New-York tribune., 1879-02-01

refunds In the wellknown charges and commissions
cases received gratuites for tho work done by theh
from the attorneys Themselves who were preSSs 'ios
eases before the Courts and Department
In what manner does Mr.. Arthur answer TINS grave
chargcl He begins by explaining that Se'er'l year
II was the custom for the attorneys 10 compe INC
nv rbnoua to produce before himself the papers lodgeu
in the Custom House. aud while IN his hahus 10 oi
the calculation 10 be made by persons Wv W t
atornevs thpt the practice was aiterWard cnhnsu M nv
the suggestion oi tnc sole!ior 81 me- aU Ierts in the
reason that u would he better 10 tmpuy
Custom House. then the Original entries hhu m u, 49,,
would not he removed from IN tne clerks were
employed on this work, ana 1i course, WI 90 "a ,hnr
states they we're pald by the importers OF it umgt
stforncvs the work being outside OF G0'ernmeh'
hours and not done for the Government . NJ, Ar
,nnr MIN Smsr that under bis Coectorshp, matter
OF course clerks were allowed TO receive lSgn % fr
from nporicrs or their attorneys rom tne cas iu
re1mnd many OF which were without foundation nave
nothing further 10 add to TINS aulns % =, ~ orn i an di
prIctice improper. and one EnulnR 10 MoiA ~ W
recty against the interests Oi the uoN eInneh ,,a,
Further he says somc "nat , @ rom The i'm.
nnTtcr was sIIgccsted by the law officer OF the Govern
nent. If by this he means the 1oGU M t,r ~ in c1srre
Inc does not state what Is me lscI from rom noo" |"
careful ion ne% or nI states Attorney at
York with regard to this matter, III January anu anu
an%@d thtrc vas not found word which will conll-
tenance such a practice. or when suggests IT, i 40
solicitor states to the Untcd states Attorney III H7
itfef ~ Erhruary ISL that there won d be no dli-
unity i'm securing the proper desired assistance III max
n I'm hc these cases ON clerks III he
Cn.fum House who have hitherto been deiaied 10 ths
duty lint he saws nothing about, ana uUcs not any
intimate tha, they were 10 be paid other than Dy ther
S"3 3rs rom he documents submitted 10 the House
and oral statements made to the Commute on ApIo-
,,riInns m fLe presence the attorneys for these
claims, that forged protests were m'Iouuvou ~ iny
cases 10 give Jurisdiction in such cases. ana thl e
ros f,lure 10 nlcad the statute of Limitations that the
amount already paid on these anllqua'd ~ ~ci1ius ~ ~
II $50 COO and that there are still claims pcndg, an
~ ,bru arc yer fourteen years old Whchil al oWtu'
would require the iurhcr slij ol at Icds, T'1O'ooo ~
s now cocndcd by the Department OF Justice before
~ 'I I"nrts In NeN-York mai the great body OF these
claims are fraudulent ana resistance 10 theH PdJmCn
IS thus far effectively made
THE GROWTH or ENPENSEs.
While Ir Arthur admits that expenses increased
md rrccipts from the revenue steadily diminished
during his administration he claims that there were I'M
ropery If lot Illegally charged TO the expense Of Oh
1to l,rcc amonuts over which he had no control, and
which strictly had nothing 10 do with cur
rent expenses. But leaving ont Of consideration
the extraordinary expenses to which lie REFERS
"a well as those incurred by the Naval Oi-
flee and the Surveyors and Appraisers Dcpartmcnt II
! shown by the accompanying tabular statements made
mn from the Treasury registers giving the numocr IN
conformation Of tie employees IN the several diNlSouS
OF the Collectors ONCE anu oI lLo ~
and iuspectOrSall appointed upon the hOlhl,'lO" VI
Inc Coector-that the force and expenses Oi ms own
dcuariment increased steadily tiom the datc ol ny as
sumption Of the dues 0t CoIccIor 10 tie oUn 81, 0 -
1874 IN number 2Jl persons ana III amount Gooi'!.
than IN ISL ana thls III hcc OI lnc ct 'h" ~
receipts had fallen Oh Ill inc ulc meH'ohcu many ii
ions Of dollars. l..
The first decrease In fOrce and expenses was made IN
l. - by order Of Secretary Br,-tOw, on the lcr0inchdt-
lion of "A special AGENT, and amounted 10 &l7Fos' iH
ouobrr Icductio on amounting To 10 per cent O tr
arcs u1d employee made by order OF secretary
Bustow hut fully restored in lS1G ana tue ioIcc IN
creased prOr to the ncumbtncy OF the present sec
TetdIN 49,. - ,,....,..,,,,
went into effect, resulting III reduction nI the lorc
and exnruscs in the Collectors department alone Ol l2b
u.lsouS and S2s7 S7i over the previous wear.
From this viii be sscn ia II my FORMER statement rs
fu he reduction caused by the recommendations OF thc
lay Commission fc short rather than exceeded, ~ Mt
Arthur charges, the actual reduction accomplished IN
ms department IN 1879. In the Collectors Immediate
office IL is seen tnat the force aud expenses Were III
creased from eight persons and $4,000 I'm EI2, To
eighteen persons ana $4,000 IN 1871 This force has
now been decreased 70 seven persons and Sll,9lO.
Mr. Arthur compares the cost % weighing Tor tc year
ending June 30 1872, with the cost for The year ending
lime 30 SO showing decrease in favor OF the Latter
wear OF 77G7 81. when Il is considered that tea and
coffee were made free July l. ls2 and that there w"ie
therefore, many mllOLs of packages weighed III lsl1
the ingenious character Of thus defence VIII he nppre
ciacd especially free tea and coffee were not fOlgO
ten when "A decrease Of revenue receipts was 10 Dc
accounted for. 49,,
Mr. Arthur assumes that IN my letter OF the l1th ne
held responsible by the Department Tor hc lilllle
off III the revenue, which. III fact was caused Dy tne
reduction taxes No such accusation was made against
him. il insisted that while by law taxes were re-
duccd and the laboro his diminished, the expenses
were increased. lie claims that no new appointments
was made without the consent OF the Department That
is true tho primary responsibility for ms Increased
cxpense must fall upon the Collector whose recon-
mendatOns In matters uctdI arc usually
the Department. -,
The foowin. table shows the details Of the increase
and the scyera! bTduces Of the Custom House Ill which
occurred: