Samuel Blatchford

“ We are of opinion that the charge on the subject of similitude submitted the question properly to the jury, and that it was not error to refuse the request to charge that if the jury should find that any one of the articles was used as a substitute and in place of cochineal, and not as a substitute for any aniline dye known at the time of its introduction, the plaintiffs, as to that branch of the case, were entitled to a verdict.
Other questions are raised in the bill of exceptions which we do not deem it necessary to notice particularly. We see no error in the record. ”

“ On the other hand, the defendant introduced testimony for the purpose of showing that the articles in question were known in trade, when imported, as 'aniline dyes,' and that in 1874 the term 'aniline dyes' had been applied in trade to all dyes derived from coal-tar, or artificial dyes. The testimony on the part of the plaintiffs tended to show that the articles in question were not, chemically, aniline colors; that naphthylamine red and orange II. and IV. were azo colors ”

“ It was in accordance with the established rule that, in interpreting customs statutes, commercial terms are to be construed according to the commercial understanding in regard to them. Nor is this rule inapplicable to this case because the articles in question were unknown in 1874, when the statute was enacted. ”