Lawrence v. Caswell

Mr. Chief Justice TANEY delivered the opinion of the court. This is an action brought by the defendants in error against the collector of the port of New York, to recover certain sums of money alleged to have been illegally exacted as duties. The defendants in error are merchants of New York, and imported a large quantity of brandy in the year? 1847 and 1848, which were deposited in the public stores, under the Warehousing Act of 1846. Upon gauging these several importations, at the time of their arrival, the contents were found to be less than the quantity stated in the several invoices. As the brandy was from time to time withdrawn by the importers, the collector demanded the duty of one hundred per cent, ad valorem upon the whole invoice quantity, and it was paid by the importers under protest. The importers claimed in their protest that the duties should be computed upon the actual contents, as shown by the gauger’s returns, after deducting two per cent, from such contents. And the court was of opinion, and so directed the jury, that this was *496 the correct mode of ascertaining the duties ; and a verdict was accordingly rendered and judgment given for the amount overcharged. This writ of error is brought to revise that judgment. Two questions arise in the case: 1st, whether the duty ought to be computed on the quantity stated in the invoices, or on the contents as ascertained by the gauger’s returns: and 2dly, whether the two per cent, ought to have.been deducted for' leakage. As relates to the first question, it is substantially the same with that decided by the court in the case of Marriott v. Brune, 9 How. 619. The duty of 100 per cent, ad valorem was chargeable on the quantity of brandv actually imported, and not on the contents stated in the invoices. This overcharge was therefore illegally exacted, and the defendants in error were entitled to recover back the amount. The judgment of the Circuit Court is in this respect correct. But it is proper to say, in order that the opinión of the court may not be misunderstood, that when we speak of duties illegally exacted, the court mean to confine the opinion to cases like the present, in which the duty demanded was paid under protest, stating specially the ground of objection. Where no such protest is made, the duties .are not illegally exacted in- the legal sense of the term. For the law has confided to the Secretary of the Treasury the power .of deciding in the first instance upon the amount of duties due on the importation. And if the party acquiesces, and does not by his prbtest appeal to the judicial tribunals, the duty paid is not illegally exacted, but is paid in obedience to the decision of the tribunal to which the law has confided the power of deciding the question. Money is often paid under the decision of an inferior court, without appeal, upon the construction of a law which is after-wards, in.some other, case in a higher and superior court, determined to have been an erroneous construction. But money thus paid is not illegally exacted. Nor are duties illegally exacted whére they are paid under the decision of the collector, sanctioned by the Secretary of the Treasury, and without appealing from that decision to the judicial tribunals by a proper and legal protest. Nor are they within the principle decided by the court in the case before us. We proceed to the second point — that is, to the claim of a further deduction of two per cent. The Revenue Collection Act of 1799, c. 22, § 59, under which it is claimed, provides, “ That there • shall be an allowance of two per cent, for leakage, on the quantity which shall appear by the gauge to be contained in any cask of lique - subject to duty by the gallon.” *497 At the time this law passed, brandy and sundry kinds of wine were subject to a specific duty upon the gallon; but various other wines were charged with an ad valorem duty, not to exceed in amount a certain rate per gallon, specified in the law. And as the two per cent, deduction was made to depend on the character of the duty, and not upon the nature of the liquor imported, the brandy and wines which then paid a duty by the gallon, were entitled to it — but the wines which paid an- ad valorem. duty were not entitled. The right to the allowance did not depend'upon the fact that the importation consisted of brandy or wines of a particular description, but upon the duty to which the article was subject. If it was charged by the gallon, this deduction was to be made, but otherwise if charged ad valorem. After-wards, bjr the act of May 13, 1800, the ad valorem duties, which were before charged on certain kinds of wine, were changed to specific duties; and all wines were charged with duty by the gallon. And from the passage of this act until the act of 1846, all importations of liquors of any description paid a specific duty. This will account for the usage in the custom-house to allow the deduction on, all liquors, as stated in the record. For, when the ad valorem duty on certain wines was changed to a duty by the gallon, these wines, like' brandy and other wines, came within the provision in the act of 1799, and consequently were entitled to the two per cent, deduction. So, also, when the act of 1846 changed the duty upon brandy from a specific one upon the gallon, to a duty ad valorem, it was no longer within the provision of the act of 1799, and consequently no longer entitled to the deduction of two per cent. The provision in the act of 1799 is not repealed; but brandy is not now within it, because it is pot subject to a duty by the gallon. . It is said there is the same reason for allowing this'deduction for loss by leakage, whether the duty is ad valorem or specific; and that it would be unjusi-tp make any discrimination between them. But, without stopping to inquire whether this argument is well founded or not, or whether sufficient reasons may not be assigned for the difference, it is sufficient for the court to say, that the law makes the distinction.' And it is not within the province of the Treasury Department or the eourt to decide upon the reasonableness or unreasonableness of a tariff which it is evident Congress intended to impose: The words of the law are plain. And, since brandies do not pay a duty by the gallon, they are not entitled to the'deduction of two per cent. The judgment of the Circuit Court must therefore be reversed, with costs, and a mandate issued directing it- to proceed to judgment upon the principles stated in this opinion. *498 Order. . This pause came on to be heard on the transcript of the record from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York, and was argued by counsel. On consideration whereof, it is now here ordéred and adjudged by this court, that the judgment of the said Circuit Court in this cause be, and the same is hereby, reversed, with costs; and that this cause be, and the same is hereby, remanded to the said Circuit Court, with directions to award a venire facias de novo, and to proceed therewith in conformity to the opinion, of this court.