Samuel Blatchford

“ The findings in this case show (1) that the moneys claimed were the proceeds of fines, penalties, and forfeitures incurred at the port of New York; (2) that the claimant was not the surveyor at the port, but was a surveyor at another port in the same collection district; (3) that the secretary of the treasury actually distributed one-fourth part of the distributable sums to the collector, naval officer, and surveyor at the port of New York, as such officers, and not as informers or seizing officers, and paid no part to the claimant ”

“ Pugh, 99 U.S. 265, that, 'in the case of a doubtful and ambiguous law, the contemporaneous construction of those who have been called upon to carry it into effect is entitled to great respect, (Edwards' Lessee v. Darby, 12 Wheat. 210,) ' and where this court refused to interfere with such construction after it had been acted upon for a long time. See, also, U.S. v. Alexander, 12 Wall. 177; Peabody v. Stark, 16 Wall. 240; Smythe v. Fiske, 23 Wall. 382; U.S. v. ”