Customs office

“ Stat. 1901, p. 1303) , 'In every case where an alien is excluded from admission into the United States under any law or treaty now existing or hereafter made, the decision of the appropriate immigration or customs officers, if adverse to the admission of such alien, shall be final, unless reversed on appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury.' The jurisdiction of the Treasury Department was transferred to the Department of Commerce and Labor by the act of February 14, 1903 (32 Stat. at L. 825, chap. 552) . ”

“ Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner. 2. There shall be a Commissioner of Customs, and an Assistant Commissioner, both of whom shall hold office during pleasure, and shall have such powers and perform such duties, respectively, as may be assigned to them by the Governor General, or by the Minister of Customs.
Of what matters the Department shall have the control. 3. The Department of Customs shall have the control and management,—
1. Of the collection of the duties of Customs, and of matters incident thereto, and of the officers and persons employed in that service ”

“ Customs officers are presumed to be acquainted with the ordinary meaning of words, and may also be presumed to have some familiarity with trade designations, and the customs of dealers. They are not, however, supposed to be chemists, scientists, or professional men, nor to be conversant with the terms of particular arts. ”

“ This the official chalked.
"So this is one of the habits of the English," cried the foreigner, bitterly.
"Not only the habits, Monsieur," observed a bystander, who trembling with apprehension, was waiting his turn; "but the customs. Customs that are out of date with the age. Customs that are contrary to the spirit of the century. Customs that cost more than they yield, and deserve to be cussed!"
"They do," cried the foreigner, excitedly. "May the Customs be—"
"You must not utter that word," interrupted the Revenue Officer, in a tone of peremptory command.
"It is British; why not?" ”

“ Many of them regard Customs as a frightening barrier to entry into the United States—and not as an agency to help them comply with the laws which were written by Congress.
Actually, a close look at the record reveals that the Customs Bureau is one of the more efficient units in the Federal government. Even though the work load for examiners, agents, appraisers and other employees has increased more than 200 per cent over the past ten years, the Bureau does the job with fewer employees. In 1951 the Bureau had a total of 8,561 employees—8 more than were employed in 1962. ”

“ DUTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE CUSTOMS REGULATIONS. A large share of the routine of every consulate is concerned with the customs regulations, certifying to invoices, guarding against fraud, keeping account of all transactions and reporting the same to the State Department. 92If you are engaged in importing “fancy Scotch cheviots” (your imported Scotch goods are made in America, however) , the goods must be described in full in a consular invoice. ”

“ The Customs Administration Board, provided for by the act of June 10, 1890, was selected with great care, and is composed in part of men whose previous experience in the administration of the old customs regulations had made them familiar with the evils to be remedied, and in part of men whose legal and judicial acquirements and experience seemed to fit them for the work of interpreting and applying the new statute. ”

“ Almost every sort of foreign merchandise is subject to the imposition of duties by the government of the country in which it is received. These duties are paid at the Custom-House, to persons appointed by the constituted authorities to collect them. As soon as a vessel from abroad has entered the harbor, it is visited by a custom-house officer, called a Tide-Waiter, whose business it is to see that no part of the cargo is removed, until measures have been taken to secure the customs. ”

“ The Governor General may appoint a Board of Examiners, whose duty it shall be to examine all persons employed or who have applied for employment under the Department of Customs, in the manner and after complying with the conditions prescribed by Departmental Regulations, and to classify them according to their respective qualifications and grant certificates accordingly. ”

“ British merchants who may have imported merchandise into any of the Open Ports and paid the Duty thereon, if they desire to re-export the same, shall be entitled to make application the Superintendent of Customs, who, in order to prevent fraud on the Revenue, shall cause examination to be made by suitable officers, to see that the Duties paid on such goods, as entered in the Custom House books, correspond with the representation made, and that the goods remain with their original marks unchanged. ”

“ A community of 60,000,000 people should be adequately represented in its intercourse with foreign nations.
A project for the reorganization of the consular service and for recasting the scheme of extraterritorial jurisdiction is now before you. If the limits of a short session will not allow of its full consideration, I trust that you will not fail to make suitable provision for the present needs of the service.
It has been customary to define in the appropriation acts the rank of each diplomatic office to which a salary is attached. ”

“ An American manufacturer or exporter who is interested in one of these notices can obtain the address of the foreign concern that desires goods, agencies, etc., by writing to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, in Washington. The Bureau maintains district offices in several large American cities. At the New York office, which is in the Custom House, there is a permanent exhibit of samples showing the various kinds of foreign-made goods sold in the principal importing countries of the world. ”

“ On the imposition of uniform duties of customs the power of the Parliament to impose duties of customs and of excise, and to grant bounties on the production or export of goods, shall become exclusive. ”

“ The superior Customs shall conduct supervision over enforcement of the Customs at a lower level. The superior Customs may alter or repeal any inadequate settlement or decision according to law made by Customs at a lower level. ”

“ The act enabling his Majesty to appoint Commissioners of the Customs to reside in America, has also been read in the House. (6) It declares an intention to facilitate the trade of America, of which we cannot have any great hopes, from the tenor of the commission. In general, innovations are dangerous; the unnecessary increase of Crown Officers is most certainly so. These gentlemen are authorized to appoint as many as they shall think proper, without limitation. ”

