Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1886-10-15
A CASE OF BRIBERY.
BY LUKE SHARP.

ID A1hA oiA4AAeAs
In the centre companion way Of most
Atlantic steamers there is framed a pub
lie notice which attracts a good deal OF
attention from the passengers on the way
over. 1t is published by the British Gov
ernment, and is to the effect that any
person offering a brbo to one of Her
Majesty's customs officials will be heavily
fined. The amount of this fine is men
toned, either $40 or 600 or something
of that sort. The contemplation of this
notice for nine or ten days every time a
person goes up the centre companionway
is calculated to give that person very
great respect for the unbribability of the
Liverpool customs offices. The Ameri-
can Government has no such notices
posted up anywhere that ever saw.
Whether it is because it is SO well known
that the American customs officer never
under any circumstance accepts a bribe,
or whether the government fears that the
public would regard the posting of no
tice as a joke, have not been able to
ascertain.
have never met anyone yet who would
bribe a Liverpool customs officer. The
penalty which has stared him in the face
during the voyage is apt to discourage
all such attempts. However, there are
few things which person could take
into England on which duty is axacted.
/ believe the customs officers have a
prejudice against dynamite, against pi-
rated reprints of English books, against
tobacco and some things of that Ssusa
but as n general thing. the Atnerlcat
traveller carries nothing with him on which
duty could be charged.
Our big steamship reached Liverpool
late one evening last summer. The Gus
toms authorities pcnned us all up in the
several rooms of building on the land.
ing. Here there was a good deal of fuss
and showing through passage way that
was very narrow, and the hand
baggage was examined as We
passed out. This was a very slow
and tedious arrangement, and
it was nearly II O'Clock at night before
we were through with it, and even at
that time the trunks had not been looked
at. We were then passed up into a room
which we reached by a long incline. On
climbing up this incline we entered q
large building seemingly containing
only one immense room. 1t was wei
lighted, and the scene was one which
once looked upon person would not
forget in hurry. On the right hand
side were piled trunks, bags, valises, hand
satchels and baggage of every descrip-
ton. On the left ran q long, low counter
on which trunks were being examined
by the uniformed custom house officers,
while, bending over their open baggage
were the owners, generally talking rapid
ly to the imperturbable officer. All over
the room were some 100 excited pas
scngers running wildly hither and thither
trying to collect their luggage. Trunks
that were marked with names were ar
ranged in alphabetical order The sec
tions of the building were
lettered with the alphabet painted
large and conspicuous along the
right hand side, but, as the great
majority of the trunks had no name, the
owners had to run about in quest of
them. Porters were there with their
short jackets and numbered caps, drag
ging the trunks about under the owners
directions, and as soon as one trunk had
been examined it was taken away by a
stalwart porter who called a cab, aud
its place was filled by another trunk
slammed down by another stalwart
porter. 1t was a scene of bewildering
confusion. As always travel as light
as possible, endeavoring to compress my
belongings into a satchel that can be
carried by hand if necessary, my troubles
were over, and so l strolled along with
comparative indifference, enjoying the
strange and bustling appearance of the
place. l was able to give some assist
ance here and there to companions OF
the voyage, and rather put on airs as
being an old traveller with some ex-
perience of that sort of thing, don't you
know, and plumed myself on having my
baggage examined long ago.
At the further end of the room were a
couple of ladies who were travelling
alone. One of them had large trunk,
and the trunk had new-fangled lock,
the latest of American patent. A Gus
toms officer was vainly trying to unlock
this trunk, and the owner was looking
on with much concern at his Intellectual
attempts. She had tried herself, 1t
seemed, and had been unable to open It.
''You are not doing it rightly" said
the second young lady. you have TO
push this clasp that way, then turn the
key half way around, push the clasp
back and give the key another turn and
then it will unlock,