hands of the Secretary of the Treasury. Yet by the act of September 28, 1850, before referred to, the appointment of additional assistant appraisers at New Orleans was to be made by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and by the act of April 9, 1864, 13 Stat., 46, an assistant appraiser at Portland, Maine, was to be appointed in the same manner, while the act of June 25, 1864, sec. 9, 13 Stat., 161, confers upon the President alone the power to appoint two additional local appraisers at the port of New York. This last-mentioned irregularity, however, is cured by the act of July 27, 1866, and the bill now proposed will correct the omissions and defects of other acts before alluded to respecting the mode of appointing the officers in question. 3. Under existing laws there are two local appraisers at the respective ports of Baltimore, Charleston, and Savannah, but no assistant appraisers. There are also at the ports of Boston, New Orleans, and San Francisco two local appraisers. The proposed bill provides for one local appraiser at each of the ports named, with a uniform salary of $3,000, the same now allowed at all except Charleston and Savannah, where it is $1,500, and at New York, where it is $4,000. The appointment of this grade of appraising officers is, as heretofore, left with the President and Senate, while, as to all inferior grades, the appointing power is placed with the Secretary of the Treasury, in his discretion, subject to the limitations contained in the bill. 4. The provision of section 105 of the act of March 2, 1799, for the free transit of dutiable goods "over any of the portages or carrying places within the territories of the United States," when intended for immediate exportation, was, by the fifth section of the act of July 28, 1868, 14 Stat., 328, practically extended so as to embrace foreign goods arriving at designated ports in the United States in transit for Canada or Mexico, and the regulations of the Department relative thereto are so framed as to include goods going either way. It is thought desirable, however, in order to avoid any possible question which might arise upon the enforcement of the regulations now in force, or of such as may hereafter be deemed necessary, that the act of 1866 be so amended as to confer express power upon the Secretary of the Treasury to regulate the disposition of goods in transit whether coming from or going to Canada or Mexico. 5. The thirtieth section of the act of July 18, 1866, 14 Stat., 185, requires a certain prescribed oath to be taken by every officer or person employed in connection with the customs, as a preliminary to payment for services rendered. This oath is now taken monthly, or oftener, before some notary public or other local municipal or State officer, who of course exacts a fee for administering and certifying the same. Such fee constitutes a tax which is onerous because it is unnecessary. In the opinion of this Department the oath referred to may with equal propriety be taken before any United States officer competent to administer the oaths taken upon custom-house entries, but as there is room to doubt whether an indictment for perjury could be sustained upon the oath in question, if so administered, it is suggested that by the passage of the section on this subject, incorporated in the proposed bill, the difficulty may be obviated and many persons relieved from what constitutes in the aggregate a burdensome and oppressive exaction. Very respectfully, Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, GEO. S. BOUTWELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. A BILL to secure uniformity in the mode of appointing appraisers, and for other purposes. (See act of July 27, 1866, 14 Stat., 302.) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in lieu of the appraisers now authorized by law for the appraisement of goods, wares, and merchandise at the several ports of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, San Francisco, Portland, (Maine,) Charleston, and SavanBah, the President of the United States shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint, for each of said ports, one appraiser, who shall have had experience as an appraiser, or who shall be practically acquainted with the quality and value of sme one or more of the chief articles of importation at such port subject to appraisement, and who, before he enters upon the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe an cath faithfully to direct and supervise the examination, inspection, and appraisemeat according to law, of all such goods, wares, and merchandise as may lawfully, and in accordance with the regulations of the Treasury Department, be ordered for appraisement at the port or in the district for which he is appointed, and to cause the true value thereof to be reported according to law. And the appraisers appointed under and by virtue of this act may respectively, in cases of necessary and occasional absence, perform by deputy, ad interim, the functions and duties of the office of appraiser as aforesaid: Provided, That such deputy shall in all cases be one of the assistant appraisers appointed under the provisions of this act for the port or district in which such deputy shall act, and shall be for that purpose designated in writing by the appraiser for whom he shall act. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That in lien of the assistant appraisers now authorized by law for the ports of Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Portland, (Maine,) the Secretary of the Treasury may appoint for each of said ports, respectively, and also for the port of Baltimore, according to the exigencies of the public service, but not exceeding three assistant appraisers, who shall have had experience as appraisers or who shall be practically acquainted with the quality and value of some one or more of the chief articles of importation at such port subject to appraisement, which said assistant appraisers shall be employed in appraising goods, according to law, under the direction and supervision of the respective appraisers to be appointed under the provisions of this act for the said ports respectively. And every assistant appraiser appointed by virtue of this act shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe an oath diligently and faithfully to examine and inspect such goods, wares, and merchandise as the appraiser for the port or district in which he is employed may lawfully direct, and truly to report to him the true value thereof, according to law, which report shall be subject to revision and correction by such appraiser, and when approved by him shall be transmitted to the collector, and shall be deemed and taken to be, as to the goods, wares, and merchandise therein embraced, the appraisement required by law to be made by the United States local appraiser in and for such port or district. