The record-union., 1897-07-27

WASHINGTON, July 26.-The Secre-
far-v of the Treasury holds that the he"
tariff Act was in effect at the beginning
OF the day on which it received the ap-
proyal of the President, and therefore
became operative after midnight OF Fiji
dav. July 23d. Assistant Secretary
Howell to-day sent the following tele-
gram to Collectors of Customs:
ITO Collectors and other officers OF the
Customs Department: The President
having approved the tariff Act recently
passed by Congress, the tariff Act OF
August %. 1894, so far as it has been
superseded by the new Act, became Vold
and of no effect at midnight on July 20
1897. (See synopsis 1881 and l6,4So)
All merchandise entered at the custom
house on and after July 24th under the
rates of the Act as mentioned Will De
subject to liquidation under the proVls-
ions of the new Act. All existing regu-
lations relating to the importing OF mer-
chandise and the proceedings thereto
will continue in force and effect unless
duly modified or revoked.
''W. B. POWELL,
Assistant Secretary"
Later in the day a formal circular OF
instructions covering more fully the
departments views on the subject was
printed and mailed to all customs col
lectors.
The opinion of the Attorney General
has not been requested on the matter,
the Department holding that the ques-
ton is of sufficient Importance to justify
them in taking it to the courts for final
decision, independent of the views the
law officers of the Government might
have as to the merits of the case.
Senator Allison was at the Treasury
Department to-day and in course OF
conversation on the subject said that
in his opinion there was no reasonable
doubt that the Act covered all of the
day on which it became a law.
This also is the view of all the prom
inent officials of the Treasury Depart
ment, including the Collectors of Gus
toms at New York and several of the
leading ports of the country
Sufficient data upon which to base
close estimate of the amount of duties
involved have not been received, but it
is stated roughly that it probably will
be between 100000 and 100000.
The Internal Revenue Department will
ruling than the customs branch of the
service. During the five days from
Tuesday, July Goth, to and including
Saturday, July 24th, the internal rev.
enue stamp agencies sold approximately
50, 1S1 800 in beer stamps alone, and of
this amount it is estimated that not
more than one-third, or 81, ,727 ,266,
reached their destination before the Act
went into effect.
The saving to the Government on
these sales of beer stamps alone is ex-
'pected to aggregate not less than S1S3,
900.
Commissioner Forman to-day tele-
graphed all stamp agents to settle on
the basis of the increased rate of 71a
cents per barrel, and it is expected that
these instruction will apply to all cases
where the stamps are not actually af
fixed to the packages before the new
rate became operative.
No figures as to the amount Of Gig
arctic stamps disposed of have yet been
received, but it is believed the sales
have been abnormally large, as the
rate of tax on cigarettes, speaking gen.
orally, was increased 100 per cent, or
from 80 cents per LOCO to 81. The in
ducements to tobacco manufacturers
TO lay in a large supply We're even
greater than in the case of the brew
ers
EURRANT PROVISION ALL RIGHT.
WASHINGTON, July 26.-The state
anent from San Francisco that by an
error currants figure in the tariff bill in
Two separate paragraphs and at two
separate rates. is erroneous and arises
from the fact that the Californians evil
IDENTIFY We're ignorant of the fact that
the Conference Committee fixed the
discrepancy by striking currants from
the first paragraph, imposing a rate
of duty per bushel, and allowed the
pound rate to stand.
PROTEST FROM IMPORTERS.
NEW YORK, July 26.-When Collect
or of Customs Bidwell made formal an
nouncement to-day that the duties in the
Dingley rates would be collected on
goods entered on Saturday, many pro-
tests were at once filed by importers of
goods entering on that day. These
goods arrived by the Normania, from
Hamburg; the Paris, from Southampton,
and the Umbria, from Liverpool. The