The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-04

tanned dutts, or dutirs or Other moneys r'id
under protest. FROM which the greater pru ~
the refunds Of customs duties are mudc. Tlose
n udru class oi claims commonly known ~
the "ohargcs and comm .ssi,ns crs - whirh
arose. under tho met " March 2. 1851 About
400 suits werr brought by importers adjust
Ihe Collector Of Customs at thr Port ~ NV
York, 10 recover nllr.rri cNc' s4ivr duii"a col
j" tod 10y him III nNodirn 90 tO The decision oithc
Secretary Of the Treasury tlHt. to asrrtnin tic
dutinbl" value NJ imported goods 1T the port ~
entry there should be- added Ia the ACTUAL rHr-
k,t value ol the goods ut the port ot expiration,
m r9mm,isslon ~, per "m' ana ccr'I i r"qs
1861. 50 that all these claims ac rued prior To
that dntc.
Over two million dollars hive been mid on
these claims. the items Of interest and costs
forming very large propori on oftliat amount
the remnining casrs are stl pending in ynri-
Gus stages Of progress aud, to satisfy these.
Two million dollars moro viii probably be- re-
quired.
Upon full consideration. the sccrotnrv is Of
printed for the payment Of these claims until
after 2 thorough vstigation Inns boon mnIe
INTO the nutur", chara ter. and justice. not only
" those still prnding. but also OF those paid.
Full dttn Is Of these claims. as far ms i il pos
sble for the department to ascertain them. Will
be- submitted to Congress.
Under the same section clnms for refund Of
taxes, illegally imposed mirr internal rove
laws are very numerous and varied in chnr-
meter. and some are still pending for round Of
taxes wrongfuv imposed under statutes which
hlve been repealed and are no longer in force
In internal revenue cases, the law now in
d" inS y rsshlI 10 hi2rmhs rwatus ls.,Hh
siunrr Of Internal Revenue. with the approval
9t the Seer, tary, to pay such sums as he may
deem necessary for drtortin and bringing to
trial persons guilty Of violating the laws. II is
respectfully submitted that all such discretion
airy powers be more carefully limited 10y Inv.
Questions are constantly arising IA To the al
lowanco to be- made To District Attorneys for
their compensation. The statutes have been 50
often amended and So Vnrously construed that
it is almost impossible to determine what allow
anres should be made.
In the southern d strict OF New York tho nj
lOwanccs have been such that in some years the
compensation Of the District Attorney has tx
cccedcd 100000 VIII lr in some mcritorious cases
there has hardly been sufficient authority Tor
making u fair allowance.
70 avoid excessive compensation. the Secrc-
tary har limited the aggregate amount Of allow
including salary. To slOOOO, but the heirr way
il 10 establish 10y aw tn salary Of each District
Attorney and TO forbid all allowances.
Under til" at Of July /. 1864. and acts amend
atOry thrr Of and section 800. Appendix TO Re-
Nised Statutes, claims OF loyal ritizens. in States
not IN rebellion. Tor rnnstcrs stores ana
subsistence supplies received or taken for the
use ol the army, are Ia Ice reported bv the Quar-
tnrmpster- General or Commissary- General. II
satisfied that they ara Just To the Third Auditor
Tor settlement The action Of the accouniin
officers. of the Treasury Department upon this
10. 1874. to be reported nv the Secretary to Con-
gross. at the conmenr"meni of each session. for
consid srntion. before payment Ivy apprnpria-
ton. The number Of claim, of this character il
very large. and the amOLht allowed thereon
AMI reported IN tho Digest OF Appropriations
for 1877 is s270 .35I.22.
DINER casscs ~ claims under the jurisdiction
OF tn" sum" accounting officers. hut nutr"1uirrd
hy statute la be- reported for spec flc nDproprin-
ton. include those for compensation for horses
and equipments lost in the military sorvire and
for u-e and loss oi steamboats, md other YES.
sells, railroad engines. X e. under thn act of
March 3. 1919, amended and construed by thu
acts 81 M9rh 3 1888, and jun ~ 1874 aud
claims ar" numerous, and involve large
amount n IN" !Egrgnt".
rotary Of tn" Tr,asur, was authorized and di-
r. ted to- pay 20 the lawful owners or their legal
representatives,. the net proceeds a tunliy pnid
INTO Ia" Treasury OF all cotton ~rI'I after the
Som lay nf june 1865. hy ufc,.ni- nf tle Govern
ment uninwiuy and in violniion of their in
-iruNion-; Tho Secretary WIS invested with
sole jurisdiction as To the cunStru ON II thr
act and the methods 10y which the facts should
he nscrrtalned.
Under certain regulations 81 the department.
thirteen hundred and thiry--N clHiu- W re
tlird. rlaimin': the proceeds If one hundred AND
ihlrly-siX thousand na,T %, coi,nn the esti-
These claims have been acIod on as follow:
number Of clam. rejected ................... lis,
Nrnhcr 81 aims dismissed ............ ~
Numlrr OF claims allowed ................. ~
Tie a,nolnt paid on allowed claims sin, soi Il
the n"t Is strictly limited IN rs scope and was
apparently intended Ia aijrd rrhci in a rOm,
pttHtNrlN smhil huihn'r ol ''l7'- nor hl~pp@ Il
iurt'd property Were GOV 'r'd mt the Treasury
und,r IN JOINT resolution of March 80. lsGS.
and in which wrongful or "rrpnrou~ seizures
w"r" mate 10y the agents OF the Government en-
gagged, after IA, slNs of tive llN~titN- fu Hpl-
lu.tng and securing the many thousand bales
Of cotton scattered through thu south ru Ntut"s.
VIII 10 had been sold by liz former owners to the
Conlrd' rate States.
The amount Of cotton taken was known 10 No
greatly IN oNrss 81 that winch rnnir into tar
hands OF authorized ugoni- Nf tire rruu"ut
subsequent To June 3n sos an,i. in view of the
facts that almost all of tne 1000 bal, of cotton
collie tod after Tat date. tn prn" Goods Of viii N