# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/6th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 10

Chap. X.—An Act further to suspend the commercial intercourse between the United States and France, and the dependencies thereof.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all ​Intercourse suspended.commercial intercourse between any person or persons resident within the United States or under their protection, and any person or persons resident within the territories of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof, shall be, and from and after the second day of March next, is hereby prohibited and farther suspended, excepting only in the cases hereinafter provided. And any ship or vessel, owned, hired, or employed wholly or in part by any person or persons resident within the United States, or any citizen or citizens thereof resident elsewhere, and sailing therefrom after that day, which contrary to the intent hereof, shall be voluntarily carried, or shall be destined or permitted to proceed, or shall be sold, bartered, entrusted or transferred, for the purpose that she may proceed, whether directly or from any intermediate port or place, to any port or place within the territories of that Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof; or shall be engaged in any traffic or commerce, by or for any person resident within the territories of that Republic, or within any of the dependencies thereof; and also any cargo which shall be found on board of such ship or vessel, when detected and interrupted in such unlawful purpose, or at her return from such voyage to the United States, shall be wholly forfeited, and may be seized and condemned in any court of the United States, having competent jurisdiction.
On clearing other than certain foreign vessels for a foreign voyage, security may be given.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That excepting for foreign ships or vessels owned, hired, and employed by persons permanently residing in Europe, and commanded and wholly navigated by foreigners, no clearance for a foreign voyage shall be granted to any ship or vessel whatever, until the owner or the employer for the voyage, or if not resident within the district where the clearance shall be required, his factor or agent, with the master and one or more sufficient surety or sureties, to the satisfaction of the collector of the district, shall give bond to the United States, such owner, employer, or factor, with the master, in a sum equal to the value of the vessel, and of one third of her cargo; and such surety or sureties in a like sum, when it shall not exceed ten thousand dollars; and if it shall exceed, then in that sum, with condition that the ship or vessel for which a clearance shall be required, is actually destined, and shall proceed to some port or place without the limits or jurisdiction of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof, and during the intended voyage shall not be voluntarily carried, or permitted to proceed or sold, entrusted or transferred, with the purpose that she may proceed whether directly, or from any intermediate port or place, to any port or place within the territories of that Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof; and shall not, at any such port or place, voluntarily deliver or unlade any part of such cargo; and if compelled by distress of weather, or taken by force into any such port or place, will not there receive on board of such ship or vessel, any goods, produce, or merchandise, other than necessary sea stores; and generally, that such ship or vessel shall not be employed in any traffic or commerce, with or for any person resident within the territory of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof.
Master of a vessel going to a French port and unlading, by compulsion, may receive payment in money or bullion, &c.Sec. 3. Provided, and be it further enacted, That when any ship or vessel which shall obtain a clearance for a foreign voyage, after a bond shall be given as aforesaid, shall be compelled by distress of weather, or other casualty endangering the safety of such ship or vessel, or of the mariners on board the same, or shall be taken by any armed vessel, or other superior force, into any port or place within the territories of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof, and shall there necessarily unlade and deliver, or shall be deprived of any cargo then on board, then, and in such case, the master or other person having charge of such ship or vessel, may receive compensation or payment in bills of exchange, or in money or bullion, for such cargo, but not otherwise, ​and shall not be understood thereby to contravene this law, or to incur a forfeiture of the said bond.
Forfeiture of vessel and cargo coming from a French port, or from an intermediate port, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That no ship or vessel coming from any port or place within the territories of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof, whether with or without a cargo, or from any other port or place, with a cargo on board obtained for, or laden on board of such vessel at any port or place within the said territories or dependencies, which shall arrive within the limits of the United States after the said second day of March next, shall be admitted to an entry with the collector of any district; and each and every such ship or vessel which shall arrive as aforesaid, having on board any goods, wares or merchandise, destined to be delivered within the United States, contrary to the intent of this act, or which shall have otherwise contravened the same, together with the cargo which shall be found on board, shall be forfeited, and may be seized and condemned in any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction:Exceptions. Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit the entry of any vessel having a passport granted under the authority of the French Republic, and solely employed for purposes of political or national intercourse with the government of the United States, and not in any commercial intercourse, and which shall be received, and permitted by the President of the United States to remain within the same: And provided also, that until the first day of August next, and no longer, any ship or vessel, wholly owned or employed by a foreigner, other than any person resident in France, or in any of the dependencies of the French Republic, and which coming therefrom shall be destined to the United States, and shall arrive within the same, not having otherwise contravened this act, shall be required and permitted to depart therefrom, and in case she shall accordingly depart, without any unreasonable delay, and without delivery, or attempting to deliver, any cargo or lading within the United States, such ship or vessel, or any cargo which may be on board the same, shall not be liable to the forfeiture aforesaid.
