New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-20
Congress shall have power to alter, amend,
or repal this act at any time
Approved, june q, 1870.
fPuBLrC-No. 1861

fPuBLIC-No. log.
AN ACT to reorganize the marine hospital
service, and to provide for the relief OF
sick and disabled seamen.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
REPRESENTATIVES. Of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, That from
and after the first day Of August, eighteen
hundred and seventy, there shall be as
seesed and collected BY the collectors OF
customs at the ports of the United States,
from the masters or owners OF every vessel
of the United States arriving from q foreign
port, or of registered vessels employed IN
the cOasting trade, the sum OF forty cents
per month for each and every seaman who
shall have been employed ON said vessel
since she was last entered at any port of the
United States, which sum said master OF
owner is hereby authorized to collect and
retain from the wages of said employees.
SEC, 2. And be It further enacted That
from and after the first day Of August no
collector shall grant to any vessel whose
enrolment or license for carrying on the
cOasting trade has expired, new enroll
ment OF license, unless the master OF such
vessel shall have first rendered a true ac-
count to the collector Of the number of sea
men and the time they have been employed
on such vessel during the continuance OF
the license which has so expired, and shall
have paid to such collector forty cents per
month for every such seaman who shall
have been employed as aforesaid, which
sum the said master is hereby authorized
to retain out of the wages OF such seaman
and if the master of any registered, enrolled,
or licensed vessel of the United States shall!
render a false account Of the number OF
seamen so employed, or of the length OF
time they have severally been employed, as
is herein required, he shall forfeit and pay
fifty dollars, which shall be applied to, and
shall make q part Of the general fund
created by this act and all needful regula-
tons for the mode of collecting the sums
hereinbefore mentioned shall be prepared
under the direction of the Secretary of the
Treasury, by such person as may by him be
designated.
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That it
shall be the duty of the several collectors
to deposit the sums collected by them re-
spectively under the provisions of this act,
in the nearest United States depository, to the
credit of ''the fund for the relief Of sick and
disabled seamen;" making returns of the
same with proper vouchers monthly, on
forms to be furnished by the Secretary OF
the Treasury.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That
all moneys received or collected by virtue of
this act shall be paid into the Treasury like
reduction; and all moneys so received are
hereby appropriated for the expenses of
the marine hospital service, and shall be
credited to the marine hospital fund, of
which separate accounts shall be kept.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted. That
the fund thus obtained shall be employed,
under the direction Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury, for the care and relief of sick and
disabled seamcn employed in registered. en-
rolled and licensed vessels of the United
States.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the
Secretary of the Treasury is hereby author
lied to appoint surgeon to act as super
vising surgeon of marine hospital service,
whose duty it shall be, under the
direction OF the Secretary, to supervise
all matters connected with the marine
hospital service, and with the disbursement
of the fund provided by this act, at salary
not exceeding the rate Of two thousand dol
lars per annum, and his necessary travelling
expenses, who shall be required to make
monthly reports to the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Sec. z. And be it further enacted, That,
for the purposes of this act, the term ives
sell" herein used, shall be held to include
every description of water craft. raft.
vehicle and continuance used or capable of
being used as q means or auxiliary OF trans
pOrtatiOn ON or by water. And all acts and
parts of acts inconsistent or in conflict with
the provisions of this act be aud the same
are hereby repealed.
Approved, June %, 1870.