Number of

words.

Schedule of rates for Government telegrams on and after July 1, 1894.

Rate for twenty words and multiples of twenty, and for words additional to twenty or any multiple thereof.

Rebonding of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company as a common carrier of appraised and unappraised merchandise in bond.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 25, 1894.

SIR: The bonds in duplicate, dated April 14, 1894, and executed at your port, of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company for the transportation of appraised and unappraised merchandise in bond are hereby approved, said bonds being in lieu of those of the Old Colony Railroad Company approved May 1, 1888, for the transportation of appraised merchandise between the several ports in the United States, and of unappraised merchandise from Boston, Mass.; the joint bond approved May 23, 1888, of the Old Colony Railroad Company and of the Old Colony Steamboat Company for the transportation of appraised merchandise from the port of New York, N. Y., and the bonds approved July 26 and November 16, 1883, of the New York, New Haven

and Hartford Railroad Company for the transportation of appraised merchandise between the several ports in the United States and of unappraised merchandise from the port of New York, N. Y.

Under its bonds hereby approved the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company is authorized to transport appraised merchandise between any places in the United States which have been, or may be hereafter, designated by law as ports of entry or delivery in suitable cars or vessels owned or controlled by said company and running over such connecting lines of railroad or water routes as may be necessary to reach the port or ports of destination named in the entry and manifest in each particular case. The company is also authorized to transport unappraised merchandise between the ports of New York, N. Y., and Boston, Mass., and from either of said ports to the ports of Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, and Middletown, Conn.; Providence, R. I.; Springfield, Mass., and to such other ports as have been, or may hereafter be, designated by law as places to which such merchandise may be transported in the following manner: In suitable cars or vessels owned or controlled by said company and running over its lines of railroad or water routes, and the Boston and Albany Railroad, the New York and New England Railroad, the Boston and Maine Railroad, the Vermont Central Railroad, the Fitchburg Railroad, the Newport and Wickford Railroad, and such other railroads or water routes as may be hereafter specially authorized and designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, provided that in all cases where other railroads or water routes are so authorized and designated the written consent thereto of the sureties on the bonds shall first be filed with said Secretary. In every instance where other cars or vessels than those owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company are used such cars or vessels shall be distinctly marked with its name.

One copy of the bond authorizing the transportation of appraised merchandise and a copy of the bond authorizing the transportation of unappraised merchandise from your port are herewith inclosed to be placed upon the files of your office. A copy of the bond for the transportation of unappraised merchandise from the port of Boston, Mass., will be filed in the office of the collector of customs at that port. You will note the fact and date of the rebonding of the company upon the copies of the bonds approved, respectively, July 26, 1883, for the transportation of appraised merchandise, and November 16, 1883, for the transportation of unappraised merchandise from your port now in your possession, and retain the same without cancellation to meet any liability which may have accrued thereunder.

Respectfully, yours,

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, New York.

W. E. CURTIS,

Assistant Secretary.

(15106)

Passengers' baggage in transit not liable to seizure.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 25, 1894.

SIR: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, submitting the application of Mr. T. D. Riordan, for the release of 2 trunks containing 19 boxes prepared opium and some silk handkerchiefs, under seizure at your port for alleged violation of section 2802, Revised Statutes, and section 40 of the act of October 1, 1890, seizure No. 7766, foreign value $116.08.

The applicant states that the goods under seizure are the property of a Chinese passenger named Wee Park, who arrived from China at the port of San Francisco, per Belgic, en route to Mexico, and he refers to a number of cases where goods were seized while in transit, similar to the present case, which seizures were not sustained by the courts, judgment having been rendered for the claimants, and he therefore requests that the goods may be released.

You submit the report of the seizing officer, who states that on the 21st of June, while searching the British steamer Belgic, he seized 2 trunks that were amongst the baggage of Chinese passengers in transit to Havana; that the trunks contained false bottoms, and that 19 10-tael tins of unstamped opium and 18 dozen silk handkerchiefs were found concealed in said trunks.

You report that even if the position taken by the applicant as to baggage in transit is correct, it would not affect the present case so far as the opium is concerned, inasmuch as section 40 of the act of October 1, 1890, prescribes that all prepared smoking opium, wherever found within the United States, without stamps, shall be forfeited, and that there is no doubt, from the statement of the inspector, that it was the intention of the Chinese passenger to smuggle the opium into the United States, and you submit the case for such action as the Department may deem proper in the premises.

