Samuel Blatchford

“ The component materials of the rosaries in question were: (1) Beads, glass; chain and cross, metal. (2) Beads, wood; chain and cross, metal. (3) Beads, chain, and cross all of steel. (4) Beads, bone; chain and cross, metal. (5) Beads, ivory: chain and cross, metal. (6) Beads, chain, and cross all of silver. (7) Beads, mother-of-pearl; chain and cross, metal. It was proved at the trial that the rosaries are composd of beads, a metal chain, and a cross, the beads being fastened on the chain at regular intervals; that a rosary is not complete without a cross ”

“ What class of people call them beads? Answer. Well, I think people in New York. Q. What class of people in New York? A. A great many Catholics call them beads, and a great many call them rosaries. Q. Don't the dealers call them rosaries, and so catalogue them? A. Yes, sir.'
The plaintiffs claim that the rosaries were not dutiable under the head of 'beads and bead ornaments,' but were dutiable, under various provisions of the Revised Statutes, at 35 per cent. as manufactures of wood, bone, ivory, and shells; at 40 per cent., as manufactures of glass and silver ”

“ This is an action at law, commenced in a court of the state of New York, and removed into the circuit court of the United States for the Southern district of New York, brought by the firm of Benziger Bros. against the collector of the port of New York, to recover back duties alleged to have been illegally exacted on importations made into the port of New York, in 1881, of articles which were entered as 'rosaries.' The duty exacted was 50 per cent. ”