# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/15th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 70

Chap. LXX.—An Act concerning navigation.
The ports of the United States closed, after 30th Sept. 1818, against vessels owned by British subjects, arriving from a colony which, by the ordinary laws, is closed against vessels owned by the citizens of the United States. Touching at a port, which, by the ordinary laws is open to vessels, owned by citizens of the United States, does not vary the restriction.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the thirtieth of September next, the ports of the United States shall be and remain closed against every vessel owned wholly or in part by a subject or subjects of his Britannic majesty, coming or arriving from any port or place in a colony or territory of his Britannic majesty that is or shall be, by the ordinary laws of navigation and trade, closed against vessels owned by citizens of the United States; and such vessel, that, in the course of the voyage, shall have touched at, or cleared out from, any port or place in a colony or territory of Great Britain, which shall or may be, by the ordinary laws of navigation and trade aforesaid open to vessels owned by the citizens of the United States, shall, nevertheless, be deemed to have come from the port or place in the colony or territory of Great Britain, closed as aforesaid, against vessels owned by citizens of the United States, from which such vessel cleared out and sailed before touching at, and clearing out from, an intermediate and open port or place as aforesaid; and every such vessel, to excluded from the ports of the United States, that shall enter, or attempt to enter, the same, in violation of this act, shall, with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, together with her cargo on board such vessel, be forfeited to the United States.
Vessels and cargoes entering in violation of this act forfeited to the United States. After the 30th Sept. 1818, the owner, consignee, &c. of British vessels taking on board productions of the United States, in the ports thereof, except sea stores, &c. to give bond not to land in a British colony or territory from which, by the ordinary laws, vessels of the United States are excluded. Vessels sailing without bond, &c. and the articles on board, forfeited to the United States. Proviso. Act of March 2, 1799, ch. 22, sec. 81. Form of the bond to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. The bond may be discharged by producing within a year, a certificate like that required by the 81st section of the act to regulate the collection of duties, &c.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after the aforesaid thirtieth of September next, the owner, consignee, or agent, of every vessel, owned wholly or in part by a subject or subjects of his Britannic majesty, which shall have been duly entered in any port of the United States, and on board of which shall have been there laden for exportation any article or articles, of the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the United States, other than provisions and sea stores necessary for the voyage, shall, before such vessel shall have been cleared outward at the custom-house, give bond, in a sum double the value of such articles, with one or more sureties, to the satisfaction of the collector, that the article or articles so laden on board such vessel for exportation, shall be landed in some port or place other than a port of place in a colony or territory of his Britannic majesty, which by the ordinary laws of navigation and trade, is closed against vessels owned by citizens of the United States; and any such vessel that shall sail, or attempt to sail, from any port of the United States, without having complied with the provision aforesaid, by giving bond aforesaid, shall, with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, together with the article or articles aforesaid, laden on board the same as aforesaid, be forfeited to the United States: Provided always, That nothing in this act contained shall be so deemed or construed, so as to violate any provision of the convention to regulate commerce between the territories of the United States and of his Britannic majesty, signed the third day of July, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the form of the band aforesaid shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury; and the same shall and may be discharged, and not otherwise, by producing, within one year after the date thereof, a like certificate to that required by and under the regulations contained in the eighty-first section of the act “to regulate the collection of duties on imports,” passed the ​second day of March, seventeen hundred and ninety-nine, that the articles of the growth, produce, and manufacture, of the United States, laden as aforesaid, were unladen and landed conformably to the provisions of this act, or, in cases of loss by sea, by capture, or other unavoidable accident, by the production of such other proofs as the nature of the case will admit, according to the provisions of the said eighty-first section of the act aforesaid.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all penalties and forfeitures incurred by force of this act, shall be sued for, recovered, distributed, and accounted for, and may be mitigated or remitted, in the manner and according to the provisions of the revenue laws of the United States.
Approved, April 18, 1818.