An act, in addition to an act, entitled, "An act concerning the registering and recording of ships and vessels."

States captured & condemned under

er, or sold to a fo

receive a new re

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That no ship or vessel Vesels of the which has been, or shall be registered, pursuant any foreign pow to any law of the United States, and which here- reigner, shall not after shall be seized, or captured and condemned, gister. under the authority of any foreign power, or that shall by sale become the property of foreigner or foreigners, shall, after the passing of this act, be entitled to, or capable of receiving, a new register, notwithstanding such ship or vessel should afterwards become American property; but that all such ships and vessels shall be taken and considered, to all intents and purposes, as foreign vessels: Provided, That nothing in this act contained, shall extend to, or be construed to affect the person or persons owning any ship or vessel, at the time of the seizure, or capture of the same, or shall prevent such owner, in case he regain a property in such ship or vessel, so condemned, by purchase or otherwise, from claiming and receiving a new register for the same, as he might or could have done, if this act had not been passed-1st ses. 5th Con. 27th June, 1797, Vol. 4, page 10.

The proviso extended to Executors or Administrators of the owner. See act 27th March, 1804,

ing sea-letters,

using such,

An act in addition to the act, entitled, “An act concerning the registering and recording of ships and vessels of the United States," and to the act, entitled "An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage."

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, Penalty on forg in Congress assembled, That if any person shall passports, &c. or knowingly make, utter, or publish any false sealetter, Mediterranean passport, or certificate of registry, or shall knowingly avail himself of any such Mediterranean passport, sea-letter, or certificate of registry, he shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, to be recovered by action of debt, in the name of the United States, in any court of competent jurisdiction; and if an officer of the United States, he shall forever thereafter be rendered incapable of holding any office of trust or profit, under the authority of the United States.

offieers disqualified thereby.

Comptroller of the

Treasury to cause

of registry to beprovided with se cret marks,

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That it blank certificates shall be the duty of the comptroller of the treasury, to cause to be provided, blank certificates of registry, with such water and other secret marks as he may direct, which marks shall be made known only to the Collectors and their deputies, and to the consuls or commercial agents of the United States; and from and after the 31st day of December next, no certificate of registry shall be issued, except such as shall have been provided and marked as aforesaid; and the ships or vessels of the United States, which shall have

been duly registered as such, shall be entitled to new certificates of registry (gratis) in exchange for their old certificates of registry: And it shall be the duty of the respective Collectors, on the departure of any such ship or vessel, after the said 31st day of December, from the district to which such ship or vessel shall belong, to issue a new certificate accordingly, and to retain and deface the former certificate.

which shall be ex changed [gratis]

bed scales the 31st Dec. 1803.

of registry after

vessel sold out of the U. States to a

the benefit of a

vessel of the U.S.

under certain pro visions.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That when A duly registered any ship or vessel, which has been, or which citizen, to have shall be registered pursuant to any law of the United States, shall whilst such ship or vessel is without the limits of the United States, be sold or transferred in whole or in part to a citizen or citizens of the United States, such ship or vessel, on her first arrival in the United States thereaf ter, shall be entitled to all the privileges and benefits of a ship or vessel of the United States: Provided, That all the requisites of law, in order to the registry of ships or vessels, shall be complied with, and a new certificate of registry obtained for such ship or vessel, within three days from the time at which the master or other person having the charge or command of such ship or vessel, is required to make his final report upon her first arrival afterwards as aforesaid, agreeably to the 30th section of the act, passed on the 2d day of March, 1799, entitled, "an act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage," and it shall be lawful to pay to the Collector of the district, within which such ship or vessel may arrive as aforesaid, the duties imposed by law on the tonnage of such ship or vessel, at

Power of the Secretary of the Treasury to re

extended.

any time within three days from the time at which the master or other person, having the charge or command of such ship or vessel, is required to make his final report as aforesaid, any thing to the contrary in any former law notwithstanding: Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to repeal, or in any wise change the provisions, restrictions, or limitations of any former act or acts, excepting so far as the same shall be repugnant to the provisions of this act.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the move disabilities power vested in the Secretary of the Treasury, to remove disabilities incurred under the act to which this is a supplement, and under the act, entitled, "An act for enrolling and licensing ships or vessels, to be employed in the coasting trade and fisheries, and for regulating the same," shall extend to the remission of any foreign duties, which shall have been, or shall be incurred, by reason of such disabilities.

Approved 2d March, 1803, vol. 6, p. 223, 2d ses. 7th Con..

An act relating to the recording, registering, and enrolling and licensing ships or vessels in the district of Orleans.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of AmeVessels belonging rica, in Congress assembled, That any ship or U. States, residing vessel possessed of and sailing under a Spanish sons inhabiting the or French register, and belonging, on the 20th

to citizens of the

therein, or to per

territory ceded to

the U.S.by France,

entitled to the day of December, 1803, and continuing to belong

benefits of vessels

of the U. States. Wholly to any citizen or citizens of the United

States, then residing within the territories ceded to the United States, by the treaty of the 30th of April, 1803, between the United States and the French Republic, or to any person or persons being, on the said 30th day of April, an inhabitant or inhabitants of the said ceded territories, and who continue to reside therein, and of which the master is a citizen of the United States, or an inhabitant as aforesaid, may be registered, enrolled and licensed in the manner prescribed by law; and being so registered, enrolled and licensed, shall be denominated and deemed a ship or vessel of the United States, and entitled to the benefits granted by any law of the United States to ships or vessels thereof: Provided, That it Proviso. shall be lawful for the Collector to whom application shall be made for a certificate of registry, enrolment or license for such ship or vessel by any citizen or inhabitant as aforesaid, to make such variations in the forms of the oaths, certificates, and licenses, as shall render them applicable to the cases herein intended to be provided for: And provided also, that every such inhabitant applying as aforesaid, shall, prior to his being entitled to receive such certificate of registry, enrolment, or license, deposit with the Collector, the Register and other papers under which such ship or vessel had been navigated; and also take and subscribe, before the Collector (who is hereby authorized to administer the same) the following oath: I, A. B. do swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I do entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to