The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-02-29
OPPRESSIVE LAWS.

Auo DEhOChAI ud6 uOE0 LEdu OHCe Callcu
attention to the undemocratic and inquisato-
rial character OF the United States rev.
enue laws, and every now and then
there happens some instance Of un-
usual hardship and severity which calls
for special mention, and which emphasizes
the necessity for the repeal or amendment of
those laws. The custom In vogue, under
these laws. at this and other ports, OF hold
ing every vessel coming from Havana or any
foreign port, responsible for all articles
found upon her In contravention, is most
pernicious one and calculated to work in
finite harm to commerce. few wretched
cigars or pound or two Of vanilla beans dis
covered by the lynx-eyed detectives Of the
law are sufficient to cause the seizure Of the
ship and the imposition Of fine totally out
proportion to the offense. The sums which
vessels trading between this port and
Havana have been compelled to pay
for such trifiing infractions OF the
law as those referred to, have peen
very large, though there has been no proof
against any officer, nor any well founded
suspicion, and 1t Is about time that steps
were taken to prevent the perpetration Of such
gross injustice by the repeal Of the law under
which these acts are rendered possible. It
would be quite proper to confiscate the prop
erty found in contravention. and to punish
the party or parties who attempted to evade
the law, il they could be discovered, but to
confiscate the property, seize the ship and
fine the owners or agents heavily is manifest
ly oppressive and unjust. The truth Is, that
the revenue laws impose upon the CONNER
cial marine OF the country the severe disci-
pline observed In time OF war by the vessels
Of the navy; and to prevent the commission
Of acts regarded as crimes against the gov
ernment would require constant armed
guard on board, a system OF counter
signs and q surveillance OF pas
be tolerated and which ought not
to be expected. Surrounded by boats Of all
kinds, and boarded at all hours, as vessels
lying IN Havana necessarily are, it is abso-
lutely impossible for the officers to prevent
the crew or the passengers from attempting
to smuRgle Oh board cigars and other articles,
with the object Of evading the duties and
yet II such attempt be made the ship is held
responsible and mulcted In heavy fine. The
object OF the laws should be to prevent the
evasion OF the revenue with as little interfer-
ence with commerce as possible, and 1t Is GER
tainly great hardship to insist that officers
Of ship shall be held responsible for the acts
OF the crew or Of passengers. We are OF the
opinion that there are many things both in
the laws for the collection of customs and in
ternai revenue that should be changed, and
we would call the attention Of our representa-
tives In Congress to the matter. with the sug-
gestion that they examine into the laws re-
ferred to, and endeavor to effect the re-
peal of such as are most obnoxious and un-
republican. ....m...+.... .5...+.m
The practice OF the government under the
present revenue laws Is not unlike that OBJ
served in China In cases Of murder. where the
person found nearest to the corpse is arrested
and executed, no matter who committed the
crime. It Is only sufficient for few CONTRA
band cigars to be found on a ship toimake the
owners guilty OF crime. and to make the
officers OF the vessel amenable to the law.
This nonsense has been indulged In long
enouch and should be stopped, as 1t Is re-
flecti0nt upon our intelligence as people and
. serious 63mpediment to commerce.