record shall be open to the inspection of the inspectors and officers of the customs at all times; and in case of default, through negligence or design, the said master shall forfeit one hundred dollars, which penalty, as well as that for excess of passengers, shall be a lien upon the vessel: Provided, however, a bond may, as provided for in other cases, be given to secure the satisfaction of the judgment.

SEC. 36. And be it further enacted, That every master or commander of any such steamer, shall keep on board of such steamer at least two copies of this act, to be furnished to him by the Secretary of the Treasury; and if the master or commander neglects or refuses so to do, or shall unreasonably refuse to exhibit a copy of the same to any passenger who shall ask it, he shall forfeit twenty dollars.

SEC. 37. And be it further enacted, That any inspector who shall, upon any pretence, receive any fee or reward for his services rendered under this act, except what is herein allowed him, shall forfeit his office; and if found guilty, on indictment, be otherwise punished, according to the aggravation of the offence, by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.

SEC. 38. And be it further enacted, That all engineers and pilots of any such vessel shall, before entering upon their duties, make solemn oath before one of the inspectors herein provided for, to be recorded with the certificate, that he will faithfully and honestly, according to his best skill and judgment, perform all the duties required of him by this act, without concealment or reservation; and if any such engineer, pilot, or any witness summoned under this act as a witness, shall, when under examination on oath, knowingly and intentionally falsify the truth, such person shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and, if convicted, be punished accordingly.

SEC. 39. And be it further enacted, That the supervising inspectors appointed under the provisions of this act shall, within their respective districts under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, take the examination, or receive the statements in writing, of persons of practical knowledge and experience in the navigation of steam vessels, the construction and use of boilers, engines, machinery, and equipments, touching the form, material, and construction of engines and their appurtenances; the causes of the explosion of boilers and collapse of flues, and the means of prevention; the kind and description of safety valves, water and steam gauges, or indicators; equipments for the extinguishment of fires, and for the preservation

of life in case of accident on board of such vessels, and all other means in use or proper to be adopted for the better security of the lives of persons on board vessels propelled in whole or in part by steam; the advantages and disadvantages of the different descriptions of boilers, engines, and their appurtenances, safety-valves, water and steam gauges, or indicators, equipments for the prevention or extinguishment of fires, and the preservation of life in case of accident, in use on board such vessels; whether any, and what, further legislation is necessary or proper for the better security of the lives of persons on board such steam vessels; which examination and statements, so taken and received, shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury, at such time as he shall prescribe.

SEC. 40. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to cause such interrogatories to be prepared and published as, in his opinion, may be proper to elicit the information contemplated by the preceding section, and, upon the receipt of the examination and, statements taken by the inspectors, shall report the same to Congress, together with the recommendation of such further provisions as he may deem proper to be made for the better security of the lives of persons on board steam vessels.

SEC. 41. And be it further enacted, That all penalties imposed by this act may be recovered in an action of debt, by any person who will sue therefor in any court of the United States.

SEC. 42. And be it further enacted, That this act shall not apply to public vessels of the United States, or vessels of other countries; nor to steamers used as ferry boats, tug boats, towing boats, nor to steamers not exceeding one hundred and fifty tons burden, and used in whole or in part for navigating canals. The inspection and certificate required by this act shall, in all cases of ocean steamers constructed under contract with the United States, for the purpose, if desired, of being converted into war steamers, be made by a chief engineer of the navy, to be detailed for that purpose by the Secretary of the Navy, and he shall report both to said secretary, and to the supervising inspector of the district where he shall make any inspection.

SEC. 43. And be it further enacted, That all such parts of this act as authorize the appointment and qualification of inspectors, and the licensing of engineers and pilots, shall take effect upon the passage thereof, and that all other parts of this act shall go into effect at the times and places as follows: in

the districts of New Orleans, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Wheeling, Pittsburg, Nashville, Mobile, and Galveston, on the first day of January next, and in all other districts on the first day of March next.

SEC. 44. And be it further enacted, That all parts of laws heretofore made, which are suspended by, or are inconsistent with, this act, are hereby repealed.

Approved, August 30, 1852.

1

PASSPORT REGULATIONS.

CITIZENS' PASSPORT.

There is no act of Congress regulating the issuing of passports. They are granted upon the ground of international courtesy, and as affording evidence to the diplomatic and other agents in foreign countries, that the bearer of such passport is a citizen of the United States, and is entitled to full protection as such. It also requests foreign governments to permit the bearer safely and freely to pass on his journey from one country to another, and, in case of need, to give him all lawful aid and protection while so doing.

The passport issued by the United States government is in the form of a certificate, that the bearer thereof is a citizen of the United States, and it is signed by the Secretary of State for the time being. The following are the rules to be observed by persons applying for passports, as prescribed by the Department of State:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April, 1850. Citizens of the United States visiting foreign countries are liable to serious inconvenience, if unprovided with authentic proof of their national character. The best security against this, is a passport from the Department of State, certifying the bearer to be a citizen of the United States; which passports