a8 t%e Informer. Jan. 4. 



saw the cambric, and said he would seize it be- 

 cause it was not stamped. The fhopkeeper re- 

 monstrated, — said it was not Britilh goods, nor 

 did he sell it as such, and that he knew no law in 

 existence which required such a stamp on Frencli 

 cambric. Still the officer was deaf to all he said, 

 and actually seized the goods, and carried them oft' 

 in triumph. The poor man, astonifhed at this 

 procedure, and anxious about the fate of his pro- 

 perty, wrote immediately to the merchant frorff 

 whom he had bought it, stating the circumstances, 

 and requiring his interference to free him from this 

 scrape. The merchant took the advice of counsel 

 learned in the law, how he ihould proceed, and was 

 advised to try if he could recover his goods " by 

 fair means^'' as the easiest way for himself. The 

 merchant, considering that a high trespafs had 

 been committed, said that he and partners were 

 desirous of making an example of this man, with 

 a view to deter others from doing the like. But 

 lie was told this was a very doubtful experiment, 

 and the counsellor rather advised him to put up 

 with the lofs already incurred, than throw out 

 more money on that article, without hope of be- 

 ing reimbursed. He then turned up the statute 

 respecting the importation of French cambrics, 

 and read to him a clause which provided, *' that 

 if an excise officer, through ignorance, or other- 

 ivise, £?". e. or malice] {hall make an unjust seizure 

 of any of those goods, which fliall have been thus 

 legally imported, he (hall be obliged, upon the im- 

 j)orter or seller producing full evidence, to the sa- 