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That at the respective ports of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and San Francisco, one of the assistant appraisers to be appointed by virtue of this act shall be detailed by the appraiser to supervise, in connection with the other duties of such assistant appraiser, the examination of merchandise damaged on the voyage of importation, and in all cases truly to report to the appraiser the extent of such damage, which report shall be subject to the like revision, correction, and approval by the appraiser as prescribed in the foregoing section, and shall be in like manner transmitted to the collector for the same purpose and with the like effect. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That in lieu of the persons now employed in the examination and inspection of goods, wares, and merchandise for the purpose of appraisement at the several ports of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and San Francisco, and upon the nomination of the appraiser at each port respectively, the Secretary of the Treasury may appoint such number of examiners as he, the Secretary, may, in writing, and according to the exigencies of the public service, determine to be necessary, their compensation to be limited and fixed by him, but not to exceed the rate of two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars per annum, to aid the assistant appraisers in the examination, inspection, and appraisement of goods, wares, and merchandise according to law; but no person shall be appointed such examiner who is not at the time of his appointment practically and thoroughly acquainted with the character, quality, and value of the article or articles in the examination and appraisement of which he is to be employed; nor shall any such examiner enter upon the discharge of his duties as such until he shall have taken and subscribed an oath faithfully and dilgently to discharge such duties according to law; and the Secretary of the Treasury all also appoint, on the nomination of the appraiser, the clerks, verifiers, samplers, peners, packers, and messengers necessarily employed in the appraiser's office or in any artment thereof at the several ports last named, and shall limit and fix their numer and compensation, which compensation shall not exceed the rate usually paid for endar service. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That whenever the exigencies of the public service shall require the same, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, appoint for the respective ports of Charleston and Savannah, each, one assistant appraiser, who shall have had experience as an appraiser, or who shall be practically acquainted with the quality and value of some one or more of the chief articles of importation at such port subject to appraisement, and who shall take and subscribe the oath and perform the duties prescribed and in the manner and with the effect provided in the second section of this act. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury may, upon the nomination of the respective appraisers, appoint for the respective ports of Portland, (Maine,) Charleston, and Savannah such number of examiners as he, the Secretary, may, in writing, and according to the exigencies of the public service, determine to be necessary, their compensation to be limited and fixed by him, but not to exceed the rate paid at other ports for similar service, which appointment shall be subject in all respects to the conditions attached to the appointment of examiners at the ports named in the fourth section of this act; and shall also appoint, on the nomination of the appraiser, such clerks, verifiers, samplers, openers, packers, and messengers as he may deem necessary, if any, at either of the said ports of Portland, Charleston, and Savannah, and shall limit and fix their number and compensation, which compensation shall not exceed the rate usually paid for similar service. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the compensation of the appraisers to be appointed under the provisions of this act shall be at the rate of three thousand dollars per annum, and that of the assistant appraisers at the rate of twenty-five hundred dollars per annum, respectively, and shall be paid in monthly payments, and in due proportion for any period less than one month for the time they may actually serve, out of the appropriations for defraying the expenses of collecting the revenue. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, Thall it shall not be lawful for any appraiser, assistant appraiser, examiner, or other officer or employé in any manner concerned in the examination, inspection, or appraisement of goods, wares, and merchandise, or in the performance of any duty connected with the business of appraisal, at any port or dis trict in the United States, to engage or be employed, or in any manner concerned or interested in any commercial or mercantile business, or to act as agent for any person so engaged, employed, concerned, or interested during the term of service for which such officer or employé may be appointed or employed. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act be, and the same are hereby, repealed; and all provisions of existing acts relating to the duties of appraisers now provided for by law, or to any proceedings consequent or dependent upon the action of such appraisers and not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, shall be construed to apply to the appraisers and assistant appraisers provided for by this act, and shall be continued in full force. SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of the fifth section of the act entitled "An act to protect the revenue, and for other purposes," approved July twentyeight, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, be, and the same are hereby, made applicable to goods, wares, and merchandise arriving from adjacent British territory, or from the republic of Mexico, at ports in the United States and intended for immediate exportation to other foreign countries: Provided, That the regulations prescribed under the said fifth section by the Secretary of the Treasury, concerning the entry, transit, and exit of goods, wares, or merchandise, coming from or going to such territory or republic, shall specify the ports in the United States where the same shall be entered on