The foregoing estimate, by the Director of the Mint, of the values of foreign coins, I hereby proclaim to be the values of such coins in terms of the money of account of the United States, to be followed in estimating the value of all foreign merchandise exported to the United States on or after January 1, 1896, expressed in any of such metallic currencies. J. G. CARLISLE, Secretary of the Treasury. (16663.) Professional instruments and tools of trade must accompany the owner. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 3, 1896. GENTLEMEN: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo, in which you make application for the free entry of a case of surgical instruments, the property of Dr. J. A. Fort, who arrived in this country from France about two months ago, the instruments arriving by the La Champagne on the 17th ultimo. I have to inform you that under the language of paragraph 596 of the act of August 28, 1894, to the effect that professional instruments and tools of trade must be in the actual possession at the time of persons arriving in the United States, and in view of the decision of the circuit court of appeals at New York in the case of Rosenfeld, appellant, v. The United States (Synopsis 15762), the application must be denied. Respectfully, yours, CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Assistant Secretary. Messrs. H. W. BABCOCK & Co., New York, N. Y. (16664.) Empty glass bottles mentioned in paragraph 103 of the act of 1890, dutiable under proviso in paragraph 104 of said act. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 3, 1896. SIR: I have to inform you that this Department is in receipt of a report from the United States attorney for the southern district of New York, dated the 26th ultimo, in which he states that a judgment of affirmance (in favor of the United States) was entered in the United States circuit court for that district, on the 18th ultimo, in the appeal of F. W. Stemmler & Co., from the decision of your Board (Suit No. 1380). The issue in this case was as to the proper rate of duty upon certain empty glass bottles, under paragraphs 103 and 104 of the act of October 1, 1890, which issue had been previously determined in favor of the United States by the circuit court of appeals in the case of Marine v. Packham (52 Fed. Rep., 579). The Board of General Appraisers, while following this decision, advances reasons against its correctness largely based on the supposed rules as to the construction of provisos and a case in the circuit court, decided in re Salmon (55 Fed. Rep., 285), involving the duty on filled glass bottles. The United States attorney reports that the court determined to follow the decision of the circuit court of appeals, holding that the proviso to paragraph 104 applies to empty bottles mentioned in paragraph 103 of the act of October 1, 1890. Silk and cotton sleeve linings, cotton chief value, dutiable under paragraph 348 of act of 1890. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 3, 1896. SIR: I have to inform you that the Department is in receipt of a report from the United States attorney for the southern district of New York, dated the 27th ultimo, in which he states that a judgment of affirmance (in favor of the United States) was entered in the United States circuit court for that district on the 19th ultimo, in an appeal of Henry Newman & Co. from the decision of your Board (Suit No. 1384). The issue in this case was as to the proper rate of duty on certain silk and cotton sleeve linings, cotton chief value, classified for duty under the provisions of paragraph 348 of the act of October 1, 1890. The importers claimed that they should be assessed under paragraph 414 of that act as a manufacture of silk or of which silk is the component material of chief value. The United States attorney advises this Department that the importer consented to the entry of the judgment of affirmance in this case. CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Respectfully, yours, Assistant Secretary. New York, N. Y. PRESIDENT OF GENERAL BOARD OF GENERAL APPRAISERS, (16666.) Collection district of Chicago. [Circular No. 5.] TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 4, 1896. To collectors and other officers of the customs: The following act of Congress approved December 27, 1895, creating the collection district of Chicago, is published for the information and guidance of all concerned. CHARLES S. HAMLIN, [AN ACT to amend Section twenty-six hundred and one of the Revised Statutes relative to Ports of Entry.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section twenty-six hundred and one, Revised Statutes, be, and the same is hereby, amended so as to read as follows: Section 2601. There shall be in the States of Indiana and Illinois one Collection District as follows: The District of Chicago; to comprise the State of Illinois, and the waters and shores of Lake Michigan, within the State of Indiana; in which Chicago shall be the port of entry, and Waukegan and Michigan City ports of delivery: Provided, That all present ports of delivery in the State of Illinois now a part of the New Orleans District, shall be ports of delivery in the new District of Illinois and shall have all privileges which they have under existing law: Provided further, That nothing in this Act shall be construed to repeal the provisions of the Act approved August seventh, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, which embraces East Saint Louis, Illinois, within the limits of the port of Saint Louis, Missouri. Approved, December 27, 1895. (16667.) Yachts sailing into any port not dutiable. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 4, 1896. SIR: In reply to your letter of the 1st instant, I have to state that no duty under the existing tariff law of August 28, 1894, attaches to yachts sailing into any port of the United States from any foreign country. CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Respectfully, yours, Assistant Secretary. Mr. ROBERT T. VAN DEUSEN, Washington, D. C. (16668.) Approving bond of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway Company for rebonding as a common carrier for the transportation of dutiable appraised merchandise. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 6, 1896. SIR: The Department has received your letter of the 27th ultimo, with which was inclosed the bond, in duplicate, of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway Company, as a common carrier for the transportation of dutiable appraised merchandise, said bond being in lieu of that of the company named approved July 29, 1884. The bond is approved hereby, and one copy thereof inclosed herewith, to be placed upon the files of your office. Under the bond hereby approved the company named is authorized to transport appraised merchandise in bond between any places in the United States which have been or may be hereafter designated by law as ports of entry or delivery, and merchandise in transit to, from, and through the Dominion of Canada, from the designated ports in the United States, in suitable railway cars owned or controlled by said company, and running over such connecting lines of railroad as may be necessary to reach the port or ports of destination named in the entry and manifest in each particular case. In every instance where other cars than those owned by said company are used they shall be marked distinctly "Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway Company." You should note the fact and date of the rebonding of the company upon the copy of the bond approved, as herein before stated, July 29, 1884, now on file in your office, and retain the same, without cancellation, to meet any liability which may have accrued thereunder. Respectfully, yours, CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Assistant Secretary. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Port Huron, Mich. (16669.) Approving bond of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company for rebonding as a common carrier for the transportation of dutiable appraised merchandise. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 6, 1896. SIR: The Department hereby approves the bond transmitted with. your letter of the 9th ultimo of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company, as a common carrier for the transportation of dutiable appraised merchandise, said bond being in lieu of that of the company named, approved February 12, 1870. Under its bond the company named is authorized to transport dutiable appraised merchandise between any places in the United States which have been or may be hereafter designated by law as ports of entry or delivery, in suitable cars or vessels owned or controlled by said company, and running over such connecting lines of railway or water routes as may be necessary to reach the port or ports of destination specified in the entry and manifest in each particular case. In every instance where other cars or vessels than those owned by said company are used, they shall be marked distinctly "Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company." One copy of the bond hereby approved is inclosed herewith, to be placed upon the files of your office. You should note the fact and date of the rebonding of the company upon the copy of the bond approved, as above stated, February 12, 1870, now on file in your office, and retain the same without cancellation, to meet any liability which may have. accrued thereunder. Respectfully, yours, CHARLES S. HAMLIN, Assistant Secretary. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Chicago, Ill. (16670.) Feather-stitched braids dutiable at 60 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 373 of act of 1890-Importers bound by claim set forth in their protest, and can not avail themselves of the provisions of another paragraph under which Board decides goods are dutiable. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 7, 1896. SIR: I have to inform you that the Department is in receipt of a report from the United States attorney for the southern district of |