Washington telegraph., 1850-08-21
BY AU THORIT Y.
PUBLIC ACTS.
Passed during the first session of the Thirty first
Congress.

Passed during the first session of the Thirty: first
Congress
PUBLIc.-No. 14.]
AN ACE to provide for recording the convey
ances Of vessels. and for other purposes.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House Of Rep
resent tiUes Of the United States Of America
tn Congress assembled, That no bill of sale,
mortgage hypothecation or conveyance of any ves-
sci or part OF any vessel of the United States, shall
be valid against any personother than the grantor
or m"rlgagor, his heirs and devsees and persons
having actual notice thereof unless such bill of
sale, mortgage, hypothecation. or conveyance, be
recorded in the office of the collector of customs
where such vessel is registered enrolled: Pro-
uided, That the lien by bottOinry on any vessel
created during her voyage, by loan of money
materials necessary to repair or enable such ves-
sci to prosecute voyage, shall not lose It's priority
or be in any way affected by the provision of this
act
Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the
collectors of the customs shall record all such bills
OF sale, mortgages, hypothecations. or conveyan-
ces, and also all certificates for discharging and
cancelIng any such conveyances, in book or
books to he kept for that purpose, in the order Of
their reception; noting in said book or books, and
also on the bill of sale, mortgage, hypothecation,
or conveyance. the time when the same was re-
ceived and shall certify the bill of sale, mort
gage, hyPofhecaton, or conveyance, or certificate
books and page where recorded; and shall receive,
for recording such instrument of conveyance
or certificate of discharge, fifty cents.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the
collectors of the customs shall keep index of
such records, inserting alphabetically the names
OF the vendor or mortgagor, an6 Of the vendee or
mortgage, and shall permit said index and books
of records to be inspected, during office hours,
under such reasonable regulations they may
establish, and shall, when required, furnish to any
person certificate setting forth the names Of the
owners of any vessel registered or enrolled, the
parts or proportions owned by each, Gf inserted in
the register enrolment,) and also, the m ateral
facts of any existing bill of sale, mortgage, hy-
pothecaion, other incumbrance upon such
sci, recorded since the issuing of the last register
or enrolment, viz: the date, amount Of such in
cumbrance, and from and to whom, in whose
favor made; the collectors shall receive for each
such certificate one dollar.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the
collectors of the customs shall furnish certified
copies Of such records the receipt of fifty cents
FOR each bill of sale, mortgage, or otker convey
SEC. s. And be it further enacted, That the
owner, agent Of the owner of any vessel of the
United States, applying to collector of the cus-
toms for a register enrolment of a vessel shall,
in addition to the oath now prescribed by law, set
forth in the oath Of ownership the part proportion
of such vessel belonging to each owner, and the
shall be inserted in the register enrolment;
and that all bills of sale Of vessels registered or
enrolled shall set forth the part Of the vessel
owned by each person selling, and the part con-
veyed to each person purchasing
SEC 6. And be it further enacted, That the
twelfth clause section of the act entitled IAN
act in addition to the several acts regulating the
shipment and discharge of seamen and the duties
of consuIs," approved July twentieth, eighteen
hundred aid forty, be amended, that COM
plants in writing, to the consus commercial
agents therein provided, that vessel is
worthy, shall be signed by the first, the second
and third officers, and majority of the crew, be-
fore the consul commercial agent shall be
thorized to notice such complaint, proceed to
appoint inspectors as therein provided.
SEC. I. And be it further enacted, That any
person, not being owner, who shall on the high
seas wilfuy, with intent to burn or destroy, set
fire to any ship other vessel, otherwise at
tempt the destruction of such ship other vessel
being the property of any citizen or citizens of the
United States, or procure the same to be done,
with intent aforesaid and being thereof lawfully
convicted shall suffer Imprisonment to hard labor,
for term not exceeding ten years less than
three years, according to the aggravation of the
offence
SEC 8. And be it further enacted. That this
act shall be in force from and after the first day
of October next ensuing.
Approved, July %, 1850.
HOWELL COBB,
Speaker of the House of Representatives..
WILLIAM r KING,
President of the Senate. pro tempore.
MILLARD FILLMORE.