, 1879-01-30

fault, ur to. hold lin responsible for tnnl.
Though lie h1') 1Hpn lunEer IN otticc than AuY Of
's H. nn n 10! tH s3 n.,ne Mss c rs fea
q his tcrytc" h,t compensation amounted 70
st5',sia.3G, detailed statement Of which Is
herewith tra.la,ntlctt. An ui!lecr charged With
illr high llutEes of Collector Ut the Fort OF New
York, n,''l receiving such compensation, Ought
PROPERLY to lie held rcapnnalbic for NIL abuses
TINT gtcw up or continued during his tern, 81
nt'fcr na1 tfic cSfstcneo Ut s,tct abuses Ia sut!i-
rtcnt. u within hts power to corEcct them. to
Justify llis rcmovnf.
ATTEMPT At REFORM.
The President was strung Of opinion, upon re-
rDrts Df IL" Jhy CosunlfssEun, thAt the public
interest demanded change IN tllc leading
differs of The New York Custom-i House. l
prepared to try 10 cxcruto the reforms proposed
with Mr. Arthur IN ulec rather than ii stranger.
The President ncqN'csrcd TO this ulew, but
gradually It bccalnu evident that nctll'rr Mr.
Arthur f'ur Ar. Cornell wcrc IN sympathy with
| the recommendations Of the Commission, Mnt
could autl tltt rcsFs. tilcir fair execution The
President became entirely satisfied tint II WIS
his uty @ to aks silange tn noi o''lso. hut
p0strnnet unit! tho beginning ul the following
srssloi,, when sicesrs Roosevelt an Prince weru
Nominated tor t1,r olcc Of Collector aml Naval
nnt to confirm these nominations, md with
CIT iurtflcr controversy or any attempt or
t!cslre 10 seud to tile Senate otIser nuthina-
Lions Mcs.rs. Arthur aial Cornell REMAINED IN
|
ttat airy huurs Of carrying ont airy re-
forms ur changes IN tho lnos Of conducting
business would bs nborttve while The Collector
held Its position. rllc Fan,o system, the same
pcrsonst The same influence prevailed as bcfose.
Fruln Tic nnture OF things It was difficult for a
Collector lung associated With tue ettcf sub
0rdinatcs under him 10 t,eiieyc evil Of my pf
them. Mr.. Lssl.ckrs. the deputy Collector,
VAS practically Collector.
| wAsr or PERSONAL ATTENTION.
| ten. Arthur did not gyc that personal attev-
tlp,t 10 tic business Of tho u.llre that would
seem TO bs necessary tae tho proper discharRc
Of IT. duties. llu did not usually arrtyo at his
oillcc Until afternoon. Continued complaints
ca,nc FROM other ports Of entry, That unconsti.
tullonal DETERMINATIONS wero madc IN Inyur Of
rle nurt VI Ncw fnrk by methods Ut conduet-
Ing business at that port: lint allowances for
damage not permitted At other ports were nladc;
that a ssstcrn Of unlcrvaiaation was nude,
a,sti that by these means Important branches Of
| business were turnci from tticft usual cnurac
cautEng reduction Of revenue and injustice 10
other ports AMI to the 1nople Of tic United
| StAtcs.
THE MEREDITH REPORT.
respectfully Gull your attention to tho report
of tionsral Apprnlscr John r. ,Mercdtls and
datc Ut Juiy II, 1878. a couy uf which Is hire
with transmitted. Thcss gentlemen, having lad
long experience in The customs SERVICES wero III
rccteA to cxanue Into nllcCed irregularities tn
tic administration Of tue customs laws tn the
clstcf ports Of tl,t United States, md tslc gen
eral result Of ihcir examination at tllc port OF
New York Is disclosed III tim'r report. From
testimony taEeu mil documents referred to by
them, all OF which Will la placed at ycur service,
1t would appear 'l!at tie syEtenl 0t frauds cu:r-
n!alucd Of, Including nndcryauattans, improper
weights mud measures, and illegal damage al
| 1owances, was clearly proven. These UtlivCrs
SAY In regard to Collector Arthur:
1tesmo to our notice emily. our, investigation
that the collrclor, - rule. negsccted to np-
psar At hls glliee @ nntIl midday u aftcr l. WIS
explanation ithn collector hc,nx absent IN leaye,
that tle made up for his 'ate orrsa!H Mt hts orc hy
regard az sufficient answer. ever u 1t be trnc. -
neglect 1t duty 70 consplcnoa.ly displayed In tho
estsbiy ha,c rrodas:ia seSy demaraizsas ofreet
npon tho morale OF tho oslcc, aud IL rart'cnar1y
la,nentabia as i occurred Ut port of lls naaht.
