# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/8th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 17

Chap. XVII.—An Act relating to the recording, registering and enrolling of ships or vessels in the district of Orleans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any ship or vessel ​Vessels belonging to citizens of the United States, residing therein, or to persons inhabiting the territory ceded to the United States by France, entitled to the benefits of vessels of the United States.possessed of and sailing under a Spanish or French register, and belonging, on the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, and continuing to belong 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 thirtieth of April one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French Republic, or to any person or persons being, on the said thirtieth 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 or licensed in the manner prescribed by law; and being so registered, enrolled or 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.Proviso, that the collector may make alterations in the form of the oaths, &c. to make them applicable to this law. Provided, that it 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:Oath of application. 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 every foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the king of Spain and the French Republic.
Inhabitants of the ceded territory residents thereof to the 30th April, 1803, entitled, on certain conditions, to all the privileges, &c. of owning ships, &c. of the United States.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of the said ceded territory who were residents thereof on the thirtieth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, who shall take the oath aforesaid, and who continue to reside therein, or citizens of the United States residents of said ceded territory, shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of owning ships or vessels of the United States, to all intents and purposes, as if they were resident citizens of the United States.
Approved, February 25, 1804.