The New York herald., 1879-10-16
sMUGGLERs AND THE TREASURY.

A SCENE AT THE CUSTOM HoUsE-How THE
COMMERCE. OF THE PORT IS INJURED.
There was no little excitement around the Col
lectors Office at the Custom House yesterday after
noon when Mr. John Alexandra OF F. Alexandra 4
Sons. the Havana and Mexico steamship owners,
called the Collector concerning letter he had
received from the Treasury Department demanding
that he pay lou for alleged violations of tho
Treasury regulations. He told General Merritt that
the government looked upon shpowners and steam
ship people smugglers and that there en-
couragement to sail in and out of the port far
the government was concerned. Then u warm
conversation.
General MEnnIrT-I am really glad. Mr.. Alexandra,
that you have said what You just did. The fact of
the business is this Office has been maligned and
msreprcsented almost beyond endurance. We are
not arrayed against shipowners. shipmasters. i'm
porters passengers. And yet the city papers
with abuse of us. We here to carry out the law
and the law is very rigid that certain duties are
sessable and must be paid. We government
officers. Nobody steps In to aid US. We must go
out of the way to do our duty. and good moral be-
havior is violated both Sides for and against the
government Plenty Of people think it smart to
cheat the government and the inspector detective
sometimes offeuds unjustly the innocent and sons-
tive person in doing what he believes. and what
ally Is. his duty.
Mr. ALExANpRE-But in this case the situation is
plain. At six o'clock last Wednesday night the
steamer City of Washington arrived from Havana.
She had only about twenty passengers and tor that
reason all the baggage was put in little room on
the main deck. There only time that night to
% ea tns xsy ar tine uns
taken off but two large ones and portemauteau.
These seized and opened and found to be full
OF cigars and cigarettes. cannot tell ind out
who they belonged to. wish could. They were
evidently the property Of some smugglcr. who. be-
coming frightened, has not since appeared to claim
them. But the vessel was libelled on this account
for 81. .100 would like to know what we have to
do with the thing. assuming that smuggling was in
tended?
General MERnrrr-Here you have u special case
that seems to be in reason. keep my men in
Whenever u dutiable article comes here from
foreign country we propose to collect the duty and
70 make somebody p.y ., navs oeeh charged ma r
duty under tho most exact construction OF law. II
is no pleasant task: but we must fulfil the law.
severe IL IL. and take all chances of complaint
Mr. ALExASpRE-But why should suffer?
What do we know about ity We have been pun
ished by fncs for half boxes of cigars found
posted the prominent parts OF the vessels OF our
line notice that Information that would show the
concealmcnt OF cigars tobacco would result in the
value OF the tobacco or cigars the hnes penalties,
&c.. to the informant. That has been OF no use |
cigars or pound of tobacco by tho notice. hnc the
captains and the whcnovcr find anything
wrong. and the other day seized nine suspected
trunks, thus doing the work the government ought
to do. But cannot examine every passengers trunk
when hc she ombarks on the steamer. don't
think have the right TO. aud certainly have not
the disposition to do so.
General MERRrrr--But we must execute the law.
Mr.. ALExASDRE--Stll you must not drive COM
mcrce from the port.
General MEnRiIr-we want to bc fair. We arc
abused numerically account OF passengers bring
ing in baggage that IL dutiabc. and abused II We
make a mistake. We are willing to correct errors.
l shall look carefully into your and be Just.
A special agent of tho Treasury In Goneral Gra-
hams tSurveyorsl Office said shortly aferward that
the trouble that all the baggage arriving night
should be placed on tho dock next day. aud then the
government would be responsible for IL. This will
probably be done by all the lines hereafter. But
several of the steamship people say that they havc
had more trouble with the government In tho past
three months than they have had In ten years before
Mr.. Hirst. very prominent ocean steamship man.
says that Mr.. sherman, Secretary of tho Treasury,
recently said 70 him that ho intends collect the
duties from somebody with fines. penalties aud ALL
let who may suticr. rhe steamship people contend
that they are untustly assailed and talking of
Joint protest to Washington.
General Merritt says he is disposed to be liberal.
but IL acting under law and regulation and that he
almost shrinks from the task of carrying out his
duty because II necessarily makes him unpopu-
lar. He says he cannot in all cases make Amends
In of mistakes of his subordinates. be-
cause the law prohibits him, but that in Mr.. Alex
andre case. which arose under tho Act of 1892 he
can, provided the Secretary OF the Treasury says