Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-13
Savannah and Port Royal.


past fiscal year 255 foreign vessels had en-
tered the ports of Savannah and Charles
ton, combined, while 1O7 had entered that
of Beaufort alone, and that during the
same period the duties on foreign
imports had been. for Charleston $685.
600, Savannah $51. 900. while at Beau
fort since last July such duties had
amounted to $40, 900, and before the end
of the year would amount TO 500, 900,
we regarded it simply as huge joke
merely an after dinner statement, which
would contradict itself by its own mani
fest incorrectness. When, however, a
similar statement is made to President
Garfield by delegation from Beaufort,
and is telegraphed all over the country
by the Associated Press, it demands
some special notice.
From the report of Hon. John F.
Wheaton, Mayor of this city, for the
year ending December 31st last, it is
officially stated that the duties on i'm
ports collected at this port during the
fiscal year 1880, were SIS, 458 Al, and
these figures are corroborated by the
books of the Collector of this port.
Thus it will be seen that the import
duties collected 10 this port last
Year were $27, 45S more than Colonel
Elliott and the Beaufort delegation
stated, showing that they nave by no
means made themselves acquainted with
the subject Of which they spoke. 1t
seems, too, that they are equally as much
in the dark regarding the customs re-
ceipts of their own town of Beaufort,
for, from the official returns in the office
of the United States Collector here, it
appears that during the past fiscal year
the customs receipts at Beaufort were
only So, 1853, or nearly $4,000 less than
at Savannah.
But few other figures and reflections
will serve TO show how very grossly Col.
Elliott and the Beaufort delegation have
been deceived in this matter, and how
very far the latter were off the tracks
when they gravely informed President
Garfield that the customs duties collected
at Beaufort since last July were more
than in Savannah and Charleston COM
bined. 1t will be remembered that Col.
Elliott in his speech-and we presume
the Beaufort delegation to Washing
ton used the same figures upon
which be based his remarks
allowed sos, 900 import duties for Charles
ton and $51 900 for Savannah, since the
first of last July, while he claimed that
receipts at Beaufort during the same
period were $40, 900, which sum will, BY
next July, he believes, be increased to
500, GEO, and upon this he arrives at the
conclusion aforementioned. The books
of the Collector of this port show
that since the first of July last and only
up to the 10Th inst. the customs duties
collected by him amounted to 1866, S81, a
sum more than $500, 900 greater than COL
Ellioits allowance. Admitting, there
fore, that there will be collected at Beau
fort during the year ending in July next
500, OO0-although this is a mere suppo-
sition-that port would still be $500, 881
behind Savannah, even if not another
dollar is collected here on imports
during the next two months.
1t will be noticed further that Colonel
Elliott-and presumably the Beaufort
delegation TO Washington-places the
import duties collected at Charleston
during the year 1880 at So, 900 more
than were collected at Savannah during
the same period. Here, again, he is
grossly in error. We have not the re
ports of the duties collected at Charleston
in 1880 at hand, but by reference to the
Statistical Abstract of the United States
for $780," prepared under the personal
direction of the United States Secretary
of the Treasury, it will be seen to be
therein officially stated that the tonnage
of vessels which entered Charleston
In 1880 from foreign ports was
116, 293 tons, while that of vessels
which entered Savannah from foreign
ports in the same year was 1873, S95 tons,
being an excess of foreign tonnage during
1880 in favor of Savannah of 67,612
tons. And while this is the official state
ment of the Treasury Department re-
garding the foreign tonnage of Charles
ton and Savannah in 1880, no mention
whatever is made specifically of that of
Beaufort and Port Royal, those ports
being Jumped together under the rather
general head of "all other seaports"
We have given this subject much more
consideration than it really deserves, and,
as we have already stated, only do so be-
cause of the fact that the grave mistakes
of the Beaufort delegation have been
telegraphed broadcast over the country,
and, if uncorrected, might do Savannah
injustice. The above official figures
show clearly how very grossly the gen.
tlemen who called on the President have
been misled. No wonder Mr.. Garfield
was interested in their statements, but
we doubt not he was even more surprised
than interested.
Since writing the above we have re-
ceived the following official statement
from the Collector of this port, which
settles the matter finally and effectually:
ETIE / T.