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tional value the owner or consignee must pay a corresponding duty. 

 If the examiner add ten per cent, or more to the invoice, the owner 

 or consignee is thereby subjected to the additional payment of a 

 penalty of twenty per cent, on the whole amount of goods so 'marked 

 up,' unless upon a re-examination the examiner's return is declared 

 to be erroneous. To effect this re-examination, the owner or con- 

 signee must deposit with the collector an amount sufficient to defray 

 the expense. The collector selects two disinterested merchants, and 

 on their report decides the matter in controversy. 



" Give an example of a return on drugs, &c, under the present law, 

 and one of a return under a law looking to their strength, purity, 

 &c, as well as to their commercial value. 



"Ansiver. At present, if on examination the value, &c, is found 

 correct,. I copy on the face of the invoice the marks and numbers of 

 each package examined, and write against it (supposing the article 

 opium) 'one case of opium,' to which I affix my check or initials. 

 Under a law requiring an extended examination into the strength 

 and purity of the articles, I should, after a thorough examination of 

 the opium, for instance, proceed as above in copying the mark and 

 number of the package; and if I was satisfied with the quality, &c, 

 I should write ' one case of opium, examined and found correct ;' 

 but if I found the article not as it should be, I should write, ' one 

 case of opium, examined and found not of the requisite strength and 

 'purity.' 



"If Congress prohibit the importation of these foreign adulterated 

 medicines, will the domestic manufacturer be induced thereby to 

 direct his attention the more readily to the preparations of similar 

 articles? 



" Answer. By no means; for the obvious reason that the regular 

 trade is ever watchful, and would soon detect any fraud of the kind, 

 and trace it immediately home to its guilty source; when well directed, 

 public opinion would, in most instances, promptly apply the remedy 

 at the expense of the reputation and business pursuits of the offend- 

 ing party. Let Congress protect our people from foreign imposition 

 in this matter, and the States of this Union will separately, if needs 

 be, protect themselves from domestic evils of the kind, by enacting 

 stringent laws, in reference to the purchase and sale of medicines 

 for home consumption, similar to those which have been most effect- 

 ively in operation throughout Europe. 



"Do your commission merchants solicit consignments of these adul- 

 terated drugs and medicines? 