The proper course for the customs officers to pursue in cases where passengers are in transit is laid down in Department's circular of March 12, 1892 (Synopsis 12486), wherein it prescribes that "the collector, after due examination of his baggage and effects, will cord and seal the same, or such portion as may contain articles which would be dutiable if they remained in the United States."

You are therefore authorized, if satisfied that the goods under seizure were actually in transit to a foreign country, to release the same and to carry out the instructions laid down in said circular.

Respectfully, yours,

(Rem. 6993.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, San Francisco, Cal.

W. E. CURTIS,

Assistant Secretary.

(15107.)

Authorizing discontinuance of bonded route of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway Company for the transportation of appraised merchandise in

bond.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 25, 1894.

SIR: In view of the statements contained in your letter of the 27th ultimo, to the effect that the Ohio and Mississippi Railway Company has been absorbed by the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad Company, the bonded route of the company first above named, covered by the bond approved January 15, 1870, for the transportation of appraised merchandise in bond, is hereby discontinued.

You will note the fact and date of discontinuance upon the copy of the bond approved, as above stated, January 15, 1870, now in your possession and retain the same, without cancellation, to meet any liability which may have accrued thereunder.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 27, 1894.

SIR: On the exportation of white lead, manufactured by the Chadwick Lead Works, of Boston, Mass., from imported pig lead, and exported "dry" or "in oil," a drawback will be allowed at the same rate as that prescribed by Synopses 10692 and 11782 for similar articles manufactured by the National Lead and Oil Company, of New York, viz, equal in amount to the duty paid on the imported lead used less the legal deduction of 1 per cent.

The manufacturers shall state, in addition to the usual averments on the drawback entry, the quantity or percentage of metallic lead contained in the exported article, and such statement shall be verified by a U. S. chemist by analysis of samples to be taken by the inspecting officer, which analysis, together with the weight of the exported article as ascertained by a U. S. weigher, shall be taken as the basis for the allowance of drawback.

Respectfully, yours,

(6057 g.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Boston, Mass.

W. E. CURTIS,

Assistant Secretary.

(15109.)

Complaints of nonobservance of rules relative to lights on barges should be made to collectors of customs.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 31, 1894.

SIR: In reply to your letter of the 24th instant, alleging a general nonobservance at the port of New York of the provisions of Department Circular No. 27, February 13, 1894, providing a system of "Lights for barges and canal boats in tow of steam vessels," you are informed that this Department has no means of compelling the observance of the regulations referred to other than by the imposition of the penalties provided in section 4234, Revised Statutes, upon specific aud duly authenticated complaints of nonobservance, which complaints should be filed with the collector of customs, as you were previously informed in substance, by the supervising inspector-general, in a letter dated the 11th instant, in reply to your letter of the day previous upon the same subject. Very respectfully, J. G. CARLISLE,

Mr. JOHN K. WILLIAMS, New York.

Secretary.

(15110-G. A. 2636.)

Plants-Achillea and Pæonia.

Before the U. S. General Appraisers at New York, June 12, 1894. In the matter of the protest, 61022 a-18473, of Davies, Turner & Co., against the decision of the collector of customs at New York as to the rate and amount of duties chargeable on certain plants, Achillea and Pæonia, imported per Umbria, November 24, 1893.

Opinion by LUNT, General Appraiser.

(1) The merchandise covered by this protest was imported into the port of New York November 24, 1893, and duty was assessed thereon at 20 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 282, N. T.; free entry is claimed under paragraph 666.

(2) We find the same to be plants known as Achillea and Pæonia; that the same are hardy, and commonly known as nursery stock; they are not chiefly used for forcing under glass for cut flowers and decorative purposes.

The protest is overruled.

(15111-G. A. 2637.)

"Rococo" candles.

Before the U. S. General Appraisers at New York, June 12, 1894. In the matter of the protest, 62658 a-18262, of Hinrichs & Co., against the decision of the collector of customs at New York as to the rate and amount of duties chargeable on certain candles, imported per Moravia, October 14, 1893.

Opinion by LUNT, General Appraiser.

(1) The merchandise covered by this protest consists of spirally fluted candles of a green color, marked "Rococo, Stearin-Kerzen, Stettin."