“ The receiving State shall, in accordance with such laws and regulations as it may adopt, permit entry of and grant exemption from all customs duties, taxes, and related charges other than charges for storage, cartage and similar services, on:
(a) Articles for the official use of the consular post; (b) Articles for the personal use of a consular officer or members of his family forming part of his household, including Articles intended for his establishment. The Articles intended for consumption shall not exceed the quantities necessary for direct utilization by the persons concerned. 2. ”

“ She has been wise enough—unlike all other countries—to entrust certain branches of her administration to foreigners until she is capable of taking over control; these branches are the Customs, the Salt Gabelle and the Post and Telegraph Service ”

“ In addition to the administration of the foreign customs service, the establishment of a postal service in the provinces devolved upon him, and after the signing of the protocol of 1901 he was called upon to organize a native customs service at the treaty ports. ”

“ For instance, our officials in the United States are constantly occupied, in assisting British immigrant working men and women who are suffering hardships under the stringent provisions of the United States immigration laws.
(2) The furthering of British trade. It is the duty of the whole Foreign Office organisation, but especially of the Consuls, to give advice to the representatives of commercial firms, to report openings for the sale of British goods abroad, and generally to give assistance to British trade in its competition with foreign trade. ”

“ I naturally asked, though aware that the Chinese Government got a splendid revenue out of the Customs service.
“The Chinese Government,” replied Sir Robert, “allows about £400,000 a year for the support of the service. This is absolutely under my control; also the appointment or dismissal of all officials. The [364] Chinese Customs are assuming bigger proportions every year, and are an ever-increasing source of revenue to the State. ”

“ The administration of the customs on the borders even remained in the hands of the local customs-officials, only that when collected they were placed to the general account. But the unconditional right of the empire to lay down the principles of customs legislation gave it more and more of an opportunity to create finances of its own and to become more and more independent of the scheduled contributions from the separate states. ... Judicial matters are the affair of the individual state. ”

“ The Court of Customs Appeals reached the conclusion that the decision of the board on the law and facts might affect the duty imposed on the imported articles so materially that Congress must have intended to give the importer the right to avail himself of the provision for appeal to the Court of Customs Appeals. ”

“ They rank among the most ancient, as they continue to prevail as one of the most common modes, in all countries, of levying revenue for public purposes. In an insular country like the United Kingdom customs duties came in process of time to be levied only or chiefly in the seaports, and thus applied only to the foreign commerce, where they may be brought under the control of fair and reasonable principles of taxation. ”

“ The same facilities in respect of currency or exchange regulations as are accorded to representatives of foreign governments on temporary official missions; (f) The same immunities and facilities in respect of their personal baggage as are accorded to diplomatic agents; (g) Such other privileges, immunities, and facilities not inconsistent with the foregoing as diplomatic agents enjoy, except that they shall have no right to claim exemption from customs duties on articles imported (otherwise than as part of their personal baggage) or from indirect taxes or sales taxes. ”

“ Sufficient provision should be made for a clerical force in every Consulate composed entirely of Americans, instead of the insufficient provision now made, which compels the employment of great numbers of citizens of foreign countries whose services can be obtained for less money. At a large part of our Consulates the office quarters and the clerical force are inadequate to the performance of the onerous duties imposed by the recent provisions of our immigration laws as well as by our increasing trade. ”

“ The Inspectorate of Customs was transferred by Imperial Edict from the Wai-Wu-Pu to the Shui-Wu-Ch'u, a Board specially created to control it.
The real meaning of the change was not easy to fathom, but everybody seized the opportunity to talk at once—all the newspapers and the correspondents and the political experts; to criticize, to prophesy, to predict, to shake their heads—all but one man, the man most concerned. ”

“ The real increase of duty will not be accurately known for a year, until we have full returns of the imports and duties actually levied under the new law under the decisions of the Board of General Appraisers and the new Customs Court. ”

“ Customs agents shall be employed generally in the prevention and detection of frauds on the Customs revenue and all matters involving such frauds requiring investigation shall be referred to them. They shall investigate and report upon all matters brought to their attention by the Commissioner of Customs, Collectors, Appraisers, Comptrollers, and others relating to drawback, undervaluation, smuggling, personnel, Customs procedure, and any other Customs matters. ”

“ Where a people's court delivers a verdict, ruling or an administrative authority concerned makes a decision to dispose of the goods under Customs control, the person concerned is required to accomplish all the necessary Customs formalities. ”

“ In the Bureau of Customs, these reforms included administrative measures for greater autonomy in different offices, adoption of the “immediate payment system” in obtaining the release of importations from Customs, the standardization of the classification and valuation of imports, upgrading of law enforcement agencies, expansion and improvement of port facilities, opening of new principal ports of entry and providing new incentives to boost tourism. ”

“ XXIV. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every master or person having the charge of any ship or vessel shall, before he departs from any British colony or plantation where he receives his lading, take a certificate under the hands and seals of the collector or other principal officer of the customs there (which certificate such officers are hereby required to grant without fee or reward) that bond hath been given, pursuant to the directions of this or any other act of parliament, as the case shall require ”

“ Consuls shall exercise their functions only on receipt of an exequatur from the Government to which they are accredited. Consular authorities shall be bona fide officials. No merchants shall be permitted to exercise the duties of the office, nor shall Consular Officers be allowed to engage in trade. ”