The evening times., 1896-03-12
CHANGES IN TARIFF Law
Bill to Amend Administrative
Features 10 Be Reported.
MEANT TO REMEDY DEFECTS
Importers VIII Not he Allowed to
Make Oath Before Their Own BrOk-
ers-ProvisiOn Made for Recourse
to the Courts In Certain Gases.
Other Changes.

The House Committee on Ways and Means
| has ordered MIR. Payne. OF New York, 10
| report fayoratiy to the House a bill pre-
pared by the committee amending the ad-
ministTative features OF the present tariff
| law.
An important amendment is sOnesuggested
| by Assistant Secretary Hamiin, which re-
quires exporters to satisfy consular Off
GERS OF the true value OF goods desired to
| be shipped. Consular Officers are given
authority to refuse to certify to invoices
unless the required oath is given, and no
, merchandise exported from that country
| or consular district to the United States is
| to be delivered on entry until the required
oath has been certified TO by the consular
officer.
Another important provision prohibits
any person holding license as a customs
broker from administering Oaths. This
is intended TO stop the practice of allowing
importers the privilege OF making oaths be-
fore their own brokers.
BARS THE APPRAISER.
The present law is cha nged so as to pre-
vent any general appraiser who acted orig
inally in u case from being one of the board
to decide the case.
In order to reduce the number of protests
and relieve the courts OF cases, a protest fee
of So is provided for.
In order to facilitate the board OF APP
praisers in determining values, it Is pro-
vided that it shall be lawful for apprais-
ing Officers, in determining the dutiable
value of such merchandise, to take into con-
sideration the wholesale price at which
such similar merchandise is sold or offered
for sale in the Unitcd states, after deductng
estimated duties thereon, the cost OF trans
portation, insurance and other actual and
necessary expenses from the place of ship
ment to the United States and a reasonable
commission. il any has been paid, not ex-
ceeding per centum.''
PROVIDING FOR SUITS.
Section 10 OF the present law is entirely
stricken out, and the blowing section,
proposed by eX-Secretary Fairchild, is
substituted:
That If the owner, importer, consignee
or agent of auy imported merchandise, or
the collector, or the Secretary OF the Treas
ury, shall be dissatisfied with the decision
of the board OF general appraisers as here
!nbefore provided, rs to the construction OF
the law respecting nc classification of such
merchandise aud the rate of duty imposed
thereon under such classification. they or
either of them, may. within thirty days
next after such decision, and not after
ward, apply to the circuit court OF ap-
pcals OF the United States within the dis
trict in which the matter arises, for a re-
view of the questions OF law onl y involved
In such decision"
A NEW SECTION.
The following new section is also in
serted:
The Secretary OF the Treasury is hereby
authorized to cxpeDd from the appropria-
ton for collecting the revenue from Gus
toms sufficient sum. not to exceed S45,-
900. 10 provide for the purchase of the
necessary land and for the construction
and equipment OF sampling works thereon.
or for the leasing of suitable buildings and
equipment for the sampling and assaying
or imported silver ores and other ores CON
tanning lead at the port of Ell Paso. Tex.
and at such other ports as in the Judgment
OF the Secretary of the Treasury theinterests
OF the revenue demand; and the Secretary OF
the Treasury is hereby authorized, in case
OF importation of said ores at ports at
which no facilities as above are provided,
to send d portion thereof to any port having
said facilities, at which Iort said portion
may be sampled and assayed. The col
lector at the port OF Importation shall there
upon lfquidate the entry upon said assay.
In no instance. however, shall a less por
ton than one-fifth of any importation of
ores be sampled and assaycd.''