Daily Kennebec Journal

IMPORTANT VERDICT.

An important verdict in favor of the government was obtained last week in a case in the U. S. Circuit Court at Boston, Judge Shepley presiding, in which General Hall, Collector of Waldoboro' Customs District, has been the principal mover. In 1869 the government was beaten in a case brought by Mr. Odiorne of Boston against the Collector at Salem, and the treasury department acquiesced in the verdict. During the summer of 1870, the Boston importers undertook to bring the same article (Bituminous Coal) into Rockland under the designation of "Culm of Coal," whereby the government would be the loser at the rate of one dollar in gold per ton. To this classification General Hall objected, collected the higher rate of duty, and contested the matter with the importers before the treasury department, and finally received the approval of the department of his course, which also rescinded its approval of the verdict of the court in the Salem case. Last spring Mr. Odiorne sued the Collector of Boston for claimed excess of duty paid upon four cargoes, imported after the decision of the Secretary of the Treasury in Collector Hall's case. This suit was tried last week at length as above stated, resulting in a verdict for the government. The favorable result was due to the pluck with which General Hall stood up for the rights of the government and the energy with which he maintained them in the face of an already pronounced verdict. The government not only gets its rights in the case contested by which the sum of $1300 in gold is saved, but it will save large sums upon future importations. General Hall deserves a good deal of credit for his conduct in the matter.