# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/7th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 51

Chap. LI.—An Act to amend an act intituled “An act for the relief of sick and disabled Seamen,” and for other purposes.
Fund provided for the relief of sick and disabled seamen. Act of July 16, 1798, ch. 77. Act of March 2, 1799, ch. 24. Sum appropriated for an hospital in Massachusetts.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the monies heretofore collected in pursuance of the several acts “for the relief of sick and disabled seamen,” and at present unexpended, together with the monies hereafter to be collected by authority of the before-mentioned acts, shall constitute a general fund, which the President of the United States shall use and employ as circumstances shall require for the benefit and convenience of sick and disabled American seamen: Provided, that the sum of fifteen thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated for the erection of an hospital in the district of Massachusetts.
President may cause accommodations, &c. to be provided for the relief of the U. States seamen at New Orleans, with the consent of the local government.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to cause such measures to be taken as, in his opinion, may be expedient for providing convenient accommodations, medical assistance, necessary attendance, and supplies for the relief of sick or disabled seamen of the United States who may be at or near the port of New Orleans, in case the same can be done with the assent of the government having jurisdiction over the port; and for this purpose, to establish such regulations, and to authorize the employment of such persons as he may judge proper; and that for defraying the expense thereof, a sum not exceeding three thousand dollars be paid out of any monies arising from the said fund not otherwise appropriated.
Masters of boats, rafts, &c. going to New Orleans, down the Mississippi, to make reports of the number of hands, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That from and after the thirtieth day of June next, the master of every boat, raft or flat, belonging to any citizen of the United States which shall go down the Mississippi with intention to proceed to New Orleans shall, on his arrival at Fort Adams, render to the collector or naval officer thereof, a true account of the number of persons employed on board such boat, raft or flat, and the time that each person has been so employed, and shall pay to the said collector or naval officer at the rate of twenty cents per month, for every person so employed, which sum, he is hereby authorized to retain out of the wages of such person: and the said collector or naval officer shall not give a clearance for such boat, raft or flat, to proceed on her voyage to New Orleans, until an account be rendered to him of the ​number of persons employed on board such boat, raft or flat, and the money paid to him by the master or owner thereof: and if any such master shall render a false account of the number of persons, and the length of time they have severally been employed, as is herein required, he shall forfeit and pay fifty dollars,Penalty for rendering a false account. Persons navigating such boats, to be considered as seamen of the United States. which shall be applied to, and shall make a part of, the said general fund for the purposes of this act: Provided, that all persons employed in navigating any such boat, raft or flat, shall be considered as seamen of the United States, and entitled to the relief extended by law to sick and disabled seamen.
President to appoint a director of the marine hospital at New Orleans. Sick foreign seamen may be admitted in certain cases. Seamen admitted into the hospital subject to a charge for every day they shall remain therein. Clearance not to be given by the collector until the money due from the master, as aforesaid, shall be paid. Accs. against foreign seamen to be made out by the director of the hospital. Collectors to pay the money they collect into the Treasury of the U. States under this and the act to which this is a supplement.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to nominate and appoint for the port of New Orleans, a fit person to be director of the marine hospital of the United States, whose duties shall be in all instances the same as the directors of the marine hospitals of the United States, as directed and required by the act, intituled “An act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen.” [ Act of July 16, 1798, chap. 76.]
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That each and every director of the marine hospitals within the United States, shall, if it can with convenience be done, admit into the hospital of which he is director, sick foreign seamen, on the application of the master or commander of any foreign vessel to which such sick seamen may belong; and each seaman so admitted shall be subject to a charge of seventy-five cents per day for each day he may remain in the hospital, the payment of which the master or commander of such foreign vessel shall make to the collector of the district in which such hospital is situated: and the collector shall not grant a clearance to any foreign vessel, until the money due from such master or commander, in manner and form aforesaid, shall be paid; and the director of each hospital is hereby directed, under the penalty of fifty dollars, to make out the accounts against each foreign seaman that may be placed in the hospital, under his direction, and render the same to the collector.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the collectors shall pay the money collected, by virtue of this and the act to which this is an amendment, into the treasury of the United States, and be accountable therefor, and receive the same commission thereon, as for other money by them collected.
Director of the marine hospital to account for the money received by him. Allowed a commission.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That each and every director of the marine hospitals shall be accountable at the treasury of the United States for the money by them received in the same manner as other receivers of public money, and for the sums by them expended shall be allowed a commission at the rate of one per cent.
Approved, May 3, 1802.