# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/12th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 33

Chap. XXXIII.—An Act directing the Secretary of the Treasury to remit certain fines, penalties, and forfeitures, therein mentioned.
Remission of certain fines, &c. &c. authorized.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases where goods, wares, and merchandise have been imported or introduced into the United States (the same not having been clandestinely imported or introduced) from the dependencies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, since the declaration of war by the United States ​against the said kingdom, or which were shipped from the said kingdom prior to the second day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, whereby the person or persons interested in such goods, wares, or merchandise, or concerned in the importation or introduction thereof, into the United States, hath or have incurred any fine, penalty, or forfeiture, under an act, entitledAct of March 1, 1809, ch. 24. 1810, ch. 39. Act of March 2, 1811, ch. 29. Act of March 3, 1797, ch. 13. “An act to interdict the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies, and for other purposes;” and an act, entitled “An act concerning the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies, and for other purposes;” and the act supplementary to the act last mentioned; on such person or persons petitioning for relief to any judge or court, proper to hear the same, in pursuance of the provisions of the act, entitled “An act to provide for mitigating or remitting the forfeitures, penalties, and disabilities, accruing in certain cases therein mentioned;” and on the facts being shown, on inquiry had by the said judge or court, stated and transmitted, as by the said act is required, to the Secretary of the Treasury; in all such cases wherein it shall be proved to his satisfaction, that the said goods, wares, and merchandise,Duties to be paid, and also all costs, &c. at the time of their importation or introduction into the United States were bona fide American property, that they were not clandestinely imported or introduced, and that they were imported or introduced since the declaration of war aforesaid, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to remit all fines, penalties, and forfeitures that may have been incurred under the said acts, in consequence of such importation or introduction into the United States, upon the costs and charges that have arisen, or may arise, being paid, and on payment of the duties that would have been payable by law, on such goods, wares, and merchandise, if legally imported, and also, to direct the prosecution or prosecutions, if any shall have been instituted for the recovery of the said fines, penalties, and forfeitures, to cease and be discontinued.
Time of paying duties upon goods imported from beyond the Cape of Good Hope not altered. Act of Jan. 27, 1813, ch. 14.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the duties payable on the goods, wares, and merchandise embraced by the provisions of the act, entitled “An act authorizing the admission, under certain circumstances, of vessels owned by citizens of the United States of America, with their cargoes, from British ports beyond the Cape of Good Hope,” shall not, in any case, be paid, or secured to be paid, in such manner as to postpone the payment of such duties beyond the time and times at which the said duties should have become payable, if the goods, wares, and merchandise had been imported and entered at the time of passing this act, any thing in the act above mentioned to the contrary notwithstanding.
Approved, February 27, 1813.