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II.--CIRCULAR

RELATIVE TO THE TRANSIT OF AMERICAN LUMBER, &c., THROUGH NEW BRUNSWICK TO ATLANTIC PORTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Certificate of origin, &c., not to be issued after merchandise is beyond Collector's control.

I. Collectors and other officers of the Customs on the northeastern boundary of the United States are hereby prohibited from issuing or granting any certificates relating to the origin, manufacture, or exportation of merchandise passing from said portion of the United States, through the province of New Brunswick and destined for an Atlantic port of the United States, after the inerchandise has passed from under their authority and control into foreign territory.

This prohibition, however, will not be construed to prevent such officers of the Customs from issuing or granting certified copies of papers taken from the records of their respective custom-houses.

Affidavit of owner, &c., and inspection by Collector requisite.

II. Certificates of domestic origin, production, or manufacture of lumber and other merchandise, passing from ports or places on the said northeastern boundary through the province of New Brunswick and destined for Atlantic ports of the United States, will only be issued by Collectors and other officers of the Customs, upen an inspection by them of the merchandise intended to be transported through the said foreign territory. Before making such inspection the officer of the Customs will require the owner of the merchandise, or his agent, to file an affidavit giving the following particulars, viz:

A description of the merchandise.
The name of the owner thereof.

Where it was produced or manufactured.

The quantity or quantities and value thereof.

The route by which it is to be transported; and

The port of destination on the Atlantic coast of the United States.

On receiving such affidavit the officer of the Customs will make a thorough inspection of the articles intended to be transported, and if, thereafter, he is satisfied of the truth of such affidavit, he will issue to said owner, or his agent, a certificate in the form of a manifest containing the particulars mentioned above. He will transmit a duplicate of such certificate to the Collector at the Atlantic port of destination, and retain a triplicate thereof for the files of his office. In all cases where the merchandise can be conveniently marked it must be so done, and the marks specified in said certificate.

Penalty for non-compliance.

III. Unless the provisions of the foregoing paragraph are complied with, such merchandise will be treated on its arrival at the Atlantic port as foreign merchandise, and duties will be imposed thereon accordingly.

Lumbering on the St. Croix under Circular of July 6, 1866.

IV. The instructions contained in Department's Circular of July 6, 1866, are as follows, viz: "Ordered, That before admitting to entry any importation under the provisions of the Act of June 1, 1866, entitled 'An act to protect American citizens engaged in lumbering on the St. Croix

river, in the State of Maine,' Customs officers will require the presentation of a manifest setting forth the description and quantity of such importation, (being the produce of the forests of the State of Maine upon the St. Croix river and its tributaries, owned by American citizens and sawed in the province of New Brunswick by American citizens, and being unmanufactured in whole or in part,) and specifying the place of original production, the place where the same was sawed, the name and residence of the owner or owners, the name of the person who sawed the same, and that he, as well as the owner, are citizens of the United States; which statement shall be sworn to by such owner and person who did the sawing, either before a justice of the peace of the State of Maine, or United States Consul or Consular officer residing in the province of New Brunswick, or a justice of the peace authorized to administer oaths in said province, and the officer before whom such oath shall be taken, shall certify the same on such manifest, and that he is satisfied of the truth thereof; Provided, That if the oath shall be taken before a justice of the peace of New Brunswick, his official character and authority shall also be certified by a United States Consul, or Consular officer in said province."

These instructions are still in force, and will be held also to apply to all importations made under the act of March 16, 1866, entitled "An act further to secure American citizens certain privileges under the treaty of Washington." And officers of the Customs will require, in all such cases, a strict compliance therewith. If not complied with such importations will be subject to duty the same as foreign lumber.

H. McCULLOCH,
Secretary of the Treasury.

(III.) CIRCULAR

RELATIVE TO TRADE BETWEEN ALASKA AND OTHER PORTS OF THE UNITED STATES, THROUGH SITKA.

Trade between ports of the United States and the port of Sitka, the only port in said Territory to which shipments can be made, is governed by the following conditions, viz:

1. All merchandise upon which the duties have been paid, and all merchandise of domestic origin and manufacture upon which the Internal Revenue tax has been paid, excepting as hereinafter stated, may be shipped from ports of the United States to the said port of Sitka.

2. On account of the unsettled state of Customs' matters at Sitka it has been decided to allow no merchandise to be forwarded to that port under warehouse and transportation entries, consequently, all duties must be paid before the shipment of the merchandise.

3. Liquors, arms, and ammunition, in limited quantities, can only be shipped to said port of Sitka from ports of the United States on the Pacific coast. The party shipping liquors, as aforesaid, is required to file a bond with the Collector at the port of shipment, conditioned that he will deliver the liquors so shipped to the Acting Collector at Sitka on their arrival at said port; liquors, as well as arms and ammunition, can only be sold at Sitka under the permits of the military authorities.

4. The Department has heretofore decided that liquors, arms, and ammunition will not be permitted to be imported from foreign ports into the said port of Sitka.

Very respectfully,

H. MCCULLOCH,

Secretary of the Treasury.

(IV.) CIRCULAR

INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL REVENUE AGENTS, INSPECTORS, AND SPECIAL AGENTS OF THE TREASURY DRPARTMENT, AND OTHER PARTIES INTERESTED CONCERNING THE COLLECTION OF PUBLIC MONEYS UNDER THE REVENUE LAWS.

Collections to be made by none but Bonded Officers.

It has been brought to the notice of the Secretary of the Treasury that, in some cases, Revenue Agents, Inspectors, and Special Agents of the Treasury Department, both in the Internal Revenue and the Customs, and other persons representing themselves to be such officers, collect from individuals moneys, in the name and on behalf of the United States. It is the general policy of the revenue laws that all collection of public moneys should be made by bonded officers of the United States, specially authorized and empowered to perform that duty. Collectors and their deputies, in both the Internal Revenue and Customs, are generally the only proper officers to make collections under those laws.

