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181. Deposit of papers.

The register, or other document in lieu thereof, together with the clearance and other papers granted by the officers of the customs to a vessel at her departure from the port from whence she may have arrived, Mediterranean passports excepted, shall previous to entry be produced to the collector with whom such entry is to be made, and shall remain in his office; and on the clearance of such vessel the register and other documents shall be returned to the master or owner of such vessel.

The register, or other document in lieu thereof, together with the clearance and other papers granted by the officers of the customs to any foreign vessel, at her departure from the port from which she may have arrived, shall, previous to entry in any port of the United States, be produced to the collector with whom such entry is to be made. It shall be the duty of the master, within forty-eight hours after such entry, to deposit the papers with the consul or vice-consul of the nation to which the vessel belongs, and to deliver to the collector the certificate of such consul or vice-consul that the papers have been so deposited. Every master who fails to comply with this regulation shall be punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than two thousand dollars.

The preceding section shall not extend to the vessels of foreign nations in whose ports American consuls are not permitted to have the custody and possession of the register and other papers of vessels entering the ports of such nation.

any

It shall not be lawful for any foreign consul to deliver to the master of any foreign vessel the register and other papers deposited with him pursuant to the provisions of the preceding section, until such master shall produce to him a clearance in due form from the collector of the port where such vessel has been entered. Any consul offending against the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand. It shall be the duty of all masters of vessels for whom official services shall be performed by any consular officer, without the payment of a fee, to require a written statement of such services from such consular officer, and, after certifying as to whether such statement is correct, to furnish it to the collector of the district in which such vessels shall first arrive on their return to the United States; and if any such master of a vessel shall fail to furnish such statement, he shall be liable to a fine of not exceeding fifty dollars, unless such master shall state under oath that no such statement was furnished him by said consular officer. And it shall be the duty of every collector to forward to the Secretary of the Treasury all such statements as shall have been furnished to him, and also a statement of all certified invoices which shall have

come to his office, giving the dates of the certificates, and the names of the persons for whom and of the consular officer by whom the same were certified.

182. War documents; passports; sea-letters.

Every vessel of the United States, going to any foreign R. S., 4306. country, shall, before she departs from the United States, at the request of the master, be furnished by the collector for the district where such vessel may be, with a passport, the form for which shall be prescribed by the Secretary of State. In order to be entitled to such passport, the master of every such vessel shall be bound, with sufficient sureties, to the Treasurer of the United States, in the penalty of two thousand dollars, conditioned that the passport shall not be applied to the use or protection of any other vessel than the one described in it; and that, in case of the loss or sale of any vessel having such passport, the same shall, within three months, be delivered up to the collector from whom it was received, if the loss or sale take place within the United States; or within six months, if the same shall happen at any place nearer than the Cape of Good Hope; and within eighteen months, if at a more distant place.

If any vessel of the United States shall depart there- R. S., 4307. from, and shall be bound to any foreign country, other than to some port in America, without such passport, the master of such vessel shall be liable to a penalty of two hundred dollars for every such offense.

Every unregistered vessel owned by a citizen of the R. S., 4308. United States, and sailing with a sea-letter, going to any foreign country, shall, before she departs from the United States, at the request of the master, be furnished by the collector of the district where such vessel may be with a passport, for which the master shall be subject to the rules. and conditions prescribed for vessels of the United States. Every master of a vessel, belonging to citizens of the R. S., 4309. United States, who shall sail from any port of the United States, shall, on his arrival at a foreign port, deposit his register, sea-letter, and Mediterranean passport with the consul, vice-consul, commercial agent, or vice-commercial agent, if any there be at such port; and it shall be the duty of such consul, vice-consul, commercial agent, or vice-commercial agent, on such master or commander producing to him a clearance from the proper officer of the port where his vessel may be, to deliver to the master all of his papers, if such master or commander has complied with the provisions of law relating to the discharge of seamen in a foreign country, and to the payment of the fees of consular officers.

Every master of any such vessel who refuses or neglects R. S., 4310. to deposit the papers as required by the preceding section, shall be liable to a penalty of five hundred dollars, to be recovered by such consul, vice consul, commercial agent,

R. b., 4606.

Mar. 31, 1900.

Sec. 10.

or vice-commercial agent, in his own name, for the benefit of the United States, in any court of competent jurisdiction.

