Year: 1874

B
house faction. The bill introduced by MIR.
Roberts was not voted upon in Committee,
and is not approved by the whole body from
which it nominally emanates. A slight exam
inatiOn will show that 1t by no means reforms
the existing abuses. 1t provides that all fines
and penalties shall be paid In full to the
United States, but the Secretary of the Treas
ury is empowered, out of an appropriation
to be voted by Congress- TO make
Suitable compensation to informers ana oN'e'
"persons aiding in the detection of snug
"gling and other ofenses against the Gus
"tOms Revenue laws, or aiding in convictions
" of the Samer An officer of the Customs or
any other person detecting and seizlng snug
gled goods may receive not more than one
half the net proceeds of the seizure, and any
person not an officer of the United States VINO
gives information of fraud upon the revenue
shall be entitled to compensation not exceed
ing $4,000 in any one case.


There are good ideas in this bill. lnformers
ought to be paid something, and the limit OF
$4,000 is not too high. provided the Secretary
of the Treasury exercises reasonable dlscre-
ton, instead of signing everything that comes
before him in the course of the Office routine.
We are inclined to think that 1t Is
wise also to make special rewards for
the detection and prevention OF smuggling.
But it is evident that the authority granted TO
the Secretary to make Equitable compensa-
"tion to all persons aiding III the detection
or punishment of offensps against the revenue,
is simply a device for the perpetuation of the
b;oI bo
attempting to destroy. The clause is suscep-
tible of a boundless freedom of Interpretation.
The Special Agent, the Collector, the Naval
Officer, the Surveyor, the Distrlct-Attorney'
the Spy, may all be assumed TO aid IN the
detection or punishment of any oifense brought
TO the notice of the authorities. They may all
claim Suitable compensation" and there Will
be only this difference, that now their shares
are defined by law, and bear fixed propor-
ton TO the value of the seizure, while Mr..
Roberts would leave everything to the dis
cretion of the Secretary. The share of the
informer indeed must not exceed $4,000; but
there is no limit as to the others, and the
COMPENSATION may be greatly beyond the
whole amount of the penalty and forfeiture.


The most Objectionable feature of the bill
is that il does not in reality abolish the de-
moralizing practice of paying Custom-house
officers a handsome bonus on the discovery Of
undervaluatons, irregularities, and frauds
which it is their duty to prevent. 1t leaves
them exposed, just as they are now, to the
temptation of encouraging wrong, that they
may afterwards make money by denouncing
it. 1t sets their pecuniary interest in opposi-
ton to their official duty. 1t pays them a
premium upon lax and faithless administra-
ton of the law which they are sworn to exc
cute There is only one sensible and consist
ent course. Pay the Government officers a
fair salary, and let that be their entire COM
pensation. For exemplary vigilance let them
expect promotion. For ineiliciency and care
lessness let them be dismissed. The revenue
will never be honestly collected by any other
plan.