LIIGGAGE.—Passengers' BAGGAGE.—This is always the object of most careful regard by the Customs-house officers. And this is not so much to force the bond fide passenger into the payment of some small duty in respect of an article more or less innocently smuggled, as to outwit the manoeuvres of the regular passenger to and from the United Kingdom whose journeys are part of a system of the evasion of Customs duties. The following sections of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, are important to the traveller.
66. Forfeiture of goods concealed in packages or delivered without any goods or other things arc found concealed in any way or packed in any package or parcel to deceive the officers, such package or parcel, and all the contents thereof shall be forfeited ; and if any goods are taken or delivered out of any ship or warehouse, not having been duly entered, they will be forfeited. But no "entry " is required in respect of the baggage of passengers which can be examined, landed, and delivered under such regulations as the Commissioners of Customs may direct ; if, however, any prohibited or uncustomed goods are found concealed therein, either before or after landing, the same will be forfeited, together with everything packed therewith.
67. Penalty on fraudulent import entries and concealments.—If any person im ports, or causes to be imported, goods of one denomination concealed in packages of goods of any other denomination, or any package containing goods not corresponding with the entry thereof, or directly or indirectly imports or causes to be imported or entered any package of goods of one denomination which is afterwards discovered, either before or after delivery thereof, to contain other goods or goods subject to a higher rate or other amount of duty than those of the denomination by which such package or the goods in such package were entered, such package, and the goods therein, will be forfeited. Such person will forfeit for every offence a penalty of £100, or treble the value of the goods contained in the package, at the election of the Commissioners of Customs.
184. Persons may be searched.—Any officer of Customs employed in the prevention of smuggling may search any person on board any ship or boat within the limits of any port in the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands, or any person who shall have landed from any ship or boat. Before proceeding to a search, the officer must have good reason to suppose that such person is carry ing or has any uncustomed or prohibited goods about his person.
185. Before seareh.—Before any person is searched he can require to be taken with all reasonable despatch before a justice, or before the collector or other superior officer of Customs, who, if he sees no reasonable cause for search, must discharge the person. If otherwise, he can direct the person to be searched ; and if a female she is not to be searched by any other than a female. If any officer, without reasonable ground, causes any person to be searched, that officer will forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding £10. If any passenger or other person on board any such ship or boat, or who may have landed therefrom, shall, upon being questioned by any Customs officer whether he has any foreign goods upon his person or in his baggage, deny the same, and any such goods shall after such denial be discovered to be or to have been upon his person or in his possession or in his baggage, such goods shall be forfeited, and such person shall forfeit £100, or treble the value of the goods, at the election of the Commissioners of Customs.
The Customs authorities generally exercise this right of search with great discretion, and, as far as possible, they search in co-operation with the police. It is not the duty of the Customs officers to unpack the traveller's baggage, and consequently, if they do it, it is done for the convenience of the traveller, and the Customs authorities incur no re sponsibility for damage. Strictly speaking the traveller should himself unpack, so far as unpacking is necessary, and place his baggage ready for inspection. Merchandise should never be carried as 111,0-gage by any person who is going in or out of the country. This is prohibited, because merchandise must be entered and reported, even though it is free from duty. A fine rising in amount from 10s., according to the value of the goods, is incurred by the traveller who contravenes this prohibition. Strictly, the merchandise is liable to forfeiture. If the whole quantity is duly produced to the officers at one time, and no part is found concealed, a passenger is allowed, in the United Kingdom, to include in his baggage, free from duty, half lb. of cigars and manufactured tobacco, half pint of ordinary drinkable spirits, and half pint of cordials or perfumed spirits. Persons coming from the Channel Islands are only allowed one-half of these quantities. See SAMPLES ; S MUGG LING.