New-York tribune., 1879-01-28
The Secretary, after enumeratins the al' yea irr'
lnrttIes LII ihc Meighor's DepartmcnL. cOntlnues:

lariues IN the weghor's Department. continues;
BY reason Of these Irregularities the cost Of weighing
had Increased 10 the enormous Of S}i6,52l 80 per
annum. These evils were known 10 Collector Aiuur,
yet he made no attempt dufln. MS term oi o"V' w
remedy them.
Anyone reading this language would surely infer thar
the expenses OF the weghers and augers went Oh under
my administration increasing from year to year. ana
that made no attempt to prevent such increase.
Now tho fact is that the figures given by the
Secretary are obviously intended he those showing
the cost for The year 1876 came into ONCE ~ Deem
her, lS7l For The fiscal year ending June 30 io,-
the expenses OF these departments were fioS'-
gj5 I3 for the year ending june 30 1s73 S46l i-i -
Ter the year ending June 30, ISL s445.25 % .; ;
IA, year ending June 80, 1876 S345.125 y; so thar
tine Expenses which thc secretary says had increase
to The sam $500 50. had, IN fact decreased IN
frou l % 13 IN is72 10 tie figures given by the
secretary tOI 1876 VIZ, T3I61%1 50, or IeuuVuoh Vi
nearly Sl22OOu
TnL CHARGES IL THR MEREDITH REPORT.
Mr. sherman introduces extracts rom the report
made by Messrs Meredith aud ohrcs and relies upon
the charges therein contained to Justify my suspension
Brt was suspended on July II. and then Informed
Is the Socretlry that suspension had boen decided
p, - considerable time previously, while the Meredith
roit j. not dalcd til July Il. six days after my sus
iar,ion. II would nave been at least prudent II Mr.
-irlInau l3d paid niue attention 10 these dates.
AS - the reference to the pccal report OF Mes1rs
MrrroilI ana others concerning Deputy Collector
G,deckrr. reler 10 The answer to lhese
cialg., made by Mr.. Lydeck'r IN July
last. OF which cony is lnc'oSed. fou
renee winch took place ten years ago; that
they were investigated at the time by me
Treasury department and Others, ana SHOWN
TO be wholly announced. and that the same conclusion
vac "ralY ti At ON rcpe'tfd Iug' gum &
4yowediy with TIE determination 10 make c'Sc
AGAINST the N5w-Ioik Cuslom liousc and especial "
him, but were compelled 10 revive stale
charges, refuted more than ten year age. II
i only necessary further to 9dd tlat ia one OF
The two charges made against Mr.. Iydeckcr the dere
dith Commission coupled Mr.. Evans, an culy erk ahd
Ii one VAS shily tht "thel was ana lhit I' oh' lllu
himself has since iui5 scXOneated Mr.. Evans and CON
Mr SHERMAN adopts the statement Of Mr. Meredith
and his associates thar aid not give that personal
10 be necessary t"at ne tld not u'aIy arrive aI us
Office Wtl ait moon" must plead gulIty 10 inns
G are a. Jar rs rrates the hour which som tim
rcacned nay "hct. can ONLY say tu1 ! H a.unn II
constantly necessary 10 WOrk dt NY house. WHcrc
could escape interruption, IN the examination of vol
luminous pil"lS a4u PEI pr1iI4 lue,onS & ~ ~
coming rloIc me; Dul tlat MWdyS u.de IL a IHIo 10
finish the work Of the day te.ore lcit the Custom
House though tbat frequently REQUIRE" mo 1it, W t
nam there lutO the evening. say confidently
tha TOR h%y year. taf e'S Sro%ptIy E no
performed them. Every one in or ont Ot the Custom
liouar VINO - ~ i.iI m t " iy 1 Me- SI at,rnttnn 10
my duties charge Is absurd. Indeed hose %h0 nave
long cied with the Custom House Ia olm me
that Tor great many years no C0elor as fe9e 'cu :"
himself Tor personal at nron 80 large a portion OF e
duties ol the Office, or has extended 10 his suDordhaeS
whether The special or Tue assistant c"l.c'oa' V @ nc
ordinary GeTuucs so httc title OF authority OF nlscTe-
Meredith and his associates had made inquiry anywhere
but single quarter they could not have made their
statement 10 tne contrary effect.
