The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-18

THE LOST COMMISSIONER
A New system of Customs stations Cor
temp1ated.

new system Os customs stations Con-
tempIated.
The liquids gave out, notwithstanding The
awful insinustion, OF contemporary. The pro-
vision was, besides not 80 great as may have
been conjectured, and it was just as we'll that IL
was 30, for it is related by members OF the Dix
exploring party that sea-sickness prevailed on
board as soon as deep water was touched, and
that there WAS little call for liquids after ward
The Dix returned yesterday morning early
with all OF the members OF the Custom House
commission In good health and cheer, notwth-
standing the little annoyance alluded to above
and the grounding Of the revenue cutter for if.
teen hours near Breton Island. The result of
the trip may be summed up as follows: The COM
mission ascertained that during one month prior
10 the trip the Dix overhauled 800 vessels OF all
kinds and all sizes IN her ctuisngs along the
Gulf shores, having sailed during that time over
distance OF more than $500 mlles, as evidenced
by the log book, and finding
LARGE NUMBER
OF irregularities in her examinations Of these
vessels which will be recounted fully in the re-
port OF the committee. One OF these Irregular
tiles consists in the failure of the masters of
some OF these crafts to produce their "papers" !"
on the ground that they have been lost.
The committee also learned that the oficers of
the Dix have received information that q great
deal OF smuggling, of cigars and cigarettes Cd.
pecialy, is perpetrated through the Mississippi
SQUAD, by vessels engaged in the lumber trade
on the dulf coast, and the inability Of the Di, to
ctus In the shallow waters of the sound, together
with other considerations, will prob ably cause the
recommendation of the employment OF a
vessel Of sufficiently light draft to
meet the emergency, and whereby very large
ment in the way of impost charges and our mer-
chants. who pay duties on their importations, se-
cured from
THE DISASTROUS OPERATIONS
OF this smuggling.
There are, also. good reasons to believe that
these goods do not come to New Orleans or re-
main on the borders Of the Gulf-otherwise the
fact would have been discovered long sgo-but
are sent direct into the iot ror principally TO the
Western States.
The committee have also become convinced
that great deal OF smuggling is done owing to
the Imperfect system OF our customs stations,
Under this system there is now station at the
Rigolets, which is considered sufficient in that
pOdtre; one at Port Eads, South Pass, and enc
near the mouth OF Southwest Paes
The commission are at loss to understand
why the system 10 maintained since crafts draw.
ing from three to five feet Can come up through
Northeast Pass, and into Pass-a. pOutre ahova
the customs station in TIE last named pasp. and
through the open water on the west side OF the
mississippi up to the Jump" and on the east
slde up Cubits Bayou to the Mississippi river,
also above
ANY CUSTOMS STATION.
1t was also sscertained by the committee that
pllot-boafs and tugs and towboats when return.
ing from sea are never overhs uled or examined.
and this is considered by them as a great negl1-
gence on the part OF the customs officials.
For these crafts sometimes meet vessels thirty
and forty miles, and even more. out at sea and
necessarily beyond the sight Of the customs
officers, which makes it an easy matter for them
to take on board the surplus of the incoming
vessel as compared with her manifest.
The committee will, it is believed, probably
come to this conclusion to do away with all the !
stations below the heads OF the passes OF the
and establish single station above
the Jump" and Cubis's Bayou, at some point
below the forts. l. Is also thought that in order
to
MORE EFFECTUALLY
insure the collection Of impost duties they will |
that all incoming vessels, whether |
steamships or sailing ships coming from for |
eign or domestic port, tugs, towboats, lower
coast packets in fact all kinds OF craft that pass
the new station, shal be subject to being boarded
and oyerhsuled just as they might be by a reve- |
nue cutter on the high seas, as we understand il.
The committee will NEE again this morning at
10 o'clock at the Custom House.