The rule extends to all sources of Revenue, including Fines, &c., &c.

This rule extends to all sources of revenue, including fines, penalties and forfeitures, and moneys arising therefrom, and moneys tendered in lieu of them, or in compromise of any claim in behalf of the United States. District Attorneys, even, are not authorized officers to whom public revenue should be paid. Where a payment is made into court it should be either to the marshal of the district or his authorized deputy, or to the clerk of the court, as the case may be.

Caution against Collections by unauthorized Agents, &c.

Parties paying money to the United States are warned to see beforehand that the officer to whom they pay the same is authorized to collect it, and if not known to be so authorized, they should require his authority to be produced, and should, in every instance, take a proper receipt. All power to make collections exercised by officers or agents of the Treasury Department, or persons professing to be such, whether expressed in terms or claimed by construction, irrespective of the source whence derived, unless conferred by some specific provision of law setting forth the character of the officer and duties, and empowering him to make collections of public money, are hereby revoked and annulled, and if any case should hereafter arise where the public interest shall appear to require that a collection be made by other than a collector or his deputy, special application for the necessary authority must be made to the Secretary of the Treasury, and in no case will it be granted unless the circumstances are such as to render no other course practicable.

Respectfully,

H. McCULLOCH,

Secretary of the Treasury.

(V.)

CIRCULAR

TO SPECIAL AGENTS EMPLOYED ON CUSTOMS' BUSINESS.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
JUNE 30, 1868.

The following Regulations are issued for the information and guidance of all Special Agents of this Department who are acting under its instructions, and employed in making investigations and examinations into the Customs' business; and at ports where there are such establishments, into the affairs and management of the United States Marine hospitals. The object of these investigations and examinations is to obtain full, thorough, and complete information, embracing under different heads the following subjects, in the form of abstracts, to accompany reports of Special Agents:

ABSTRACT A.

COLLECTOR'S OFFICE, Naval office, Surveyor's office, Appraiser's stores; names of all officers and employés, salaries, what duty performed, where employed, whether competent and attentive, whether engaged in any private business, if so, what, whether needed or not. Remarks.

ABSTRACT B.

RECORD BOOKS, Account books, specifying each, and stating whether properly kept conformably to Treasury Regulations.

ABSTRACT C.

REVENUE BOATS or barges, their apparel, tackle, and condition; where stationed, how taken care of, and whether stationed at the proper places, and whether necessary or not.

ABSTRACT D.

U.S. MARINE HOSPITALS, names of officers and employés, salaries or compensation, what duty performed, number of sick and disabled seamen relieved, number of weeks of each in hospital; expense of maintaining hospital, exclusive of salaries or compensation to officers, employés, or beneficiaries. At ports where there are no U. S. Marine hospitals, number of seamen relieved, and expense of the same per week and day for the year. Report also, whether Regulations of the Treasury Department of 1857, chapter 6th, section 1, are strictly complied with. See article 809, same chapter, Treasury Regulations.

ABSTRACT E.

NUMBER AND TONNAGE of coastwise vessels entered and cleared; number of foreign vessels entered. and cleared; amount of fees collected, amount of tonnage fees, and amount of Marine hospital money collected.

ABSTRACT F.

WHOLE NUMBER of entries of merchandise made, invoice value of imports, duties assessed and collected; number of transportation entries made, invoice value, duties assessed and collected; number and character of free entries made and free permits issued.

ABSTRACT G.

FINES, penalties, and forfeitures, giving the date, amount, date of importation of forfeited merchandise, by whom incurred, and in case of a vessel, the name, and the law violated in each case.

ABSTRACT H.

SEIZURES. The article seized, where, when, and by whom, and under what provision of law; appraised value, whether released, and at what time, and if so, by whose order; what prosecution for violation of the Revenue laws, and condition of each case, whether pending or disposed of, and if disposed of, how?

ABSTRACT I.

SALARIES paid to different Custom house and Appraisers' officers and employés, and whether they are properly equalized to the responsibility and duties performed, and if not, how, in the opinion of the Special Agent, they should be rated, keeping in view the object and desire of the Department to reduce the expenses of collecting the revenue from customs. Inquire and report as to the necessity for Naval officers and Surveyors at ports where there are either or both such officers in addition to Collectors; whether both or either of such officers can be abolished without detriment to the public interests ; whether, in all cases, any offices or situations are held as sinecures, or in partial support of an officer, while appropriating part of the incumbent's time to private avocations.

ABSTRACT K.

BONDED WAREHOUSES and public stores, reporting fully in regard their condition, as affording security to merchandise stored therein, whether used for storing free goods, as well as bonded goods; the character of the officers in charge, manner of keeping books and accounts at the stores; whether the officer has any other public or private business. Agents will make a thorough investigation of the bonded warehouses, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the provisions of Articles 421 to 430 of Treasury Regulations of 1857, have been complied with, taking care to be thorough in their investigations upon the following points, viz:

WAREHOUSES must be entire first class fire-proof buildings, except class 2 for liquors of proprietor's importation only, which may be cellars or vaults. Look over bonds for bonding warehouses and inquire into the solvency of the obligers. All bonds must be for an amount sufficient to fully protect the interests of the government, and require at least two sureties, whose residence and occupation, as well as that of the principal, must be stated in the body of the bond. Such bonds also require to have attached a suretics' oath, to the effect that said sureties are worth at least the full amount of the bond, over and above all debts, claims, and liabilities of every nature whatsoever, (including all prospective liabilities that may attach to bonds heretofore signed and remaining in force,) exclusive of property exempt by law from execution.

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