Treatment of vessels coming from a French port or with a cargo therein obtained, and putting in through stress of weather, &c. Vol. i. 627.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That if any ship or vessel, coming from any port or place within the territories of the French Republic, or any of the dependencies thereof, or with any cargo there obtained on board, but not destined to any port or place within the United States, shall be compelled by distress of weather, or other necessity, to put into any port or place within the limits of the United States, such ship or vessel shall be there hospitably received in the manner prescribed by the act, intituled “An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage;” and shall be permitted to make such repairs, and to obtain such supplies as shall be necessary to enable her to proceed according to her destination; and such repairs and supplies being obtained, shall be thereafter required and permitted to depart. But if such ship or vessel shall not conform to the regulations prescribed by the act last mentioned, or shall unlade any part of her cargo, or shall take on board any cargo or supplies whatever, without the permit of the collector of the district previously obtained therefor, or shall refuse, or unreasonable delay to depart from and out of the United States, after having received a written notice to depart, which such collector may, and shall give, as soon as such ship or vessel shall be fit for sea; or having departed shall return to the United States, not being compelled thereto by further distress or necessity, in each and every such case, such ship or vessel and her cargo shall be forfeited and may be seized, and condemned in any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction.
The President may remit the prohibition of intercourse and renew it again.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That at any time after the passing of this act, it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, by his order to remit and discontinue for the time being, whenever he shall deem it expedient, and for the interest of the United States, all or any ​of the restraints and prohibitions imposed by this act, in respect to the territories of the French Republic, or to any island, port or place belonging to the said Republic, with which in his opinion a commercial intercourse may be safely renewed; and also it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, whenever he shall afterwards deem it expedient, to revoke such order, and hereby to re-establish such restraints and prohibitions. And the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized, to make proclamation thereof accordingly.
How Hispaniola shall be considered under this act.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the whole of the island of Hispaniola shall for the purposes of this act be considered as a dependency of the French Republic: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to repeal or annul in any part, the order or proclamation of the President of the United States, heretofore issued for permitting commercial intercourse with certain ports of that island.
President may instruct the public armed ships to stop vessels contravening this act.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, to give instructions to the public armed vessels of the United States, to stop and examine any ship or vessel of the United States on the high sea, which there may be reason to suspect to be engaged in any traffic or commerce contrary to this act, and if upon examination, it shall appear that such ship or vessel is bound or sailing to, or from any port or place, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, it shall be the duty of the commander of such public armed vessel, to seize every ship or vessel engaged in such illicit commerce, and send the same to the nearest convenient port of the United States, to be there prosecuted in due course of law, and held liable to the penalties and forfeitures provided by this act.
Penalties may be mitigated, &c.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That all penalties and forfeitures incurred by force of this act, shall, and may be examined, mitigated, and remitted in like manner, and under the like conditions, regulations, and restrictions, as are prescribed, authorized, and directed by the act, intituledVol. i. 506. Distribution of penalties. “An act to provide for mitigating, or remitting, the forfeitures, penalties and disabilities accruing in certain cases therein mentioned;” and all penalties and forfeitures, which may be recovered in pursuance of this act in consequence of any seizure made by the commander of any public armed vessel of the United States, shall be distributed according to the rules prescribed by the act, intituledVol. i. 715. “An act for the government of the navy of the United States;” and all other penalties arising under this act, and which may be recovered, shall be distributed and accounted for in the manner prescribed by the act, intituledVol. i. 697. “An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage.”
President may grant permission to enter and clear in certain cases.Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That nothing contained in this act shall extend to any ship or vessel to which the President of the United States shall grant permission to enter and clear; provided such ship or vessel shall be solely employed, pursuant to such permission, for purposes of national intercourse; and shall not be permitted to proceed with, or to bring to the United States any cargo or lading whatever other than necessary sea-stores.
Former act continued in part. Vol. i. 613.Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That the act, intituled “An act further to suspend the intercourse between the United States and France, and the dependencies thereof,” shall be, and is hereby continued and shall be taken to be in force in respect to all offences, which shall have been committed against the same, before the expiration thereof; and to the intent that all seizures, forfeitures and penalties arising upon such offences, may be had, sued for, prosecuted and recovered, any limitation of the said act to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.
Limitation of this act.Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That this act shall be and remain in force until the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and one: Provided, however, the expiration thereof shall not prevent or ​defeat any seizure, or prosecution for a forfeiture incurred under this act, and during the continuance thereof.
Approved, February 27, 1800.