MANHATTAN MOTES
_______

Special Dispatch to THE POST.
    NEW YORK, Sept. 5.--At 11 o'clock this morning Fernando Wood was the only member of the Custom-house committee present in the naval office. Mr. Jackson S. Schultz called on Mr. Wood to-day and drew his attention to the disgraceful state of things existing in connection with the payment of pensions and the wretched accommodations provided for the worn-out and wounded defenders of our country. Mr. Wood said he would lay the matter before the committee.
    The first witness examined to-day was Mr. Richard Wynkoop, deputy collector of the fourth division. He said his department has charge of the entering and clearing of foreign and American vessels and granting vessels certificates. Witness never received any presents or perquisites for administering oaths. There are now twenty persons employed in his division. He would recommend putting into statute some provisions for the compensation of inspectors who work at night in the discharging of sailing vessels which arrive about sunset. They are allowed to receive such compensation from steamships, and he believed that sailing vessels should be put on an equality with them. It is, in his judgment, a loose system to allow any vessels to discharge their cargoes after nightfall. There is opportunity for swindling. There is a bond of $20,000 given by vessels that unload after sunset. Two inspectors are assigned to each steamer. He had made representations to the collector that certain men were mercenary, and they were removed. He would have the law made obligatory on exporters to furnish a complete list of their exports to the bureau of statistics. Wm. A. Morris, deputy collector of the fifth division, testified that the naval office had a list of several hundred errors made in making up duty. The only way he could suggest to obviate errors would be to prevent a number of steamers coming in together. Great piles of entries pour in, and merchants are clamoring to have them passed, and errors occur in the hurry of business. The only way to prevent so many errors would be to have an extra set of entry clerks in busy times.
    Col. W. H. McMahon, of the same division, was next examined. He said to facilitate matters in collecting revenue he would suggest the repealing of the anti-moiety act and put duty on tea and coffee, and do away with compound rates. This would make officers more vigilant and energetic in detecting frauds. Witness said that on sufficient proof he would favor allowing United States detectives to enter the merchant's premises and have his books and papers seized, as under the old law. He would abolish the whole system of taking of oaths and giving of bonds by importers and let the Government take charge of all imports for a few days, making up duties on them and then say to the importers, "Here are your goods on you paying us so much money, and if you don't like it you need not take them." The committee then adjourned until to-morrow.

[More...]

    Thursday afternoon a man, who said his name was Mark Quinn, and that he was an expelled priest, attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the East river, at Pier 17. He was rescued by the police and committed to the care of the Commissioners of Charity and Correction.

[More...]

    Henry M. Walters, alias English Harry the notorious panel thief, who attempted to murder his wife on the 19th of April by cutting her throat, and then tried to commit suicide by drawing the razor across his own throat, was arraigned before Recorder Hackett Thursday morning. The assistant district attorney consented to accept a plea of guilty of an attempt to do bodily harm, and allowed the would-be murderer eight days in which to produce evidence of his good character. This leniency has caused much curiosity, as Walters is one of the most notoriously bad characters in New York.

Source:

Unknown, "Manhattan Motes," Washington Post, Washington, D.C., Friday, 6 September, 1878, p. 1.