clear under orders
OF 18th October and Goth December, and that our
aud consignccs only protection against great oss
by longer delay your kindly promptly acting ON
the proposal OF the Collector, in waving the TING
suggested three or four months, tho entry OF bill OF
lading as unit,
Among the recent importations Baldwin Brothers
have SIX crates Of 1.-Two poultry there cases OF
for the Secretary Of the treasury and number
oChrstmas cakes and presents all to store under
general Order-tholr delivery being impossible un-
der existing circumstances.