No. 3.
To the consular officers of the United States
in Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and
Germany.
Washington, April 15, 1878.
Gentlemen: In connection with the subject of the circular addressed to you under date of the 10th of July, 1876, the Secretary of the Treasury has advised the Department that it is desirable that the samples of such imported merchandise as is transported in bond without appraisement to interior parts of the United States should be sent to the proper customs officer at the port of destination of the goods, instead of at the port of first arrival. It is represented that the samples referred to are received by mail and bear no marks to denote the destination of the goods; and as, in very many instances, the samples do not reach the collector of customs at the first port of arrival until after the goods have been shipped for immediate transportation to the interior port under section 2990 of the Revised Statutes, it is impracticable to forward them until it is too late to subserve the purpose for which they are intended. It is requested, accordingly, that when it appears from the invoices presented that the merchandise specified therein is consigned to and destined for some other port than that at which it will be first landed in [Page 3] the United States, and is to be forwarded from the latter port under the section of the statutes adverted to, the samples should be transmitted to the chief customs officer at the port to which the merchandise is to be finally forwarded for appraisement.
I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
Assistant Secretary.