National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-11-20
Customs Duties ON Foreign IyooIts In the
Mails,

Great annoyance has been experienced by
persons desiring to receive foreign books by
mail and the matter has been n subject of con
siderable correspondence, not only between
tho Treasury and POstoflice Departments
and between our own aud foreign countries.
Referring to this subject in his annual report,
Postmaster-Goncral Key says:
The annoying Inconvenience and DELAYS to
which American students and scholars have
been subjected in obtaining single volumes of
books mailed to them from abroad in consc.
qucnce of the regulation requiring all dutia.
bic articles to be delivered to officers of the
customs for the collection of duties, have been
remodicd by new regulation adopted in pur.
suance OF the authority given in section II of
the act Of March B. 1870, which provides that
books received from countries or colonies of
the Universal Postal Union, which are found
to be dutiable, shall, when addressed to post
Offices other than the eXchadgo Office of recent,
be promptly transmitted by mail to the ad-
dressees, charged with the amount of customs
duties levied thereon; which amounts post
masters at the offices of destination arc re.
CURED to collect on delivery and remit by first
mail thereafter under registration, to the col
lcctor Of the customs Of the district ~ which
the exchange postOitcc of receipt is stu
ated.
Under the General Postal Union Treaty con-
cludcd ut Bernc books received from postal
union COUNTRIES WHICH were CnIrAcADle with
customs duties We're held 10 he unavailable
matter and were Immediately returned to the
country of origin, thus Imposing complete
embargo ON the receipt of hooks by mail from
abroad, land cutting of the facilities previ-
ously afforded by the mails for obtaining early
copies of foreign literary and scientific works.
The convention Of Paris rcadoptcd the proyis-
ion ofthe Berno treaty forbidding the trans.
mission by mail of any packet whatever con.
tanning articles liable to customs duty, but
added stipulation that IN ease II packet fall
ing undor this prohibition should he deliv-
cred by one administration to'auother admins
tratiOn OF the union, the latter was to pro-
ccecd to dispose of il according to its interior
laws and regulations. In pursuance of this
provision the regulation of this department
was modified by directing tho delivery of du-
table articles by postmasters Mt exchange of.
fees of receipt TO collectors of the customs
with notice OF such delivery to the addresses.
Although this modified regulation effected an
improvement in the treatment Of dutiable
books, 1t was not satisfactory either to the
Treasury officials or the public, as il failed IN
many cases to secure tho collection of the
customs duties, and subjected addresses re-
siding at places distant from ports of entry 10
vexatious delays and expenses incident to the
employment OF agents to pass their books
through the custOm.hOuse. The new rcgulu-
ton obvates these delays and expenses, by in
surfing prompt delivery OF books at the office
ofdestnatiOn in any part Of the United States
on payment Of the customs duties aud cannot
fail TO satisfy those OF our citizens who are ac-
customcd to the use Of tho mails us the only
practicable means of obtaining early access to
foreign publications OF scientific or literary
interest