One Pearl Chain v. United States

123 F. 371, 59 C.C.A. 499, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4002
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedJune 10, 1903
DocketNo. 186
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 123 F. 371 (One Pearl Chain v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
One Pearl Chain v. United States, 123 F. 371, 59 C.C.A. 499, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4002 (2d Cir. 1903).

Opinion

LACOMBE, Circuit Judge

(after stating the facts as above). Counsel for the government contends that the claimant, having asked the court to direct a verdict in her favor, was not entitled thereafter to reserve exceptions to a refusal to send the case to the jury, which claimant requested should be done after her motion to direct verdict had been denied (Kirtz v. Peck, 113 N. Y. 222, 21 N. E. 130; Bishop v. Corning, 37 App. Div. 345, 57 N. Y. Supp. 697), and moves to dismiss the appeal. This technical rule of the state practice is not followed in this circuit (Sigua Iron Co. v. Greene, 88 Fed. 207, 31 C. C. A. 477), and the motion to dismiss is denied.

The waiver of five of the counts, the concessions made upon the argument, and the circumstance that a verdict was directed, reduce the case to be discussed here within quite a narrow compass..

Referring to a count based upon section 3082, the Supreme Court held that:

“The words ‘contrary to law,’ contained in the statute, clearly relate to legal provisions not found in section 3082 itself; but we look in vain in the count for any indication of what was relied on as violative of the statutory regulations concerning the importation of merchandise. The generic expression, ‘import and bring into the United States,’ did not convey the necessary information, because importing merchandise is not per se contrary to law, and could only become so when done in violation of specific statutory requirements.” Keck v. U. S., 172 U. S. 434, 19 Sup. Ct. 254, 43 L. Ed. 505.

In the case at bar the specific violations relied upon will be found enumerated after the phrase “that is to say.” They are alleged to be the importing and bringing within the United States the said property [374]*374(i) without mentioning or declaring the same to the collector, and (2) without entering the same as dutiable upon the arrival of the vessel within the United States, and (3) without paying or accounting for the duty thereof. There is no reference here to any violation of the statutes regulating permits to land (sections 2869, 2872, 2874 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 1908, 1910]), and they need not be considered. All that is to be determined is what are the provisions as to “mentioning or declaring to the collector,” as to “entering such articles as dutiable upon the arrival of the vessel within the United States,” and as to “paying or accounting for the duty thereof.”

We have so recently discussed this whole subject of declaration and entry of articles brought by passengers arriving by vessel from foreign countries that it will be sufficient to refer to the opinion then written for an enumeration of the sections of the Revised Statutes and their interpretation. U. S. v. One Pearl Necklace (Phyllis Dodge, Claimant) 111 Fed. 165, 49 C. C. A. 287, 56 L. R. A. 130. All articles coming from foreign countries may be divided into two great classes—those which are imported as merchandise, and those which are brought in as the baggage and personal effects of passengers. Two different systems are provided for these different classes. Sections 2785, 2872, 2874, and 2963 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 1867, 1910, 1946], and sections 3 and 4 of the Customs Administrative Act of June 10, 1890, c. 407, 26 Stat. 131 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 1887, 1888], regulate the importation of merchandise, with elaborate provisions about invoices, bills of lading, consular certificates from the country whence imported, etc. In the case of passengers’ baggage, however, a much less complicated and more expeditious system is provided for, in sections 2799, 2801, and 2802 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 1872, 1873], and the regulations, which will be found fully set forth in the opinion in the Dodge Case.

Upon the trial and argument of the case at bar it seems to have been assumed that this court held that a passenger’s wearing apparel, articles of adornment, and personal effeqts ceased to be baggage the moment they were taken orit of the trunk and placed on the person of the passenger, and were to be treated, for purposes of entry, etc., as imported merchandise. It is true that the opinion, in contradistinction to “merchandise,” spoke of dutiable articles brought by passengers “in their packages of baggage”; but Mrs. Dodge brought her necklace in one of her packages of baggage, in a hand satchel, which, however, she failed to declare. There being no question of wearing the article, and nearly all dutiable articles coming in packages of some sort, the above-quoted phrase was used. To hold that an incoming passenger, who, arriving on a cold day, opens one of his packages of baggage and takes out a silk muffler to wrap around his neck, would be subject to have the same forfeited, although he may declare it to the customs officers, because he walked ashore with it without presenting invoice,' bill of lading, and consular certificate, and obtaining a special permit, seems to us a most unreasonable proposition. The Dodge Case held only that the “merchandise” sections did not apply to passenger’s baggage. It did not undertake to define “baggage.” No such question arose in the [375]*375case. Nobody disputed that the necklace in that case was passenger’s baggage, to be declared and entered as such.

The practice as to declaration and entry of passengers’ baggage was fully set forth in the Dodge Case:

“When vessels" arrive within the harbor they are boarded by the customs officers, and with their assistance the passengers are asked to subscribe a written document, entitled ‘Baggage Declaration and Entry,' and fill out the blanks therein descriptive of their articles. * * * The entry and declaration by the passenger are usually made upon the vessel, and often hurriedly, and omissions may occur in the documents from inadvertence or ignorance, as well as from intention. The documents are executed in the presence of the customs officer, who administers the oath to the declaration, and who is the representative of the collector in receiving the entry. * * * When a vessel reaches the wharf, all the baggage of the passengers is transferred to a portion of it, which is surrounded with a rope and has a gate at which one of the officers is stationed. The passenger and a customs officer proceed to and select the baggage of the former, and the officer proceeds to examine it. If dutiable articles are found in the baggage, one of the appraisers assigned to that dock is called upon to appraise its value, and, after its dutiable value has been fixed, the passenger, accompanied by a customs officer, goes to the desk of the collector and pays the duty; this desk sometimes being inside the rope and sometimes outside. After the examination is complete, each piece of baggage is marked by the customs officer, and it is then permitted to be removed through the gate.”

The procedure above set forth conforms to the statutes and regulations, and is the practical embodiment of the provisions of law as to “mentioning or declaring” passengers’ baggage, as to “entering the same as dutiable upon the arrival of the vessel,” and as to “paying or accounting for the duty thereof.”

The statute relating to forfeiture of dutiable articles brought in as passengers’ baggage is as follows:

“Sec. 2802.

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Bluebook (online)
123 F. 371, 59 C.C.A. 499, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4002, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/one-pearl-chain-v-united-states-ca2-1903.