# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/13th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 17

Chap. XVII.—An Act to provide for the return to their own districts of vessels detained by the embargo in districts other than those where they are respectively owned or belong.
President authorized to grant permission to vessels loaded in whole or in part, in certain cases, to return to the districts to which they belong. Act of Dec. 17, 1813, ch. 1.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to authorize the collectors of the customs to grant permission to ships or vessels of the United States, which, at the time when the masters thereof received notice of the act passed on the seventeenth day of December last, “laying an embargo on all ships and vessels in the ports and harbours of the United States,” were in a district other than that where the said ships or vessels were owned or belonged, to return to the district where the owner or owners of such ships or vessels reside, in ballast, or with the cargoes other than ​provisions, naval and military stores, which were on board the same when the masters received notice of the act as aforesaid: Provided, That no such permission shall be granted until the owner or master of such ship or vessel, together with one or more sufficient sureties, shall have given bond in four times the value of such vessel, and of the cargo if any there be on board, conditioned that the said ship or vessel shall not proceed to any other port or place than that mentioned in her clearance, nor put any article on board of any other vessel or boat during the voyage. And if such ship or vessel shall proceed to any foreign port or place, or put any article on board of any other vessel or boat during the voyage, or be guilty of any other act contrary to the provisions of the act before mentioned,Act of Dec. 17, 1813, ch. 1. “laying an embargo on all ships and vessels in the ports and harbours of the United States,” or contrary to the provisions of this act, the said ship or vessel, her tackle and apparel shall be forfeited, and the master shall moreover forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, and shall be imprisoned for a term not less than six months nor exceeding one year.
Equipment of such vessels, as to seamen.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the master of every vessel receiving a permission under this act shall, before the departure of the same from port, make out under oath, and deliver to the collector of the district, a list of the seamen on board the same, the whole of which shall be landed at the port or place to which the vessel is permitted to proceed, under penalty of five hundred dollars, to be recovered of the master of such vessel before any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction, for every seaman which shall not be thus landed, except death or other unavoidable casualty shall prevent the same. And no vessel receiving such permission shall take on board a number of seamen more than sufficient to navigate the same, of the sufficiency of which number the collector shall be the judge, and shall be authorized to refuse a clearance and permission to depart, if the number of seamen on board shall exceed that which may in his opinion be necessary. No passengers shall be transported in such vessel, other than the owner, supercargo, or agent for the same, or for the cargo, if any there be on board.
Limitation of time in which permission may be obtained.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That no ship or vessel shall be entitled to the benefit of this act unless the permission hereby authorized to be granted shall be applied for within three months after the passage thereof.
President may permit vessels employed in the transportation of the public property, to clear out for any district in the United States, and to return to those to which they belong.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States may instruct the collectors of the customs, under such restrictions and limitations as he may deem proper, to clear out for any district within the United States or the territories thereof, any vessels wholly employed in the transportation of military or naval stores, provisions, or other articles on public account; and if any such vessel, after the delivery of such public property at any port or place within the United States or the territories thereof, shall cease to be employed in the transportation of public property as aforesaid, such vessel may be permitted to return to the port or place of lading, or proceed in ballast only to the district to which such vessel may belong, any thing in theAct of Dec. 17, 1813, ch. 1. “Act laying an embargo on all ships and vessels in the ports and harbours of the United States, passed during the present session of congress, to the contrary notwithstanding.
Approved, March 4, 1814.