The New York herald., 1876-11-16
THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

vrxATIoxs AND DELAYS CAUSED NJ BAD Gus
TON HOUSE ARRANGEMENTS.
PnLApELrnIA, Nov. II, 1870
To rHK EDITOR or TrR HgRALp:-
ave have met with much kindness on the part OF
the American people that tbs thousand ptes that
justas wo are going away tho Custom House au,hori
ties by their petty annoyancos should leave such
unavorabc impression on our minds and those OF our
exhibitors" This was tho remark made to me by
foreign commissioner as l entered the Main Building
this morning, and In the course OF tho day IL was
echoed and repeated from . dozen different
quarters. Tho delays occurring in tho packing
OF goods, owing to the insufficient number
OF appraisers twiinout whose presence nothing
10 packed likely TO be so prolonged and Of
serious character their results that, unless
change be made diplomatic action the part OF some
OF tho foreign governments seems inevitable. Thus,
for instance, navigation la the north Of Europe being
closed in January, unless the Swedish and Norwegian
goods can shipped In time 10 reaeh Gotnenburg and
Christ,ana be ore then, they Will have remain in
Liverpool Till March OF next year. The ought
therefore TO be packed and sent on once and ye,
whom tho ocia invoices sent In 10 the Surveyor
returns them with the remark that there ap-
pracrs thero and that nothing be done the
ter till their arrival. At oil the doors Custom House
officials are stationed, who, even II II be a
foreign commissioner known TO all OF them. will not
Let him in or with package unless they nrst see
its contents The feelings OF ihcsc gentlemen be
imagined. "why," they say, faro all TO be looked
on hero as parcel OF knaves who have over to
cheat the Philadelphia customs aushoritcsY Arc wo
not responsible governments for ourselves ana
our exhibits; and any believe that the
slightest act OF fraud part to be discovered It
would bo allowed to 60 unpunished by our govern
mentss" These gentlemen are profoundly mortified,
| and not without reason at tho suspicious
manner In which they havo been treated.
Had the foreign commissioners boon
| questcd 10 attend TO tho Custom House returns
| for their exhibitors there DO doubt that
three parts OF the III fccpg aroused would nave boon
avoided. VI course, may be- and u IS, alleged IN ex
1--WE have never bad anything OF this sort bciore
and we have enough do the work -
but surely It was known six months ago that the Ex
hlbiton was TO be closed on tho lOtn OF November
and that then the cxnibtors would dcslrous OF
packing up and getting away as alter tho Vienna and
beeen come to beforehand with tho Treasury Depart.
| ment ut Washington, and an extra body oil mem
whom necessary, .ns exhibitors @ would have been
was officially closed. moro liberal intrcpreta-
.ion-or this there can bo no ques,ion.should
should not need 10 be any discussion as 10 whether
liquors and articles Of food consumed by gr ,up four Of
the Jury should be liable to duty or II foreign
commissioner wants to present anything TO hospital
orphanage he ought TO be subjected annoying
demands payne OF duties; aud another, nftcr
It has been officially acknowledged the he been
justly taxed on certain articles, declines TO pay any
further such goods he ought not TO be told
..Oh yes you pay now and then you will gci it back
with the rest OF tho money unduy levied" Then,
again, although 1t was understood the Exhibition
was to remain open till the 18th, or longer,
TO allow exhibitors 10 sell their goods,
number OF ofIcious persons have actually stepped
| IN to prevent goods being disposed OF, and In
where they have been sod the obstacles thrown
the oftnc parties getting them out havc been
great purchaser has had request the sale
to be cancelled Que exhibitor from nine A. NJ TO
ono p N. to-day At tho Custom House trying TO get
case through was then told 70 return ~ two r. H.
Another had nl up pages OF fooscap
and lost day Ia passing our cascs THIS Is not tho
incensed in tho highcs. degree against the Gu
toms authorities and say that II paid 100000
they would not asain exhiOi: In this coan,ry,
treatment they have met with, especially
IN tho Russian and Egyptian sections. The TACT IS
that Custom House regulations are vcxatious all
tho world only with us they happen to bo rather
moro complicated than elsewhere rhc need of en-
ployng Custom House broker seems generally recog
by those wish get through their business
quickly; but OF ,hcsc brokers expensive lux
ury. The French Comm mis-, ioncr would have employed
one for tho clearance OF the zoo from tho
Ministries oil Fine Arts. Agriculture and Public In
ciuded 70 see TO !, himself lie has already been put
great deal OF expense, he paid the storage
all his exhibitors cases. leaving IL TO them whether
10 reimburse him While hs
subject Jet that there exists some misarprthcn
regards the cases destroyed Those belonging
o the French government were replaced by new cases
sent from Paris; those belonging TO the exhibitors
have been replaced by others which they themselves
have received every assistance from their Commis-
soner
AS regards tho claim 10 be made on tho Centennial
Commission alter the nrc which destroyed the cases,
M du Snmmcrarh tccgraphcd at early date that
such clam be made by the French ,Commission, and
this the with all the governments. IL was
icit that the destruction OF the cases was misfortune
and that however general the sentiment that the
exhibitors should have been compensated Tor
The loss sus,sncd, yet that lawsuit
would cost much time and money and
enecndcr so much III feeling that u was better TO let
Sandford. tho British Commissioner. has been most
unjus.,y attacked The bulk british exhibitors
recognize Colonel Sandtord one ~ the most disin
ruishcd and courteous gentlemen his country could
have sent and one VINO la been interchangeable in seek
ing to promote the interests oi :hc exhibitors II hc
officially invited 10 the exhibitors banquet u
because II had been decided that no official INVITA-
tions issued, IN order that The gathering might par
take of informal and friendly character; but
he, like the members OF his staff was privately IN.
viied, and spoke IN manner which gave tho creates,
picnsure and satisfaction 10 all present.
Mr. Angus Mackayc, the Queensland Commissioner,
only had about twenty cases destroyed
The Disappearance of objects OF value has unforiu.
uatcIy not ceased Between the evening OF the 9th
olh Sna lae 10 w"s found missing IN The Norwegian &c
partment; In another section pair OF boovs was /
stolen, and In another wine, whc In yet another,
Of the best fnrs had been used by the guards for
sleeping purposes.
The Centennial guards seem stupid This
morning they actually refused gentleman admitiancc
into of the foreign seciions even though the Com
of the department requested that his friend
might be admitted, and the needless obstacles |
placed IN the way OF people entering and |
leaving tho buildings with tho smallest pack |
ages src vexa,ous in tho highest degree. In |
iact, little moro appreciation OF the real circum-
tho Is needed the OF the subor
dinsres ana this can only be done by their being In
strucied TO iredt tho foreigners as gentlemen raher
than smugecrs and bandittL All arc agreed that |
their relations with Tho heads OF departments have
been vf tho agreeable character, aud u would be
pity II number of irresponsible undcrlings had u 10
their power create bad blood between our country
and the guests from abroad. Tho latter must have |
patience. rccoccng that, there is somc delay now
tho close they themselves occasloned no lttle in.
convenience TO Tho authorities by not having their
goods IN the building tI long after April 10, tho |
da,c fixed So, by mutual interchange Of patience |
and good icclng the work OF packing up and getting
away may proceed without any of those disagrccabic
incidents not less deplornbc in the case OF an exhb-
ton than in that OF a Presidential election.