New-York tribune., 1879-10-17
crSroM HOUSE ExAMINATIONs.

If is not many wears since custom House
examination. in certain European States ire
ouepted Inv tourists. was little better than an
official arrangement Tor eXtOr'ihg "oncs'
Rogues i'm uniform held out an itching PAIN
at tho frontiers. and you could not journey
two or three days on the Continent WITHOUT
submitting to repeated visitations ana eXac-
tions. But since the consolidation of most Oh
the petty States there has been gencrai IT,
form. AS a rule, the examination OF luggage
is conducted with ciyility and dispatch; no
cratuities are expected duties are levied only
ON a few articles; and in England, passing
the customs is little more than an easy for
mality.
When the American citizen comes home
after Summers experience of these foreign
tax-gatherers he is in no mood to submit
gracefully TO the seventies of a high tariff.
Necessarily the examination Mt this port Is
much more rigorous than it is almost any
where abroad. The duties are heavy and
multifarous. The temptations to smuggling
are strong and it is well known that large
proportion of returning tourists are deliber-
ately engaged in frauds upon the revenue.
Besides the dutiable goods which travellers
purchase for their own use, enormous quantl-
ties of " merchandise" properly so called. are
Systematically brought here for sale concealed
in personal baggage. Watches. jcwolry, prec-
ious stones millinery and ladies' costumes
are among the articles most extensively
smuggled, but the contraband business is or
has been, large in ali classes of goods that
fetch high prices and can be carried IN
trunks. Shopkecpers are 10y no means the
only persons engaged III 1t. The Albany
brewer who got into difficulties with the
New-York Custom House the other day, had
in his trunks a fine assortment of merchandise
amounting in value to So, 500, and including
60 pairs of gloves, 40 pipes, II rugs, II
shaWls 60 pairs of stockings and 191 nap
kins. This was an exceptionally fagrant
case but it illustrates a common practice.
Steamship agents report that since the
policy of strictly enforcing the customs
regulations at this port became generally
understood. there has been an enormous
decrca-e in the amount of luggage brought
by their passengers. Commercial tour
"ists" have been driven to more leglti-
mate occupations, and the genuine pleasure
seeker, who used habltually to cheat the rev
enue, has become more cautious. All travel
ing from London or Paris, has no scruple
about making false declaration, or at least
n declaration which the Custom House will
hold TO be false and that however lavish he
may have been in his expenditures abroad,
he will stretch an elastic conscience TIL II
cracks in order to avoid the payment of n
few dollars to the Government at home. Pas
sengers who made full and frank declaration
of their dutiable effects were very rare until
the new rules made franlness a necessity.
Ii would no doubt be pleasanter all around
if the inspectors could take every mans
word but they must unfortunately MAKE ac-
count of the notorious prevalence of iibbing,
even in the best society. The only fair rule
is to deal with all alike, and open everything.
1t NAV be that the traveller finds less polite
ness In American Custom House officers than
he received from fuuctiOnaries of similar rank
abroad There Is a great difference OF man
ner, undoubtedly. The servants OF the Crown.
for the most part, will treat you with ceremo-
nious respect and answer all your trouble
some questions pleasantly and promptly. The
servants of the American people are perhaps
a little too anxious to assert their own rank
and too fond of snubbug the defenceless pub
lie. But this is trifc. The traveller who
keeps his temper and makes allowances for
the vexations inseparable from the discharge
of an annoying duty, gets along well enough.
Yet after all, the fact remains that the law
In its present shape Is a fruitful cause of
trouble. The statute under which the eXami-
nation of luggage Is conducted excmpts from
duty "wearing apparel in actual use, and
"other personal effects (nOt merchandisc)
"of persons arriving in the United States.n
"Other personal effects not merchandise"
may include almost anything or almost moth
ing. and the Interpretation of the phrase is
left to the decision of the Treasury. There
seems to be a prevalent delusiOn that all ar
tcles brought by traveller for his own Use, or
for his family. or for presents to friends, may
be passed free as personal Effects There
is a disposition. on the other hand, III the
Treasury Department to restrict the term to
a toothbrush and an umbrella. The official
definitions are not new, but there used TO be
great laxity in the application of them, and a
wide discretion was practically left-at any
rate was exerciscd-by the inspectors and
other subordinates. This led TO many irregn-
lar1ties. and the Collector has done wisely in
compelling strict and impartial adherence
TO the letter of the law as interpreted by the
standing rules of the Treasury. That the law
might very well he revised in this respect is
not unlikely. But while it stands it ought TO
be enforced aud in the meantime travellers
can save themselves unnecessary delay and
distress on landing if they will remember in
making purchases abroad TO take the duties
into account, and be ready to pay them cteer-
fully.
4 DEAD REFORuER.
DR.. julius lie Moyne who died in Washing