New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-25
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 1872

80 appointed shall enter into bonds to the
| United States, conditioned for the faithful
performance of the duties required in bis
Office, for a sum. in the discretion of the
| circuit Judge, of not less than five thousand
dollars, with two good and sufficient securi
| ties therefor, to be approved by said judge;
aud shall take and subscribe the following
oath before entering upon the duties of his
! office: Il do sOIemnly swear Tor affirm, as
the case may be- that | will support the
| constitution of the United States; and that
l will truly and faithfully discharge the
duties of a shipping commissioner to the
| best of my ability, and according to law y
| Said oath shall be Endorsed on the commits
sion or certificate of appointment and
! signed by him and certified by the officer
| before whom such oath or affirmation shall
| have been taken.
| Sec. 3. That any shipping commissioner
may engage clerk or clerks to assist him
IN the transaction of the business of the
shipping office, at his own proper cost, and
may, in case of necessity, depute such clerk
! or clerks to act for him in his official
! capacity; but the shipping commissioner
! shall be held responsible for the acts Of
every such clerk or deputy and will be
personally liable for any penalties such
clerk or deputy may incur by the violation
! of any of the provisions of this act; and
| dli dGLS uDuB w d CltIk, dS SAGu uGpAt y >
| shall be as valid and binding as if done by
| the shipping commissioner Each shipping
commissioner shall provide a seal with
| which he shall authenticate all his official
acts, on which seal shall be engraved the
arms of the United States and the name of
the seaport or district for which he is COM
| missioned. Any instrument, either printed
or written purp0rting to be the official act
7 of a shipping commissioner, and puTport-
ing to be under the seal and signature Of
such shipping commissioner, shall be re-
ceived as prima facie evidence of the otfi-
cial character of such instrument, and OF
the truth Of the facts therein set FORTH
SEC. 4. That every shipping COM
missioner shall leaseo rent, or pro-
premises for the transaction Of business,
and for the preservation of the books and
other documents connected Herewith, and
which premises shall be styled the ship
ping-cOmmissi0uerS office" And the gen.
eraI business of a shipping commissioner
shall be. first to afford facilities for en-
gaging seamen by keeping register OF
their names and characters; secondly, to
superintend their engagement and dis
charge, in manner hereinafter mentioned;
thirdly, to provide means for securing the
presence on board at the proper times OF
men who are so engaged; fourthly, to faciil
tate the making OF apprenticeship to the
sea service, and to perform such other due
ties relating co merchant seamen and mer-
chant ships as are hereby or may hereafter.
under the powers herein contained be come
mitted to him.
SEC. s. That such fees, not exceeding the
sums specified in the table marked "a in
the schedule hereto annexed, shall be pay.
able upon all engagements and discharges
effected before shippingcOmmissiOne as
hereinafter mentioned, and such shipping
commissioners shall cause a scale of the
fees payable to be prepared, and to be CON
spicuously placed in the shipping office; and
the shipping commissioner may refuse to
proceed with any engagement or discharge
unless the fees payable thereon are first
paid
SEC. s. That every owner. consignee,
agent, or master of ship engaging or dis
charging any seamen or seaman in a ship
ping office, or before a. shipping commits
siOner, shall pay to the shipping commits
sioner the whole of the fees hereby made
payable in respect OF such engagement or
discharge, and may for the purpose of in
part reimbursing himself, deduct in respect
of each such engagement or discharge, from
the wages of all persons Except appren
tices) so engaged or discharged, and retain
any sums not exceeding the sums specified
in that behalf in the table marked b in
the schedule hereto annexed.
SEC. :. That any shipping commissioner,
or any clerk or employe in any shipping
office, who shall demand or receive any Ye-
Enumeration whatever: either directly or ina
directlyo for hiring or supplying ans sea'
man for any merchant ships, excepting the
lawful fees payable under this act. shall,
for every such otfenseo incur a penalty not
exceeding two hundred dollars
SEC. 8. That Ill the case OF anT place or
port in which no shipping commissioner shall /,
have been appointed, then the whole or
any part OF the business of a shipping CONF |
missioner shall be cond uCted by the coll !
lectOr or deputy collector of customs of |
such place or port: and in respect OF such J
business such custOmh0use shall be deemed |
a shipping office and the collector or
deputy collector of customs 80 whom such |.
business shall be committed shall for all .
purposes be deemed a shipping commits I
siOner within the meaning of this act; and I
any person otheg than a commissioner un' |
der this act who shall perform or attempt :
to- PERFORM either directly Or indirectly: !
the duties which are by this act set forth |
as pertaining to a ''shipping Gommiso !
sioner," shall incur a penalty not exceeding
five hundred dollars: provided that nOtho
ing in this act shall be construed as TO pre-. |!
vent the owner. or consignee, or master OF !
any ship, except such as are described in |
section twelve of this act. from performing
himself, SO far as the said ships are con
cerned, the duties of shipping commits
siCner under this act.
SEC. g. That every shipping commissioner
appointed under this act shall if applied to {!
tor the purpose Of apprenticing boys TO the
sea service by any masters or owners Of
ships, or by any person or persons legally I
qualified, give such assistance as. in their
power for facilitating the making of such
apprenticeships; but the shipping commiss
sioner shall ascertain that the boy has
consented to be bound, and |!
that the parents or guardian of said boy |.
have consented to said apprenticeship and
has attained the age Of twelve years. and
IS Of sufficient health and strength and that !!
the master to whom the boy is to be bound
Is proper person for the purposes pro- !
yided, That said apprenticeship shall termis
nate when the apprentice becomes eighteen
years of age And the shipping commits
sioner may receive from the persons avail
ng themselves of such assistance the fees
in table &C" in the schedule
hereto annexed. And the shipping com
shall keep register of all indeno
lures Of apprenticeship made before himo
SEC. 10. That the master of every foreigno
going ship shall, before carrying any APP
prentice to sea from any place in the United
States. cause such apprentice to appear be
fore the shipping commissioner Before ?
whom the crew is engaged, and shall pro-
luce to him the indenture by which such
is bound, and the assignment or
assignments thereof tif any, and the name
If said apprentice, with the date Of che
and the assignment or assigno
nents thereof IF any shall be entered on
-he agreement; and no such assignment
shall be made without the approval Of
commissioner, the apprentice, his PARENTS
u his guardian. And for any default IN !
)beying the provisions of this section, the
master shall, for each otfense, incur a pen.