, 1855-09-14

shall appear to the consul or commercial
agent that he is entitled to his discharge
under any act of Congress, or according to-
the general principles Of the maritime law
as recognized in the United States, he shall
discharge such mariner, and shall require of
the master the payment Of three months
wages, as provided in the act of February
twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and three,
and shall not remit the same, or any part
thereof, except in the cases mentioned in
the proviso Of the ninth clause Of the first
section of the act of July twentieth, eigh-
teen hundred and forty, to the following
effect If the consul or other commercial
agent shall be satisfied the contract has cN-
pred, or the voyage been protracted by
circumstances beyond the control of the
master, and without any design on hisinrt
to violate the articles Of shipment, then he
may if he deems ii just, discharge the ma
riner without eXacting the three months
additional pay"
SEC. 20. And be IL further enacted, That
eveYy consul and commercial agent, for any
neglect to perform the duties cnjoined up
OH him by this act, shall be liable to any
injured person for all damages occasioncd
thereby and for violation of the provi-
sions of the fifteenth and nineteenth sections
of this act, shall also be liable TO Indictment
and to a penalty in the manner provided by
the eighteenth clause of the first section of
the act of July twentieth, eighteen hundred
and forty.
SEC. 81. Amd be IL further e'mcted, That
the act OF April fourteenth, seventeen hun
drcd and and ninety-two, concerning con
Suls, &c, &c, is hereby SO amended that if
any American citizen dying abroad shall,
by will or any other writing, leave special
directions for the management and settle
mcut by the consul of the personal or other
property which he may die possessed of in
the country where he may die, it shall be
the duty of the consul, where the laws OF
the country permit, strictly to observe the
directions so given by the deceased. Or,
if such citizen so dying shall, by will or any
other writing, have appointed any other
person than the consul to take charge OF
and settle his affairs, in that case it shall
be the duty of the consul, when, and so
often as required by the so-appoiuted agent
or trustee of the deceased, to give his OIL
/ cial aid in whatever way may be necessary
to facilitate the operations Of such trustee
I or agent, and, where the laws Of the coun-
try permit, to protect the property of the
, deceased from any interference of the local
authorities Of the country in which he may
have died and TO this end it shall also he
, the duty of the consul to place his official
seal on all or any portions Of the property
! Of the deceased as may be required by the
r said agent or trustee, and to break and re-
move the same seal when required by the
agent or trustee and not otherwise he
the said consul or commercial agent, ro
: ceiving therefor two dollars for each seal
T which, like oil other fees for consular ser
, vice, including all charges for extension o.
: protest, as also such commissions as are al
D lowed by existing laws on settlement Of es
. tates Of American citizens by consuls and
/ commercial agents, shall be reported to the
] Treasury Department, and held subject tc
/ its order.
, SEC. %. And be Il further endetal, That
D the following record-books shall be provi
, ded for and kept in each consulate and
commercial agency A lctter-book, into
: which shall be copied, in the English Ian.
guage, all Official letters and notes in the
! order of their dates, which are written by
; the consul or commercial agent; q book for
I the entry Of protests, and in which all other
: official consular acts likewise shall be re-
I corded aud at seaports, book wherein
+. shall DO recorded the list of crew, and the
S age, tonnage, owner or owners, name and
, place to which she belongs, Of every Amcri-
e can vessel which arrives. Consuls and
commercial agents shall make quarterly re-
t turns to their government, specifying the
: amount Of fees received, the number Of YES
sells, and the amount Of their tonnage,
which have arrived and departed ; the
/ number Of seamen, and what portion Of
! them are protected and, as nearly as pos
Z sible, the nature and value Of their cargocs,
and where produced.
: SEC. %. And be IL further enacted, That
7 as soon as consul or commercial agent
: shall have received his exequatur, or been
/ Professionally recognized, he shall apply to
!. bis predecessor for the archives Of the con-
sulate or commercial agency, and make an
: inventory of the papers, and such other ar
: ticles as they may contain, for which he
r shall pass a receipt and transmit copy
thereof to the State Department.
SEC. "a. And be IL further enacted, That
the Secretary Of State be, and he is hereby
|, authorized to prescribe such additional
regulations for the keeping Of the consular
books and records, aud insuring proper re-
turns, as the public interest may require.
SEC. 25. And be IL further eHdcted, That
the President Of the United States be, and
he is hereby, authorized to bcstow the title
of consul-general upon any United States
consul in Asia or Africa, when in his opin-
ion such title will promote the public inter-
est.
SEC. 20. And be il further enacted, That
oil acts and parts of acts, authorizing at
taches to any Of our legations, or the pay
II II.