The Portland daily press., 1883-02-14
ADULTERATED TEAS.
Mr. Randal's Bill to Prevent Their Inpor
tation.

Mr.. Randalrs Bill to Prevent Their 1uupor.
tation.
WASHINGTON, Feb 13.-The following is the
full text Of the bill reported by ex-Speaker
Randall, from the ways and means committee
on the subject Of adulterated teas;
Inat from and after the passage OF this act it
shall be unlawful for any person or persons or
corporation to import or bring into the United
States any merchandise for sale as tea, adul-
terated with spurious leaf or with exhausted
leaves, or which contains so great an admix-
ture OF chemicals or other deleterious sub
stances as to make 1t unfit for use; and the i'm
portation of all such merchandise is hereby
prohibited.
SEC. 2. That on making entry at the Gus
tom House of all tea or merchandise described
as tea imported into the United States the i'm
porter or consignee shall give bond to the
collector of the port that such merchandise
shall not be removed from warehouse until re-
leased by tho Custom House authorities, who
shall examine it with reference to its purity
and ntness for consumption; and that for the
purpose OF such examination samples of each
line In every invoice shall be submitted by the
importer or consignee to the examiner, with
his written statement that such samples repre-
sent the true quality Of each and every part Of
the invoice, and accord with the specification
therein contained; and in case the examiner
mas reason to believe that such samples do not
represent the true quality of the invoice, he
snail make such further examination OF the tea
represented by the invoice, or any part thereof,
as shall be necessary.
SEC. B. That If, after an examination as pro-
vlded In section 2, the tea is found by the ex-
aminer not to come within the prohibition of
this act, permit shall at once be granted to
tne importer or consignee declaring the tea
Tree from control Of tho customs authorities;
disc described as tea, is found, in the opinion
OF the examiner, to come within the prohibi-
tions of this act. the importer or consignee,
shall be Immediately notified, and the tea, or
merchandise described as tea so returned shall
not be released blythe Custom eHouse, unless
on reexamination called for by the importer
or consgnee the return OF the examiner shall
be found erroneous provided that should a
portion OF the invoice be passed by the exam
iner, permit shall be granted for that portion
and the remainder held for further examina-
ton, as provided in section.
SEC. 4. That In case of any dispute between
the importer or consignee and the examiner,
the matter in dispute shall be referred for ar
bitration to committee of three experts, one
to be appointed by the collector, one by the
importer, and the two to choose a third, and
their decision shall be final; and if, upon such
final re-examinatiou, the tea shall be found to
come within the prohibitions of this act, the
importer OF oonsignee shall give bond, with
securities satisfactory to the collector, to ex-
port said tea, or merchandise described as tea,
out of the limits of the United States, within
q period of six mon HI after IA b final re-3xam-
ination; but il the same shall not have been
exported within the time specified, the collec-
tor, at the expiration OF that time, shall cause
the same to be destroyed.
SEC. 5. That the examination and appraise-
ment herein provided for shall be made by a
duly qualified appraiser of the port at which
said tea is entered, and when entered at ports
where there are no appraisers, such examin-
ton and apprasement snail be made by the
revenue officer to whom is committed the col
lection of duties, unless the Secretary of the
Treasury shall otherwise direct.
Sec. 6. The leaves to which the term Eek
hausled" is applied in this act shall mean and
include any tea which has been deprived of its
proper quality, strength, OF virtue by sleeping,
infusion, decoction, or other means.
SEc.7. That teas actually on shipboard for
shipment to the United States at the time of
the passage of this act shall not be subject
to the prohibition thereof.