Among oiher things ds,uued The personal supelV-
sion of all OF the correspondence, the decision OF a
questions relating strictly to routine aud l0r ohE
tine peIsOn"ly pyti9rncd all tue duties Ol tno @ @ESU
ing officer. which had been performed Dy TIE Auu'o
only those know the time necessary aa'ly
for the examination OF the large corr hPOndenc,,
me signing the hundreds of checks for relunGs ana
acts deputy collectors, All oil when were III my
personal care viii mly appreciate what amount Of
labor the statement just made implies.
Mr.. sherman, IN his commendauOn OF the acuDg COZ
ector say the latter "euorccd the regulations III re-
revenue, the result on sugar alone showing gam
TO November 30 1873, OF 39ts92S pounds:
gam Of revenue $97 23s 70 and also proportion
gam in the wegnins Of many other artcl.S r, III
of Sl6i0OO for period covered, being equal 10 s-o'
G:!6 - per aunun.' . , 49,
stotements as to gain to the Government the secfe
ary errs if ho to ascrDe that gam To e act OF
prevailed IA regulation Of the Treasury Departmtn on
witch the oi tare at certain schedule rates Dut
ucu ease to rtOur- actua arc 10 be ascertaned Inc
schedule sugar was l2l per cent and TINS was
u within wear two accented On all hands as Just
and satisfactory. In the competition OF business lt
hnnunred fbat some impOrters managed TO get their
sugar imported tckages involving an actual are OF
less than the schedule rate. This fact WAS not ar once
detected. bus FROM about April, ISIS % caused "a a
impOrtatlons OF sugar Certain importers ap
nealcd from my action, claiming that the Govern
[ rnF was bonnd to accept schcoGe lare M
was sustained by the Secretary May d. ISIS. on
June 22 1879 caused letter tO he addressed 10 the
secretary, IN which said lt is submit ed that the
equitable and Lest rule would be TO require 70
statute saws It shall be, in all where there no
agreement by the Collector and the Importer To accept
the invoice tare" This in effect ouly suggesting
me alteration OF the regulation, to MAKE ob'gl
tory practice had IN fact introduced To me- aud
not 10 the acting Collector should therefore be ascbcd
portion at least the the saving the Secre
taly claims by taking actual fare 1t is obvious mat
Me- Sherman Of tnis for he ls careful not 10
5riy he ne
made. He says, showing gam TO November 80 - -
speaks with studied indetnencss OF gam IN period
Mr. sherman's claim Of proportionate gain in the
weighing other articles than sugar Is not ustl-
fed by any facts which he gives which. as believe
exist for the treatment Of articles other than sugar has
not. am informed, been changed from that which has
long prevailed.
may add mat in referring to the reforms introduced
by the Acting Collector the Secretary conveniently
members to forget to specify them Every one that he
does refer to introduced while WAS collector or
Mr.. Sherman says that continued complaints came
from other ports entry that unconstitutional discrm
nations made in favor Of the port Of NewYork by
the method of conducting business at that port that
allowances !Or damages not permitted at other parts
were made and that 1t system OF underyauatIOn pre-
vailed" The making OF such complaints hardly proves
their truth and even II true they related TO matters
with whIch the Collector had nothing TO do, III re-
spect to the particulars complained OF, the
and and IN" secretary, and not in the Collector
Indeed. it il proper to state specifically that
the classification, apprasement and valuation Of goods
for duty aud ascertainment Of existence and
extent OF damage allowances are at this pOrt-unlike
some other pOrs-pllced by the law exclusively IN the
hand. Of the Appraiser whom the Collector has no
control lie only intervene in cases where.
after the Appraiser has acted. the merchant Is
dissatisfied and demands reappraisement. The
Collector then appoints merchant 10 act
with the General Appraiser. The decision OF the TWO II
final II they agree II they dsagrec-which ia very
rarely the Collector then decide betwe
them but while was office | bound by the regu-
latlOnS To adopt IN full the decision OF one or the
other of them. The Appraiser aso acts exclusively 10
weighing cigars Tor duty IL VIII therefore be
perceived that The Collector ls wholly un-
affected by the complaints to talSO eli assItcatiOn
undervaluatlon. improper or excessive damage al
lowances which constitute Tie chief Durthcn OF the
ports of Mr. Meredith and assOcaes and Of Assist
an-ecictary French both transmitted To the Senate 10y
NJ. sherman. | emphasize this statement which Mr..
French IN his report expressly confirms because the ut
tcraurcs Of some O the merchants from other places
who were associated by the Secretary with Mr. Mere
dth showed that they wholly iguOrant OF this