alhoun's secretary, has, it is said,
been sent to Cuba on a special mission from the Government. He is to go
the round of the consulates in the island with Consul-General Lee, and
obtain an idea of the true conditions in Cuba, and report the result of
his observations to the President.

* * * * *

The new tariff law has now been in effect for some weeks, and every day
there are fresh accounts of the woes of the incoming travellers from
Europe.

The zeal of the Custom-House officers in performing their duty is only
equalled by the efforts of the passengers in avoiding theirs. Every
ship-load that arrives affords infinite sport for the unconcerned
onlooker.

Last week a French family, consisting of a mother and two sons, arrived.

When asked if they had any dutiable articles, they declared that they
had brought nothing with them that ought to pay duty. As they had twenty
pieces of baggage with them, the officials refused to believe that they
had nothing on which duty should be levied.

The two sons were very elegant and extremely polite French gentlemen.
They courteously handed their keys to the inspectors, and turned around
to converse with some equally elegant young ladies who had come to meet
their party.

Their pleasant conversation was roughly interrupted by the inspectors.

Only six of the twenty pieces of baggage were trunks; the rest proved to
be packing-cases.

"They've got to be opened," said the heated inspectors.

"Certainly. You have our permission to open them," said the polite young
Frenchmen.

"What!" roared the inspectors, "Open them! We are not carpenters! Open
them yourselves!"

There and then these well-dressed, well-mannered young men had to set
to work to pry open their own packing-cases.

By this time their suavity had so exasperated the officials, who are not
accustomed to politeness and pleasant words from incoming passengers,
that they decided that the young Frenchmen must have a reason for their
good manners, and be in fact dangerous smugglers.

As one of the young men bent over a packing-case it was noticed that his
coat-pockets bulged suspiciously. Before he could offer a protest he and
his mother and brother were hurried away to the offices and searched.

In spite of their best endeavors the inspectors were unable to find
anything dutiable in the belongings of this charming family, and finally
the young Frenchmen were permitted to go on their