# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/12th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 42

Chap. XLII.—An Act for the regulation of seamen on board the public and private vessels of the United States.
After the war citizens of the United States only to be employed in the public or private vessels of the United States.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the termination of the war in which the United States are now engaged with Great Britain, it shall not be lawful to employ on board any of the public or private vessels of the United States any person or persons except citizens of the United States, or persons of colour, natives of the United States.
Naturalized citizens when they may be employed.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after the time when this act shall take effect, it shall not be lawful to employ as aforesaid, any naturalized citizen of the United States, unless such citizen shall produce to the commander of the public vessel, if to be employed on board such vessel, or to a collector of the customs, a certified copy of the act by which he shall have been naturalized, setting forth such naturalization and the time thereof.
Lists of the crews to be furnished and certified previously to the sailing of vessels on foreign voyages.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That in all cases of private vessels of the United States sailing from a port in the United States to a foreign port, the list of the crew, made as heretofore directed by law, shall be examined by the collector for the district from which the vessel shall clear out, and, if approved of by him, shall be certified accordingly. And no person shall be admitted or employed as aforesaid, on board of any vessel aforesaid, unless his name shall have been entered in the list of the crew, approved and certified by the collector for the district from which the vessel shall clear out as aforesaid. And the said collector, before he delivers the list of the crew, approved and certified as aforesaid, to the captain, master, or proper officer of the vessel to which the same belongs, shall cause the same to be recorded in a book by him for that purpose to be provided, and the said record shall be open for the inspection of all persons, and a certified copy thereof shall be admitted in evidence in any court in which any question may arise, under any of the provisions of this act.
Supplemental directions may be given by the President with respect to the seamen employed in the United States. Proviso.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is authorized from time to time to make such ​further regulations, and to give such directions to the several commanders of public vessels, and to the several collectors, as may be proper and necessary respecting the proofs of citizenship, to be exhibited to the commanders or collectors aforesaid: Provided, that nothing contained in such regulations or directions shall be repugnant to any of the provisions of this act.
Seamen or seafaring persons not citizens of the U. States only admitted as passengers in American vessels upon certain conditions. Interference of consuls and commercial agents admissible in certain cases.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That from and after the time when this act shall take effect, no seaman or other seafaring man, not being a citizen of the United States, shall be admitted or received as a passenger on board of any public or private vessel of the United States, in a foreign port, without permission in writing from the proper officers of the country of which such seaman or seafaring man may be subject or citizen.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That from and after the time when this act shall take effect, the consuls or commercial agents of any nation at peace with the United States shall be admitted (under such regulations as may be prescribed by the President of the United States) to state their objections to the proper commander or collector as aforesaid, against the employment of any seaman or sea-faring man on board of any public or private vessel of the United States, on account of his being a native subject or citizen of such nation, and not embraced within the description of persons who may be lawfully employed, according to the provisions of this act; and the said consuls or commercial agents shall also be admitted under the said regulations, to be present at the time when the proofs of citizenship of the persons against whom such objections may have been made, shall be investigated by such commander or collector.
Penalty for admitting persons not qualified according to this act into the service of the United States.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That if any commander of a public vessel of the United States, shall knowingly employ or permit to be employed, or shall admit or receive, or permit to be admitted or received, on board his vessel, any person whose employment or admission is prohibited by the provisions of this act, he shall on conviction thereof forfeit and pay the sum of one thousand dollars for each person thus unlawfully employed or admitted on board such vessel.
Commanders or owners of private armed vessels subjected to penalties for admitting persons contrary to this act. Recovery of penalties.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall, contrary to the prohibitions of this act, be employed, or be received on board of any private vessel, the master or commander, and the owner or owners of such vessel, knowing thereof, shall respectively forfeit and pay five hundred dollars for each person thus unlawfully employed or received in any one voyage; which sum or sums shall be recovered, although such seaman or person shall have been admitted and entered in the certified list of the crew aforesaid, by the collector for the district to which the vessel may belong: and all penalties and forfeitures arising under or incurred by virtue of this act, may be sued for, prosecuted and recovered, with costs of suit by action of debt, and shall accrue and be one moiety thereof to the use of the person who shall sue for the same, and the other moiety thereof to the use of the United States.
Foreign seamen may be employed in American vessels in foreign ports. Conditions.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to prohibit any commander or master of a public or private vessel of the United States, whilst in a foreign port or place, from receiving any American seamen in conformity to law, or supplying any deficiency of seamen on board such vessel, by employing American seamen, or subjects of such foreign country, the employment of whom shall not be prohibited by the laws thereof.
Provisions of this act not to be extended to the citizens or subjects of nations which have not adopted its principles.Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this act shall have no effect or operation with respect to the employment as seamen of the subjects or citizens of any foreign nation which shall not, by treaty or special convention with the government of the United States, have prohibited on board of her public and private vessels the ​employment of native citizens of the United States, who have not become a citizen or subject of such nation.
Not to be a bar to any treaty.Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to prevent any arrangement between the United States and any foreign nation, which may take place under any treaty or convention, made and ratified in the manner prescribed by the constitution of the United States.
Residence of five years in the United States necessary to qualify a person to become a citizen.Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That no person who shall arrive in the United States, from and after the time when this act shall take effect, shall be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, who shall not for the continued term of five years next preceding his admission as aforesaid have resided within the United States, without being at any time during the said five years, out of the territory of the United States.
Penalty for forging certificates of citizenship or protections.Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged or counterfeited, any certificate or evidence of citizenship referred to in this act; or shall pass, utter, or use as true, any false, forged or counterfeited certificate of citizenship, or shall make sale or dispose of any certificate of citizenship to any person other than the person for whom it was originally issued, and to whom it may of right belong, every such person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony; and on being thereof convicted by due course of law, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a period not less than three, or more than five years, or be fined in a sum not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars, at the discretion of the court taking cognizance thereof.
Suits for forfeitures must be commenced within three years.Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That no suit shall be brought for any forfeiture or penalty incurred under the provisions of this act, unless the suit be commenced within three years from the time of the forfeiture.
Approved, March 3, 1813.