arrival within, or departure from, the limits of the United States. SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the oath or affirmation required by the provisions of section thirty of the act entitled "An act further to prevent smuggling, and for other purposes," approved July eighteen, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, to be taken by any officer or person employed in connection with the customs, may be administered by the collector, assistant, acting or special deputy collector, or by any deputy collector, or by the naval officer, if any, or by the surveyor of the port or district wherein the service to which such oath or affirmation relates shall have been rendered, and with the same effect as if such oath or affirmation were administered by any local, State, or other officer duly authorized by existing laws for that purpose; and it is hereby made the duty of the several officers of the United States herein named, upon request of any customs officer or employé in his port or district known to him as such and desiring to take the oath or affirmation required by the act aforesaid, and who shall subscribe the same in his presence, to administer such oath or affirmation in due form, and to attest the same in the usual manner, without requiring the payment of any fee or charge whatever for so doing. SEC. 12. This act shall take effect from and after the thirty-first day of March, eighteen hundred and seventy. WRECK OF SCOTLAND LIGHT-SHIP. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY IN ANSWER TO A resolution of the House of December 13, 1870, relative to the wreck of the Scotland light-ship. DECEMBER 21, 1870.-Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., December 19, 1870. SIR: In answer to resolution of the House of Representatives, offered by Mr. Cox, December 13, 1870, in relation to the "wreck of the Scotland light-ship," I have the honor to inclose herewith the report of the Light-house Board on the subject. With great respect, your obedient servant, GEO. S. BOUTWELL, Secretary. Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Speaker of House of Representatives. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD, Washington, December 16, 1870. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith "all the correspondence and papers" on file in this office, numbered 1 to 17, and a chart, "relative to the retention of the Scotland light-ship in her old position," called for by the resolution of the House of Representatives December 13, 1870, and referred to this board. In answer to the last clause of the resolution as to "what legislation is required to enable the Light-house Board to replace said light-ship," I have the honor to state that under the joint resolution (No. 1 of the papers transmitted) passed March 2, 1868, a relief light-vessel was placed on the 15th of the following month, (April,) to mark, as a temporary aid to navigation, the spot where the iron English steamer Scotland sank; and as that vessel is now required to be kept in readiness to re hands of the Secretary of the Treasury. Yet by the act of September 28, 1850, before referred to, the appointment of additional assistant appraisers at New Orleans was to be made by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and by the act of April 9, 1864, 13 Stat., 46, an assistant appraiser at Portland, Maine, was to be appointed in the same manner, while the act of June 25, 1864, sec. 9, 13 Stat., 161, confers upon the President alone the power to appoint two additional local appraisers at the port of New York. This last-mentioned irregularity, however, is cured by the act of July 27, 1866, and the bill now proposed will correct the omissions and defects of other acts before alluded to respecting the mode of appointing the officers in question. 3. Under existing laws there are two local appraisers at the respective ports of Baltimore, Charleston, and Savannah, but no assistant appraisers. There are also at the ports of Boston, New Orleans, and San Francisco two local appraisers. The proposed bill provides for one local appraiser at each of the ports named, with a uniform salary of $3,000, the same now allowed at all except Charleston and Savannah, where it is $1,500, and at New York, where it is $4,000. The appointment of this grade of appraising officers is, as heretofore, left with the President and Senate, while, as to all inferior grades, the appointing power is placed with the Secretary of the Treasury, in his discretion, subject to the limitations contained in the bill. 4. The provision of section 105 of the act of March 2, 1799, for the free transit of dutiable goods "over any of the portages or carrying places within the territories of the United States," when intended for immediate exportation, was, by the fifth section of the act of July 28, 1868, 14 Stat., 328, practically extended so as to embrace foreign goods arriving at designated ports in the United States in transit for Canada or Mexico, and the regulations of the Department relative thereto are so framed as to include goods going either way. It is thought desirable, however, in order to avoid any possible question which might arise upon the enforcement of the regulations now in force, or of such as may hereafter be deemed necessary, that the act of 1866 be so amended as to confer express power upon the Secretary of the Treasury to regulate the disposition of goods in transit whether coming from or going to Canada or Mexico. 5. The thirtieth section of the act of July 18, 1866, 14 Stat., 185, requires a certain prescribed oath to be taken by every officer or person employed in connection with the customs, as a preliminary to payment for services rendered. This oath is now taken monthly, or oftener, before some notary public or other local municipal or State officer, who of course exacts a fee for administering and certifying the same. Such fee constitutes a tax which is onerous because it is unnecessary. In the opinion of this Department the oath referred to may with equal propriety be taken before any United States officer competent to administer the oaths taken upon custom-house entries, but as there is room to doubt whether an indictment for perjury could be sustained upon the oath in question, if so administered, it is suggested that by the passage of the section on this subject, incorporated in the proposed bill, the difficulty may be obviated and many persons relieved from what constitutes in the aggregate a burdensome and oppressive exaction. Very respectfully, Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, GEO. S. BOUTWELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. |