New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-01
THE TARIFF LAWS.

THEIR INTERPRETATION By TIE sECRLIAHf VI
THE TREASURY.
The Hon. Fernando Wood addressed the following
letter To the Chamber of Commerce OF this city on
Friday last in relation to the rates Of duty LEVIED
upon merchandise imported under the Revised
Statutes: . ~ ,o,,
DEAR SIR: so many letters Of hauiGy ana eempaln.
respecting the Increased rates " Guty "hl.n ba1e
levied on merchandise imported under tne fHNIsfu
Sltutes beeu addressed to me ny business men w
NewYork which deserve reply that venture 70 iva,
myself OF ne Chamber of commerce AS me"'"H' VI
answer TO al by one Communication. an ,o-.
That revision enacted ny Congress, june r. 1873,
contains a Of the laws, general ana perhhuen ~
their nature, which were ia force on December 20
cannot be denied for Con- ress decareu as nun ~, con-
ton 5595 % that enactment whether the revision 'o
ali the laws then force must depend on M x
animation IN specified case To- see TIe'nei pa FOR
ldw has IN any part beeh III tiv vi o. N
the nst Section $500 declares That All aos
Congress passed prior to sara Iasthaleu uAy 'ion'
1879. 10 part OF when are enDtaeeu III s.t ;, ~
shall nc Effected or changed 81 us enactment pJ
mo part" must be meant 10 part 81 tne "a
of such law; and l. this lie 20, the IL NoIies o.
prior 10 the revision may ne a. important IN taIln hat
iers now as they before June y 1874 because htr
are many laws ano bint resolutions o not
lection OF the revenue Imports winch con'aIn ~
,IfneF mat Cougr understood. and tie country un-
d.rstood that the 10 he faithful feJeeOn
OF ge1iCd laws and trIe expression OF tn0se "IS
were unIcpraled on the first day OF December 1919
Abundant citations the words OF those directly re-
spOnslbe Tor tine revsiOH' anu lOOKeu 10 ~ 'c W.
Houses FOR the faithful execution o. the WORK can be
mad proof OF this from the pages OF Inc Co'S'es
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY or THE REVISION.
The principal regard To The REVISION are these;
o. jane a. 1896, Congress author zed he Presdent 10
appoint three commissioners 10 revise, sInFIl5 az
ange. and consolidate" the statutes Tue duration OF
the mission being practically limited 10 three years
II revived for three yeare more by me IA" Vi y
l. IL 0, an finally the commission reported III the orh
Two large volumes, printed by Congress on hareh
g. 1913, Congress authorized JOINT committee OF e tWO
Houses accept, but did lot approve OF adOpl, ms
report OF the COMMISSIONERS TO contract with sul,an
person 20 prepaTr ander the On ecou OF the comttee
I've commissioners report, and prlnt the same 10 the
f3lII Of Mi, Oe laid before COugress on the next
D. cember. TINS proposition WIS introduced Nv Gen.
Batter who sad, "Tne authorized If merely eler-
Ica" TIE joint committee raised; II Tepor ed, as
directed 10 me House through ne chairman Oh Dcc. II;
1873 aud the report In the form OF one large printed
youlre referred 10 the Committee ON the REVISION
OF he Laws. Oh tins coca l"u Cen bui Ter sald
lsrt premise here Coamee felt It their bounden
e9t BOZ 70 -l0" 30 ,s' a IL e 81 roar vas yery
great law to be Imperfect perfect It by the alteration
70 G. lnee the law sug make dfrnt
repg OF tnt eu has sirAe out TIE
psr con5ense ani eouoce ara ors "ge'A "
Lrm,a " err Jnded states uuarr seh We nov I've
s,aon aav one IN ertA ING stnis this
soa' "ecause once by nn 20 mend the e's'H 70, g
6i 200 49, I'D which MI 1e1eI shore
Ard the day pendins tIs DEBATE the following
tooA place n"t,,eeD judge Poaud ami ~ sef:
Wso If the from vermont all permit ne would
ae-li lhs Tine the Char W., feel boald
r,and-I any tine myself but sill hsai
M oS- s whether be Of the
iys "a, W. .ys 10, .I s y ~. "a not esG f .,nb.
Here ~ g have clear exhibition OF what the Comm Z
of the Houses intended the revision Should BE-.
IL was an elimination OF Ot.o etc provisions;
Iation aun consolidation OF statutes IL p0ri mdteriI.