183. Illegal boarding of vessel.

Every person who, not being in the United States service, and not being duly authorized by law for the purpose, goes on board any vessel about to arrive at the place of her destination, before her actual arrival, and before she has been completely moored, without permission of the master, shall, for every such offense, be punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars, and by imprisonment for not more than six months; and the master of such vessel may take any such person so going on board into custody, and deliver him up forthwith to any constable or police officer, to be by him taken before any justice of the peace, to be dealt with according to the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4501-4613].

The Secretary of Commerce and Labor is hereby auFeb. 14, 1903. thorized and directed to prescribe from time to time and enforce regulations governing the boarding of vessels arriving at the seaports of the United States, before such vessels have been properly inspected and placed in security, and for that purpose to employ any of the officers of that [or Treasury] Department.

Mar. 31, 1900.
Sec. 2.

Sec. 8.

Each person violating such regulations shall be subject. to a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, in the discretion of the court.

This Act shall be construed as supplementary to section nine of chapter three hundred and seventy-four of the Statutes of eighteen hundred and eighty two, and section forty-six hundred and six of the Revised Statutes.

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It shall be lawful for any officer of the customs, includ- R. S., 3059. ing inspectors and occasional inspectors, or of a revenuecutter, or authorized agent of the Treasury Department, or other person specially appointed for the purpose in writing by a collector, naval officer, or surveyor, to go on board of any vessel, as well without as within his district, and to inspect, search, and examine the same, and any person, trunk, or envelope on board, and to this end to hail and stop such vessel if under way, and to use all necessary force to compel compliance; and if it shall appear that any breach or violation of the laws of the United States has been committed, whereby or in consequence of which such vessel, or the merchandise, or any part thereof, on board of or imported by such vessel, is liable to forfeiture, to make seizure of the same, or either or any part thereof, and to arrest, or in case of escape, or any attempt to escape, to pursue and arrest any person engaged in such breach or violation.

The original appointment in writing of any person spe- R. S., 3060. cially appointed under the provisions of the previous section shall be filed in the custom-house where such appointment is made.

It shall be lawful for all collectors, naval officers, sur- R. S., 3067. veyors, inspectors, and the officers of the revenue-cutters, to go on board of vessels in any port of the United States, or within four leagues of the coast thereof, if bound to the United States, whether in or out of their respective districts, for the purpose of demanding the manifests, and of examining and searching the vessels; and those officers respectively shall have free access to the cabin and every other part of a vessel.

If any master of a vessel coming into or having arrived R. 8., 3068. at any port within the United States shall obstruct or hinder or shall intentionally cause any obstructions or hin

R. 8., 3069.

R. S., 3071.

R. S., 3072.

B. S., 3073.

B. S., 3074.

drance to any officer in lawfully going on board such vessel for the purpose of carrying into effect any of the revenue laws of the United States, he shall for every such offense be liable to a penalty of not more than five hundred dollars nor less than fifty dollars.

If any box, trunk, chest, cask, or other package shall be found in the cabin, steerage, or forecastle of a vessel, or in any other place separate from the residue of the cargo, the officer of the customs shall take a particular account of such package, and of the marks and numbers thereof, if any, and a description thereof, and, if he judges proper, shall seal every such package; and such account and description shall be by him forwarded without delay to the collector of the district to which such vessel is bound. If upon her arrival at the port of her entry, the packages so described, or any of them, are missing, or if any seal put thereon has been broken, the master shall be liable to a penalty for every package missing, or on which any seal shall be broken, of two hundred dollars.

185. Seizure of vessels or merchandise.

Every officer or other person authorized to make searches and seizures by this Title [R. S., 2517-3129] shall, at the time of executing any of the powers conferred upon him, make known, upon being questioned, his character as an officer or agent of the customs or Government, and shall have authority to demand of any person within the distance of three miles to assist him in making any arrests, search, or seizure authorized by this Title, where such assistance may be necessary; and if such person shall, without reasonable excuse, neglect or refuse so to assist, upon proper demand, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars, nor less than five dollars.

It shall be the duty of the several officers of the customs to seize and secure any vessel or merchandise which shall become liable to seizure by virtue of any law respecting the revenue, as well without as within their respective districts.

If any officer, or other person, executing or aiding or assisting in the seizure of goods, under any act providing for or regulating the collection of duties on imports or tonnage, is sued for anything done in virtue of the powers given thereby, or by virtue of a warrant granted by any judge, or justice, pursuant to law, he may plead the general issue and give such act and the special matter in

evidence.

In all cases of seizure of property subject to forfeiture for any of the causes named in any provision of law relating to the customs, or for the registering, enrolling, or licensing of vessels, when, in the opinion of the collector or other principal officer of the revenue making such seizure, the value of the property seized does not exceed five

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