The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-06-03
a SWEET SUBJECT.

New York, AT a meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce, to-day,
Mr.. James NJ. Brown, banker. pre-
siding, q resolution was adopted de-
claring that the system of examina-
ton for appointment TO places In
the custom house, which has ruled
during the last few years, has been
of substantial view to the mercan-
tile community, and should be con-
tinued and extended. The commit
tee appointed to prepare a reply to
Secretary Sherman's letter to Chand-
Ter, last February, in refer
ence to the collection of duties
on sugar, presented their report.
They declare the secretary'S letter
evasive, as no attempt was made in
in it to refute the facts set forth on
behalf of the importers. Referring
to the trial of the case of WEIGH uS.
Merritt, at the last term Of the
United States circuit court, they
saw: ain the trial of that case, i'm
pOrters offered no evidence what
ever in rebuttal Of the testimony of
treasury witnesses. They claimed
they were conducting their bust
ness within the law, and
were satisfied to rest their
case solely on the law. The court
sustained importers, and notwith-
standing all the evidence introduced
by the treasury, directed the jury
to find a verdict for the plaintiffs.
We make point of the result of this
trial, because it is a direct refutatiOn
of the allegation set forth by Mr.,
Sherman in his letter, and a con-
firmation of the position taken
by the chamber. 1t is conceded,
on all hands, that for the
purpose of evading duties, it
il a fraud to color sugar
after it becomes sugar. Scientific
treasury agents told the secretary
that sugar became sugar as soon as
the crystals formed in the entire
product from the cane; but, of
course, this was not the sugar of
commerce, and so far the court has
sustained the position Of the mer-
chants, upon which, as matter OF
law, they rest their case, namely:
That so long as the article
in question is sugar of
commerce, its color, by comparison
with the Dutch standard, is the sole
test of dutiable classification. In
conclusion, the committee remark
that the treasury department cannot
secure the kindly aid and good will
of merchants, for which Sherman
expressed a desire, when the mer-
chants are, in a wholesale way,
charged with fraud, and without any
evidence in support of the charge.
Colonel Frederick A. Conkling,
brother of ex-senator Conkling,
made long speech, in which he up
held the course of Secretary Sher-
man in refusing to reScind his order
of September I'd. 10, or refund the
alleged excess of duties on sugar
collected under its provisions. The
committees report was then
adopted, Conkling alone voting in
the negative.
A letter was read from James E.
Ward & Co., enclosing a copy of a
letter sent by them to Secretary
Window regarding the refusal of
Collector Merritt to grant clear
ance to their steamship, Newport,
on the ground of smuggling by
members of the crew. Ward & Co. |
say: We claim that the interpreta-
ton given to the United States laws |
by officers administering the law
division Of the custom house is, to |
say the least, an unfair one, as we
believe it was the intention |
of any government or legislature to |
make the innocent suffer for the |
guilty. Farther than this, these |
officers decline to prosecute men |
caught in the act of smuggling, but
claim the right of holding a ship |
and her master for an offence when |
the written report of the officers |
one seizure stated the cigars |
were found on the person Of some
Of the crew, who were attempting |
10 land tbem. Thus they desire to
make our captains and officers rev.
snue officers without pay, and our
,hips virtually bondsmen for them.
The letter was referred, and the
chamber adjourned till October 3D. =