The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-19

FrssssEat caasssaeaf6 On that admits argent
ssrsssss lead ores iEa gso-1<l frsfn Mexico free
81 s1zfy- The secretary IN his letter pro-
sAa-sassHg TIE d-cssSon. which Was sent 10
Zee customs osteerx today. after recising
laassrns decisions ard the practice ct the
oepA-sEens with references 10 the classsks-
eaten Of these ores since issa. SAYS that the
oatIaese or non-suisahle character OF these
ores - tse subject of ~ investigation by
TIE Judiciary COMMITTEES OF the Senate. who
reported On the oh Of July. ISIS. in effect
flaf the ores OF the character mentioned.
namely ores containing more lead IN
weight than either gs5id or silver. but more
gold OF silver than lead in value, are rot in
tfae opinion Of the committee. sabjecf 10
duty under the existing law.
III the question presented were new
one, says the secretary. ..aad had not
been the subject OF administrative corr
ssraefloa fortified by the opinion Of the
Judicial committee OF the senate. would
issi al liberty to giTe greater consideration
10 the welghfy arguments that have been
atiduced tending TO establish the dnsiahae
character OF al ores Of this description
containing lead in sppreciahae or consider
able quantity, and more so II il had been
satisfactorily demonstrated that these ores
are not known nor entitled 10 be known
commercially as ores OF silver. II not
having been demonstrated. ard ii be-
ing 8 fact that since the orig
inal decision OF fss0 on this subject
congress has re-enaeted the p-e-cxistiag
provisions OF the tariff with regard to lead
ores and silver ores respectively. do not
! feel At liberty TO set aside the existing
{ac H
and the practice OF the department we're
known To congress when il passed the
tariff act of iss7. II must be held that the
designation of lead ore and silver ore in
the tariff. in the absence OF the legislative
definition. was that OF the existing value i;
that congress intended the classification
should turn on the question of the value and
not of quantity. Its. therefore. considered
that the department is without authority
TO change the congressional definition of
these ores, and in faith OF which
large business interests have been
established That congress did not
intend TO impose duty on
lead which might be found in different
ores. hnt only upon such ores as were then
recognized under tie department as lead
ores is gathered from other parts of the
'arld act, Tor. IN paragraph IssS, copper Is
made dutiahle when found I'm ore, and in
paragraph il9 the metal is made duitabie
whenever found in ore or in other forms.
In these eases it is clearly maintained in
ore which is made subject To duty, and had
the same form OF expression been used in
reference 10 lead, that metal would have
been dGtiable at the rate prescribed. when
ever found in ore. According To we'll
settled rules of statutory laws this differ
ence in the congressional form of express
sion must be deemed to indicate different
legislative intent consider, therefore, the
present classification has attained
the force OF the congressional enact
ment. and a change, if desired. must be
sought in congressional intervention. III.
however, ores OF tins description ara i'm
ported which are distinctivcly known IS
lead ores in the legal and commercial
sense, they would as such be du,iable 1t
is deemed advisable in this connection to
enioin upon officers strict enforcement of
the regulations of this department intended
to correct the abuses which formerly ex-
listed in the methods of entry. sampling
and classification oil ores OF the character
mentioned