tn'tp Ut New York, where 0fet !. 100 suhnFdtNato
uslicera arn employed Ant where nsarly 70 DOR cont
uf ths cnisrs c,stos dulles of ths country arc col!
attention tu spsclai report IN rentn 10 csrain
prar,lecs Of specal. .)sunty tJdcckcr. md 10 il,e
rrseral rsports 10 relation to hin Of simlas el,ar.
been submitted To- you. We were anrvrttea to Learn
that Collector Arthur, after having l,+en adylscu
decker. with schemes to .tefraui the Government,
and utter proafa Of hneh oillcni sniscontuct had
Nj. IyiecScs tha n,o.t iapc,t co,,,.saco, and Ia
allow hln to practically c1n!soI ttfe business man.
sn Gt .S Ses G fona q H. tue Sss
ad !og lad reaso1l 10 dlstrust MI Ly.lrckcss In.
IF ttgitY; aid that tan influence exercised over lid
81 NJ in anons Sts Sea s ss
Will an tke COLLECTORS ne:leet VI olco hours. wa1
repeatedly refGEftl tu III IN unfasnfabo manner by
lie merchants VIM wore ns.ocascd with ns In The
early past VI our tnYcslaatlonk Ut this port
CHANGE pEMANDHD.
1t would also appear frutn a SPECIAL rcpnrt
nadu by tl,e aatio o!llesr. Of t'ie 'late Ut June
45, is7Y tint Ats. l.ydeckor. Chief Deputy, l,a
heen guilty U! certain neElrct mud fraudulent
practices therein stated. u!so itleluse copy
uf Il report Of the date of Slay2 1878. m,ute bs
As.ssantssSretary Ffencii' wno ~ u Tue oillrdal
Hl j. II. Robinson, Assistant Solicitor VI t!It
Treasury, relative to tllr abuses nnu irrcguiari
ttca III tlis Ncw forl; Cnstoin,l l!onse; .lllcs'
uf otlfccrs of th!s Nepartrlr,It, convinced ME
after several Montfa' trial mnd consideration
that Without any arrangement u tt!e nessonn
character VI Collector Arthur nnl thu Maya
Uticer, tho pnbte service tsenlalMlcd etlangu II
the ineuIabents vi these olccs.
TIE NOMINATIONS.
Some tltno aftcs the ci0so Ut the session o
Congress, ind nftcf tho experiment had beer
carefully tried tie PRECEDENT suspended tl,rss
otllcers nlla appointed tien. hferrttt Surveyor d
Officer. s1r. Burt had been for ycurs practically
Naval On!err, md hal colauctcd the businra:
with fidelity ind skill to tho satisfaction vi uil
Mr.. Cornell t.eld simply q slnecaro posltton, h!s
, real duties being dlsclmrgca BY hia deputy
utl Alr Hurt |. now PERFORMING thu .lat!e4 boil
of Nayal Utllccr und tl.us9 formerly tltAehargut
by him as Comptroller, tho lnttrr 0ll'co having
been discontinued. III the sclcetlh. of nomt
ilees great care was taken to seeuru those who's,
lung experience aud tlueltty tn publ service gy,
/ ample assurance fur q futhfu1 and constant ls
rtIarga II their duties. tfon. Merritt WIS Naya
Olllscr from April ], 1897, 10 Aug. !, ls70, dur
iuE which tIHe that oiIica was ably epuductrc
+ lis then recommended 1nuny reforms tim
. hayc tincc hect. adopted by him 81 Collector
! Ilu received the cun!ial approval Of Oeura
I i. boutwell,, serretary OF tho Treasury. lii
, VAS appointed Surveyor Ut thu Pnrt Dec. II
/ 1871, aud Occupied that position seven mouths
t during whiva. tine hc rcorkantzy1 lhn WeigLcEs
Department in harmony with the report OF tE
! jay Commission, laEuly increasing tie cttlciunc
Of the scrYlcu 4ln! reducing tho cost. Ilo cof
rerteA several of ll.u uouses posnte.l out In til
q rrlntet repurt Of the General Appraiser n,I u,
+ futcc It's regulations IN regard to actual tars
thus securing MI lnrrcasp Ut revenue, iAr rptIl
OH su..ar a!ulle showing Euin to Nov. ~, 1875
ot 3,g's.pss pounds, which Ut the ayera.e Fat
j. uf duty on al! sugars caused gain Vi tcycIl,l
Of S17,a23s.73, ull,l alsu pr'lnrtonutc gaIu Il
weighing Of many other nrt.rirs. IN these tw
points alone tlcss Is demonstrated gaiu " III
8 iioyeruncnt Of Sl8i,QcU fur tl!o period eurercd