, 1875-11-21

| Special Dispat:h to The Chicaao Tribune
"Asn1S6Tos, D. C., Nov. 20.-Complainr
have been made to the Treasury Department
that railway c.rs laden with dntiat1e merchan
diss under bond for transportation are frequent
II opened By unauthorized persons, thereb,
rendering tho revenue insecure and the bondee
Hnos liable on their bond. As precautior
against this practice. the Treasury Department
has issred the following circular
After railway CIR has been laden with dutiab.s
merchandise Tor transportation under bonl ii sh:
openings Of tho 1.dcn require the pro:ric-
tors or managers having tho control Of said car to
furnish and put on at their own EXPENSE End In coso
proximity to tha place whern the said openings ara
sealed red card 81 By ~ inches in siza giving ths
Place Of departure md OF destination and niso CON
t'ining the wotdr "No.i:c-sel1s to 10 removed
from this car y customs o6ce7a only" The penalt;
fnr Fjoiating this rule Is Imprisonment.
1t is eoEge6ted fhat al! openings for cars used
for carrying dutiuhle metcilxudse in bond should
hare hooks or other fagtenngs on tho inside Of
the CATS. Before the car Is }acen these Openings
conld oil be securely closed except on9. Dy
this arrangement much time, labor, and caro-
would be ea;ed both to the customa service and
tho bonded lines. This new order has been
MADE necessary on account of recent irregular
tiles On the northern frontler.
THE CCsToI-uoUsEs.
Iha SECRETARY OF the Tfucaury has not 10.
taken any definite actien relative 10 tho reduc-
tlon OF torce IN tho large cuRtom-honses. but
u waiting TO learn what reduction 1t il practical
bio to make before Issuing explicit ordars. Ho
has addressed letter to Collector Simm0us, OF
Boston, inquiring what can be done by him in
the waT ot reduction in ilis Office, and asking
him to submit plan or a,y ideas be may hay3
upon the subject. Ha is cuntenpIotin.
. largo reduction c: the New Orleans
Cuatom-K the most extrayagautE7-
OF ali the customs offices.
It is probable. also. that many Of the sna!ier
custom-houses will ke reduced, and the Sec
1etary is looking into this matter. More than
Jeaz ago SPECIAL agent OF the Treasury, in a
report privately submitted, placed facts on rec
ord IN the department which showed that the
smaller custom-bonsea all along the New En-
gland coast we're for the most part merely snug
res1s tor lazy aud.naedles5 oce-holders, and sug-
5estcd the abolition Of many of them, and tho
concentration OF the business management at
Boston and Portlaud. It is expected that Mr,
6listow vii! suggest III his annual report soma
eglalatloa to effect very desirable reform.
TIE SECOND coMPTRoLIER's OFFICE.
Commissioner Pratt and his sSeistapes. Who
re examining into the methods Of business of
be Second Comptzoler's otfice, are oyerhau1ip1
he recofu5 relative to the Witowski and Hugg
Fort claims. both Of which were passed through
bis o6ice- Thef discover that SONG OF the |
lcfxs are verv illlterate, and that the methods |
t business are siovenly aud do not ret tind anv |
Indications OF fraud. It appears that tue |
FisoNsd c}2iu WAS passed by the Chief Clerk OF |
be Office in the face Of the plain recommends
ion from the War Department that it ought not |
, be paid. The friends OF Comptroller Brod-
esd deny that there ran be any ehadow Of IN |
nputasion On his honesty IS public Official.