New-York tribune., 1885-07-06
anonsbe for the lack of proper courtesy TO them Inc
ennoampment was an unfortunate speculation.
COLONEL BLISS ON SPECIAL AGENTS.
HOW THE ADMINISTRATION is DECEIVED


rrryCrs OF THE NEW ORDER CONCERNING REAr-
rRAIsEMENTs.
Colonel George Bliss has emphatic opinions
regarding the recent order of Secretary Manning W
the practice In reappraisemeus He said tho o'noi '
"Thc order entirely changes tho system al 'n''
prevailing for twenty-five years. ana even IL -
legal, 1t involves so mnoh s''', Son'.
tics to importing interests that aoi
be,icve the Department can adhere to 1t month. Inc
Dena,tment has been, believe, imposed upon W
special agents of the Treasury c.,n.,
After sneakiug of tho method of appraisins Coio"s
Bliss continued: .,,,,c
"Thc Appraiser hmsclf ordinarily knows no,- -
about the goods He accepts the report OF the
nd sis,ant apnrisers and sends their report to the
Custom House. II this states that tho goo"' h"'o
eptercd at too low value merchant has rsh' W
appeal to the general appraiser ana n'ereh""' ~
oured bv law TO be discreet and cxperiehce"' ""o "
selected by tho Collector. IL these Two "s'si'. % %
Collector decides. The importers only appeal i' W '
courts Thus he Is completely as ''1 an,or
Of the Government. Therefore the inpoi'e'
.bo,d have every opportunity to present MS No"S "
the final tribunal. The practice for quarter OF cen
turv has been in accordance with that View' a'o"s"
even So many regard Ii as unfair to the 'mpor'e''
"Hcw docs the order change thsti f"S'' VI
though the importer may now state MS Case W ''o
general appraiser and merchant appraiser he must
in his absence examine such witnesses rs they
Thex NAV nouestly briag before themselves Witness
whom the importer. of his own mouth might sho"
TO be incompetent biased. hostile or wi'hhodi"s i"o
which woud entirely change the effect OF MS es"'"y
Under the old system the importer could q'es'o" WIZ
nesses. ,.., -,
.secondly we have this extraordinary condition OF
,,;,os m which don't think the merchants OF New
york will subxt long: special AGENT OF the treasury
for good or bad motives may take into MS heao u "
sist that certain goods undsrvalucd. lie urges '
view on the assistant appraiser ana the eNa"e'' "''
.sv they don't believe 1t. Hc insists. threatening vi
suysesting that they don't advance the goods no WI"
charge at the Treasury Department that they "ro " COZ
luion with the Importers Such things have occurred
hero eous,an.v The threats, sometimes avnng. have
not produced any serious injustice, because inc
appraiser has not yieldea biinuiy '" vi.
special agent, and the assistant appraiser ""u
tho examiner felt that they had some proecnoh' anu
frequently perhaps usually, thsy have rcinsco W S''
their own ud snent to that OF the special agent "nch
AVER they did yield importer could appeal ana cross
.xau,ine Witnesses Under tho system. eniorcod
the mast week. the special agents have bcen allowed NOT
only to xanne the importer but they nave oe
allowed TO be present and examine witnessos ""o" 'o
importer had turned out and not allowed 10 near
other witnesses examined. Tou will see. under such
syusm how little show is given the importer.
matters have ntly gone further than this
Tn on. case the Importer tho reappralsemcnt caused
the dsDuty appraiser the examiner to be called oefore
the general appraiser and the merchant appraiser ana
u, be asked what their opinion was the real value OF
thu goods and whether making the advances Appealed
from fey acted upon their Judgment or nndcr the
orders OF somebody else and when they testhed tnat
,b.y did not net upon their the
Goods and that they beeved the goods were correctly
valued nv the importer the special agent mas gone 70
The Appraiser Mr.. Mcsuen and complained that the
.s,st,nt appraiser was njuring tho Government and
these officers been ordered not 70 appear on reap
prascments except with the consent OF MT McMulien
And so the Government absolutely forbids TO testify
tho men who it isef said arc the most conpeteh
fv i'm favor of the Importers Now. do you suppose the
importing interest OF the country Will stand suen pro
You think thcn, that the special agents are assrn'
ing too much power over the merchants OF new,
praser has advanced goods have sought 10 uesxnaT
the merchant be selected by the Collector 70 ac WIN
the General appraiser the importers appeal ana 10
have one selected who they knew thought they knew
mad made up ms na asas' c. and 1rcd the
ment such prejudiced merchant appraisers ana nave
thcjr way in this respect Until the present AdmiIis-
tration into power they co no' succe,d IN tn,
ro.cs 70 select an unprejudiccd merchant appraiser
What do you infer from this T.
' infer that the special agents arc practcaly assum-
ing 10 the selves the righ, TO fix tho value at which I'm
porter, shall bring their goods INTO the co,nlry,
Colonel Bliss said that the mporters sole reliance wa
on nm impartial merchant appraiser. The best way 70
get such was TO choose hi a. lawyer wouia
less of bias II an Importers goods advanced he
should require the Government 10 seize thsin ior une
Give bonds for their value ana nSht IL out III
A.,
RafcrIng to special agents Colonel Bliss charged that
four or Ave Of them had formed ring win s centre ~
Washington that they had persecuted Captain Br1ck
cit had derived benefit from this and we're
currying favor with the prescnt Administration by
cnarg ng ineciency and corruption In the enforcement
of the this port Secret reports denonncng New
York merchants had hcen made by them at Washington
he said and OF this ring had already madc report
from Europe against merchants here, and these had
hssn shown to be unfoundcd. In conclusion Colonel
Bliss said: ,,.,. . -, T.,
:" Tho newspapers aud the public ought to bear III
mind that merchant not necessarily guilty s uhdsr
valuation because special agent reports thai
he ia 80 nor should such report create even primd
6cie bsief that the aement IL correct Special agent.
rc far frs iprable and Of them by no means as
honest merchants they attack, aud they use very
them They assume vast amount
nj they haven't got. You should the airs
sops of the se recently appointed put on. could toll
van some queer stories about OF the special agents
und their subordinaes. -,
"As 10 the new reappraisement order with which we
started predict that by autumn IL will he done away
with or ss modified that you Will not know IT, The
iIonh haah dnc