Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

A resolution of the House of the 6th of January, transmitting a statement of the quantity of whiskey seized in New York and Brooklyn, &c.

MAY 1, 1868.—Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means and ordered to be printed.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

April 29, 1868.

SIR: In reply to resolution of the House of Representatives of the 6th of January, 1868, requesting the Secretary of the Treasury to report to the House "the quantity of whiskey which has been seized in the cities of New York and Brooklyn; the quantity condemned, and the quantity sold; together with the amount received into the treasury from such sales; also the amount now on hand, in the possession of the government," I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of a letter addressed to me by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which is believed to include the information asked for.

Very respectfully,

Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX,

Speaker House of Representatives.

H. McCULLOCH, Secretary of the Treasury.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF INTERNAL REVENUE,
Washington, April 20, 1868.

SIR Responding to the request accompanying your transmission to this office of the resolution of the House of Representatives, of 7th January last, asking you to furnish information as to "the quantity of whiskey which has been seized in the cities of New York and Brooklyn; the quantity condemned. and the quantity sold; together with the amount received into the treasury from such sales; also the amount now on hand in possession of the government," I have the honor to submit the following statement embracing the period from July 1, 1864, to December 31, 1867.

From the reports of the several collectors of internal revenue for the cities of

New York and Brooklyn, and from the report of the Metropolitan Revenue Board, it appears that the

Total number barrels seized was.

22,084

Total number barrels reported to district attorney for proceedings.... 16,540

Number barrels released either upon compromise or in consequence of insufficient evidence to condemn...

5,541

The amount seized as above is exclusive of a large quantity of spirits seized in bond and released in accordance with a decision of this office made November 1, 1867, that spirits so held should not be forfeited; also of many seizures made in the cities in question, in cases arising in other sections of the country, such spirits following the disposition of the cases in the respective districts where the same were pending, and consequently not being taken up or carried upon the records of such transactions in the several New York city and Brooklyn districts.

One seizure of this nature was made in the 32d district of about two thousand (2,000) barrels.

From the reports of the United States district attorneys [for the southern and eastern judicial districts of New York, it appears that the total number of barrels libelled during the period hereinbefore mentioned was.... Number barrels reported for libel by collectors, but not found by marshals...

Actual number barrels proceeded against...
Number of barrels released in consequence of insufficient evidence, or
upon the acceptance of offers of compromise pending suit...

Number of barrels in suits now pending is..

Number of barrels condemned.......

Of the number barrels condemned there have been sold.

Leaving a balance in hands of marshals, condemned but unsold, of...
There are also in hands of marshale in cases now pending, as above..

Total number of barrels in hands of United States marshals

21,422

1,107

20,315

5,936

14,379

6,359

8,020

6,783

1,237

6, 359

7.596

There has already been paid into the hands of the several collectors of the districts in question, by the clerks of the courts, on account of the above number of barrels sold, (6,783,) the sum of $278,383 02; and there has been covered into the treasury on account of cases where the spirits, with other property in the case, have been released upon compromise, the sum of $35,915 60. These sums are exclusive of the amounts paid as costs, and as informers' shares; also of any sums still in the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury pending offers in compromise, or in cases which have been compromised and the moneys not yet distributed.

What proportion of the above mentioned sum of $35,915 60 which has been covered into the treasury as the government share of specific penalties in whiskey cases compromised, should be charged to spirits per se, and what portion to other property seized, as in the case of a distillery where the seizure covers spirits, apparatus, &c., cannot be determined; but I am of the opinion that very much the larger portion should be charged to spirits.

It further appears that there has been paid into the registry of the courts, on

account of the sales of the above mentioned 6,783 barrels, other large sums of money (in one case alone amounting to over $62,000) which has not yet been distributed, but which will add materially to the total amount received on account of such sales already made. What the distributive share of the United States will be cannot be determined until the costs of the court and the shares of the informers have been ascertained.

The discrepancy of 3,775 barrels, which will be noticed between the amount of spirits reported by the collectors to the United States district attorneys (16,540 barrels) and the amount proceeded against by the district attorneys (20,315 barrels,) may be, I think, accounted for as follows:

1. The reports of the district attorneys giving the grand total of spirits libeled for the period mentioned include the amounts proceeded against which have been seized in the 1st, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th collection districts of the State of New York. Such districts not being in the cities of New York and Brooklyn, are not called for by the resolution of the House of Representatives, and the amounts seized by the collectors in these districts are not included in amount reported as seized, (16,540 barrels.) 2d. Several of the collectors now in office report that they cannot find the records of seizures made by their predecessors, while the records of the district attorneys include such seizures; and 3d, in some cases the collectors have reported seizures of distilleries without specifying particularly the number barrels spirits included in such seizure, but reporting generally a distillery, its apparatus, and a quantity of spirits; while the district attorneys have, in most such cases, specified in their libels the items of property turned over to them for proceedings, and included therein spirits which have not been reported as such by the collectors.

The number of barrels sold by marshals, as above, (6,783,) contained, as reported by them, 254,718 gallons. From the sales of this amount of spirits there has already been paid into the treasury the sum of $278,383 02, which, as before stated, is exclusive of the costs, informers' shares, and large sums still in the registry of the courts.

Of the 11,580 barrels released, (5,544 barrels before proceedings, 5,936 barrels after proceedings,) a large number have been released by reason of insufficient grounds for holding, and the remainder upon compromise.

From such compromises there has been received into the treasury, as the government share of specific penalties, which is exclusive of costs and informers' shares, and any sums now remaining in the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury undistributed, the sum of $35,915 60, which, together with the sum of $278,383 02, makes the sum of $314,298 62, as before stated, though not given in the aggregate.

This report has been compiled, excepting so far as the same relates to moneys received on account of cases compromised by this office, from the reports of the collectors of the several districts embraced by resolution calling for information from that of the "Metropolitan Revenue Board," and from those of the district attorneys of the southern and eastern judicial districts of the State of New York. It is necessarily somewhat incomplete by reason of inability to obtain records of the operations of the revenue law in its earlier periods, before regulations for the guidance of local officers had been perfected by experience, and before the connections between the local officers, the courts, and this office, had become in any degree systematized. But so far as the records which have been kept by the local officers in compliance with the orders and regulations of this office go, the report is believed to be substantially correct.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. HUGH MCCULLOCH,

Secretary of the Treasury.

E. A. ROLLINS,

Commissioner.

[graphic]
« AnteriorContinuar »