The true Democrat., 1855-09-11

to become inhabitants; and shall further set forth whether any and what number have died on the voyage; which list or manifest shall be sworn to by the said master, in the same man. ner as directed by law in relation to the mani fest of the cargo; and the refusal or neglect of the master aforesaid to comply with the prov. sions of this section, or any part thereof, shall incur the same penalties, disabilities, and forfei- lures as are provided for a refusal or neglect to report and deliver manifest of the cargo afore- said.
 5 13. And be it further enacted, That each and every collector of the customs, to whom such manifest or list of passengers as aforesaid shall be delivered, shall quarterly yearly return copies thereof to the Secretary of State of the United States, by whom statements of the same shall be laid before Congress at each and every session.
 $ 14. And be it further enacted, That in case there shall have occurred on board any ship or vessel arriving at any port or place within the United States or its Territories, any death or deaths among the passengers, (other than cabin passengers the master, or captain, or owner, or consignee of such ship or vessel, shall, within twenty four hours after the time within which the report and list or manifest of passengers mentioned in section twelve of this act, IS re- quired to be delivered to the collector of the customs, pay to the said collectorthe sum of ten dollars for each and every passenger above the age of eight years, who shall have died on the voyage by natural disease: and the said collec- tor shall pay the money thus received, at such times and in such manner as the Secretary ot the Treasury, by general rules. shall direct, to any board or commission appointed by and act ing under the authority of the State within which the port where such ship or vessel arriv- ed is situated for the and protection of sick, indigent, CT destitute emigrants, to be applied to the objects of their appointment; and if there be more than one board or commission who shall claim such payment, the Secretary of the Treasury, for the time being, shall determine which is entitled to receive the same, and his decision in the premises shall be final and with out appeal: Provided, That the payment shall, in no case, be awarded or made to any board, or commission, or association, formed for the protection or advancement of any particular class of emigrants, or emigrants of any particu lar nation or creed; and if the master, captain, owner, or consignee of any ship or vessel, re- fuse or neglect to pay to the collector the sum and sums of money required, and within the time prescribed by this section, he or they shall severally forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dol lars, in addition to such sum of ten dollars for each and every passenger upon whose death the same has become payable, to be recovered by the United States, m any circuit or district court of the United States where such vessel may arrive, or such master, captain, owner, or consignee may reside; and when recovered, the said money shall be disposed of in the same manner as is directed with respect to the sum and sums required to be paid to the collector of customs.
 15. And be it further enacted, That the amount of the several penalties imposed by the foregoing provisions regulating the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels, shall be liens on the vessel or vessels violating those provi- sions, and such vessel or vessels shall be libel led therefor in any circuit or district court of the United States, where such vessel or vessels shall arrive.
 16. And be it further enacted, That all and every vessel or vessels which shall or may be employed by the American Colonization So- ciety or the Colonization Society of any State, to transport, and which shall actually transport, from any port or ports of the United States to any colony or colonies on the west coast of Africa, coored emigrants, to reside there, shall be, and the same are hereby, subjected to the operation of the foregoing provisions, regulating the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels. ! l7. And be it further enacted That the collector of the customs shall examine each emigrant ship or vessel, on its arrival at his port, and ascertain and report to the Secretary of the Treasury the time of sailing, the length of the voyage, the ventilation, the number of passengers, their space on board, their food, the native country of the emigrants, the number of deaths, the age and sex of those who died dur
 
 cause of the mortality, if any, on board, and, if none, what precautionary measures, arrange ments or habits are supposed to have had any, and what agency Tn causing the exemption. IS. And be 1t further enacted, That this act shall take effect with respect to vessels sail ing from ports in the United States on the cas- tern side of the continent, within thirty days from the time of its approval; and with respect to vessels sailing from ports in the United States on the western side of the continent, and from ports in Europe, within sixty days from the time of it's approval; and with respect to ves- sells sailing from ports in other parts of the world within six months from the time of its approval.
 And it is hereby made the duty of the Se- cretary of State to give notice, in the ports of Europe, and elsewhere, of this act, in such manner as he shall deem proper.
 19. And be 1t further enacted, That from and after the time that this act shall take effect with respect to any vessels, then, in respect to such vessels, the act 2d March, 1919, entitled "an act regulating passenger ships and vessels" the act of 22d of February, 1847, entitled an act to regulate the carriage of passengers in merchant vesscls;;'' the act of 2d March, 1947 entitled "an act to amend an act entitled an act to regulate the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels and to determine the time when said act shall take effect;" the act of 31st Januury 1849, entitled "an act exempting vcs- sells employed by the American Colonization Society in transporting colored emigrants from the United States to the coast of Africa from the provisions of the acts of 22d February and 2d of March, 1947 regulating the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels" the act of l7th May, 1848, entitled Gan act to provide for the ventilation of passenger vessels, and for other purposes" and the act of 3d March, 1849, entitled " an act to extend the provisions of all laws now in force relating to the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels and the regula- tion thereof" are hereby repealed But noth- ing in this act contained shall in anywise ob- struct or prevent the prosecution, recovery, dis trbution, or remission of any fines, penalties, or forfetures which may have been incurred in respect to any vessels prior to the day this act goes into effect, in respect to such vessels, under the laws hereby repealed, for which purpose the said laws shall continue in force
 But the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, and upon such conditions as he shall think proper discontinue any such prose- cutions, or remit or modify such penalties.
 Approved, March 3, 1855.
 RESOLUTION
 Joint Resolution to modify or change the ori.
 ginal Plan of the Custom House at New Or | leans.
 Resolved by the Senate and House of Re-