Arizona weekly citizen., 1889-07-27
TREASURY RULES FOR AEXI-
 CAN NSILVEE-LEAD ORES.

RULES FOR MEXI-
 CAN SILVEE-LEAD ORES.
 The Secretary of the Treasury has sent the following letter of instructions to the Collectors of Customs at Fl Paso, Laredo, and Eagle Pass with reference to the admission of silver-lead ores. pend ing the settlement of the question now before the Treasury Department in re- gard to the proper classification of such ores. It is stated at the department that these instructions do not affect the main questions at issue.
 'The department has had under COZ sideration the joint report submitted by Special Agents w. H. Williams and W. P Hodgens, under the question of the importation of mineral ores from Mex
 ico, with special reference to the accu-
 racy and propriety of the existing meth ods of entry, sampling, and examination of such ores, for the purpose of deter mining their legal classification by an accurate ascertainment of the charac- ters and properties of the minerals con tained in the various importations
 Ut appears from the report that practice has grown up of permitting in the same entry as the product of one mine, the mingled product of several mines possessing different characteris- tics, and that sampling is conducted in very irregular manner by what is famil- iarly known as the grab process It is evident that neither of these methods is adapted to q proper execution of the provisions of the general law respecting Of merchandise, and that a is essential to bring its ad- into harmony with the re quirements of the law Pending a fur ther consideration and the deternira- tion of the question of the proper classi- fication of those Mexican ores that con- tain both silver and lead, the following instructions were observed:
 "l. The sworn entry shall embrace in addition to what is now required, 8 statement of the estimated quantities and values of silver and lead contained in the importation, according to the best knowledge and belief of the importer or consignee.
 ''2. The entry shall further contain a declaration that the importation em- braces no mixture of ores or concer- trates from different mines
 8. The entry shall also disclose the name and locality of the mine from which the ore has been taken.
 '4 Upon the arrival at the frontier of cars or other vehicles laden with ores con taining an appreciable quantity Of lead, they shall be locked or otherwise secur- ed until entry be made and permit granted to unlode.
 ''5. Upon the unlading, and at the time of unlading, the officer of the GUS toms assigned to that duty shall super wise the work, and shall obtain proper and adequate samples from those taken for commercial purposes by the importer pr consignee; that is to say, they shall be taken in the manner approved and practiced by miners in the handling and reduction of ores, by thoroughly mixing and quartering every tenth shovel, or more, repeating the operation until the usual commercial sample be obtained.
 '6. To avoid the detention and ex- pense incident to the unlading and samplIng at the frontier, in cases where the cars or other vehicles are destined to an interior port or place without so they shall be adequately in spected, and if in the judgement of the Collector the ore is deemed to contain lead in quantity sufficient to make it lutiable, or if the legal classification be held doubtful, appraisement may be waived and entry made on an estimate of duties, and the goods permitted to pro ceed to destination under a warehouse and transportation bond, the entry to be liquidated under an appraise- ment based upon the samples selected in the manner above described in para graph ,.
 ~It is suggested that in the execution of these instructions care should be taken equally not to unnecessarily detain ores wherein silver so clearly predominates as to fix their character commercially as silver ores, nor to admit without assess ment of duty those ores within the value of their components of lead appear to exceed that of the silver contained .in such ores. It is further advised that in determining the relative values of silver and lead contained in the same ore the value of the silver component, in the ab- Sence of more accurate data in the in voice or otherwise, be rated at % per cent of the latest known value of silver bullion in New York market, and the value of the lead component at the atest known price of bar lead in the | same market, less one cent per pound.
 From the information before the de- | Dartment it is believed that neither diff iculty nor hardship will result from the enforcement of these instruc- ions, but if any obstacle shall arise in heir execution, you will please report he exact nature and extent of the ob- truction, with your suggestions for its smoyaln