Year: 1868

The New Regulations Governing Receipts of


Cotton.


AS the orders recently issued by the United States
Internal Revenue officers in this city on the subject
Of cotton transportation have necessarily attracted
considerable public attention from their important
connection with the interests and business OF class
Of our merchants among the weathest and most IN.
nuential and as the various fragmentary newspaper
versions OF the subject that have appeared from time
to time during the last two months have been mex
plicit and sometimes contradictory, and as con-
tnued misunderstanding OF the law and regula.
tions on the part Of the business community would
probably lead to uncaedfor abuse Of the officers en-
gagged In the enforcement thereof we have felt it to
be our duty journalists, alike devoted to the inter-
ess Of the people and the government to ascertain
all about the subject from undoubted authority and
ect to tax oe'ofe OF two a Saf : csnts
per pound. The law provides for its collection
either by the collector OF internal revenue In the
collection district OF its production or by the col
lector in the district OF its destination. When the
producer or owner desires to pay the tax at home he
receives from the collector Of the producing district
a permit certifying to the payment OF the tax and
this permit s essential part OF the evidence OF tax
is % decae as such eS
dence-the permit, form 95-shall accompany the
cotton to the district OF Its destination, there TO be
surrendered to the collector and his permit obtained
before landing, discarging delivering such cotton
at the place to which 1t Is transported;r and any





attempts TO convey cotton from any State In which
cotton Is produced, without compliance with the
feiture provided for by section five OF the act OF July
13, 1885,


ceiving the permit, form 05, gives his own
another form for the discharge OF the cotton, can
GELS form 95 and returns to the assessor OF that
district in which 1t was issued by the collector
record being kept OF the transaction thus establish
ing a double check on ofiical fraud


When the producer or owner OF cotton desires to
from n IN Tn
be collected by the government In the district OF Its
destination, he obtains permit from the assessor
which permits Its transportation to the place OF desti
nation there to be delivered by the transport alton
company to the collector, who, on receiving the
permit accompanying IL issued by the Southern as
sessor viii, after collecting the tax from the parties
named In the permit, deliver 1t to the as
SCISSOR OF the same district the assessor re-
proper endorsement, will transmit It. after making
proper entries his cotton account to the collector
OF that Southern district In which 1t was issued by
the assessor. Thus Ia established the same check
against official corruption In the case Of form 109
already illustrated In form 95.


II is manifest then that permits both on tax.paid
and free cotton must be collected at the points OF
destination OF cotton by the proper Officers in order
that they can he transmitted after cancellation to
Southern officers necessary vouchers for the settle
ment Of their accounts with the Treasury Depart
ment.


ing TO this result until Collector Shook OF the Thirty
second district OF New York, and special agent
that have developed the necessity for full enforce
ment OF the most rigid construction of the law.


The OF the movement as far as the receipts
OF tax on cotton I'm the Thirtysccond district
cerned, cannot be better illustrated than by the
statistical result Of an increase OF twenty-five per
cent In February over the month OF January The
merchants complain very much OF the new regula
tions, rs In many cases the cotton must be stored
until evidence In the shape Of permits are produced
to identify It, At the railway depots where the same
course is pursued as at the steamship piers, the in
convenience will no doubt be annoying. Collector
Baiy, OF the Fourth district fully appreciating the
Importance OF adopting the same plans, has issued
orders In response to letter from special agent
Cornwell and no doubt many past evasions OF the
law will be developed through the means now ener-
getIcaIly adopted for its future enforcement.