On tie 18th Of the next month Mr. Poland informed
House that he was arected 10y the Com tee on the
Revision tue Laws 10 report back rte bii aud, by
unanimous consent, tue House undertook to cit two
cveuu - Of each week Committee OF the whole FOR ITS
c0nsIue. a0n II then stated by The CLa rnau OF
The Committee that Nj. DdraDt, LAWYER IN Washing
Ton Lad been employed by tie Committee To revise tie
4 q q,
tPu changes I'D the law aud correct such changes IN
orIer t4at bill might be truthful ,hex of the
-.utc tue nd been before the Committee on the
Revision Laws. II had been so thoroughly rex
anInrd that Con were able assure House
that t- L as 2,:teI by Tie Committee Is az exact
transcript. exact Hex, Of tie c4slnS statute law
Of she Uued states" portion O. tu.te evenings OF
FrU o. % and % devoted 10 The tart imports,
wAfIrin maLy amendments 20 ne "o!k OF Mr. RlraHt
", after rev evenings, the bih was reported to
thc Iuse "'th tLe aheuuheu'N' "Eicn "ele no1
printed aud passed vi Lout 7c--ou II was reported
To .hc senate My 20, So 'Au t"T Nl.,1n % t,v
{, .u.,or COukl-) declared tL1t the aim thr ugn0ut
us been t0 preserve abs u'e identity OF meaning not
90 change tie law IN any l.F'!cuiaf ho"c'rF Minute
III. TO present IN uIulJture, or condensation,
,n, law H. al 20 parts 1t actual, lodEd ~
exist dispersed through seventeen V'HDeS VI stau'es
Uyon tie fath Of this representation, believe. the
g BIZ was adopted IN the Senate without any sub
siauial dehOrI aiion or dlcusfl0n IN az rent stes
IN Of the revision and these distinct Ut
iclluces members or the cDmmrtee WHO had II IL
charge WHEN are gwen TIE Cong, essi0naI Rsco,
furnish thcItnt evidence that lose VINO yOed Tor
Tad ri-n 10 believe, ttat tie Law re-uaius the rates
OF duly imported iIe!c andsc stood u tie revision
pr, cisy existed Oh Dec. 1873. The revision, ny
IS terMs, TOOK n % IT, " di..cy. IL became law
urtO tie Ttupe tie UmcG states, so suddenly that
copy ana the secretary u tie treasury u INC DE- SHINING
Of A report reply g. tie resolution OF tie House OF
pllua,.Ou of tLc GLcu'es he encountered IN Obtain
TX ANA distributing among collectors VI customs tLIt
Tariors q NtwY..k and the ohcr la ports Of tue
United ates, having been lnfalme while tue revision
WAS under utArccJtJ mat ati Oush an utment were
ia.t rea;Iug customs tucre would be change
wI4teycr ~ the law prescribing facs OF iuIyi n4tu-
,lly tex 10 interest ID the matter. But when the
VISION WITS put practical Operation " the Treasury
i5osd 10 Ini tnt rates o. Gey uA-ef y were iTey .n-
creased nom those Wllch Aad ben lcyied on The hrSt
extent ana maguttuce or tlese ex-cOna Of the Ci,y
Of NV York became 20 general. mat found II
cl n4s resutcG il tue report ny lie Secretary Of the
Treasury wien iucose, aud hrh IN as aJudr state
NOR thar confirms AL that has be- caI sd III iespect
the -wo. pllE changes IA ra.cs oI u-'y ".cA rave
II made between The tabular si ents rom THESE iOur
poIe showing tails !ncTease lud the text OF the reply
reason or grounds FOR that increase considerable
pae and disappointment VIII Be fell on account ~ the
Unsatisfactory II moi evasiYe mAnHeF Ia WHICH ms ALL
pOrtAnt subject Is treated.
EXTENSIVE CHANGES N RATES OF DUTY.
That great changes lave Deeu maze Is nos geLled IN
deed, the Treasury IN one pOIuou OF iS reply, appears
to desire shield Itself from responsibility ny tue dec
aration that REPRESENTATIONS rdes tnus rOrted
from the leading ports do IA all eases conform 70
any authorized construction or rulng II de puuHc Oy
I'M. Department, and they not IN BucI nd
nIted the proper CONSTRUCTION OF the law At the
time" This Is certainly startling confession ~
.uect 10 the administration OF the Customs revenue
The report tie Treasury Department. however, does
not deny that arGe part VI We changes when nave
been made usder the revision have been by IT'S
authority or direction Tie Secretary In his reply
cuicedes that previous rulings Of the Department"
nave been reversed since the revision, and an attempt
MADE to justify this reversal upon the ground that
the practice OF the local officers or Ia the rul
na- OF the Department. and III the long period from
1861 TO 1874 results must necessarily have been at
tanned III the direction or undue concession, such
rigid revision aud condensation Of the Law would require
~. In ether cuages "