Commanding number and nature of the guns, and whatever else shall occur to him, on examination, material to be known; and no such vessel shall be permitted to sail out of port again, after such arrival, until such journal shall have been delivered up, and a certificate obtained under the hand of such collector or other chief officer of the customs, that she is manned and armed according to her commission; and upon delivery of such certificate, any former certificate of a like nature, which shall have been obtained by the commander of such vessel, shall be delivered up. Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That officers of pri- Captains and commanders of vessels having vateers to ex- letters of marque and reprisal, in case of falling hi their in with of the vessels of war or revenue &c. to public of the United States, shall produce to the vessels of the commanding officer of such vessels their journals &c, United States. any journals, commissions and certificates as aforesaid; and the commanding officers of such ships of war or revenue, shall make, respectively, a memorandum in such journal of the day on which it was so produced to him, and shall subscribe his name to it: and in case such vessel, having letters of marque as afore. said, shall put into any foreign port where there is an American consul or other public agent of the United States, the commander shall produce his journal, commission and cer tificate aforesaid, to such consul or agent, who may go on board and number the officers and crew and examine the guns, and if the same shall not correspond with the commission and certificate respectively, such consul or agent shall forthwith communicate the same to the Secretary of the Navy. keep journ ing untrue ones. Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That the commanders of vessels having letters of Penalties for marque and reprisal as aforesaid, neglecting to neglecting to keep a journal as aforesaid, or wilfully making als, or keep fraudulent entries therein, or obliterating any material transactions therein, where the interest of the United States is in any manner concerned, or refusing to produce such journal, commission or certificate, pursuant to the preceding section of this act, then and in such cases, the commissions or letters of marque and ⚫ reprisal of such vessels, shall be liable to be revoked; and such commanders, respectively shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of one thousand dollars, one moiety thereof to the use of the United States, and the other to the informer. privateers, United Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That the owners or commanders of vessels having Owners of letters of marque and reprisal as aforesaid, who how punishshall violate any of the acts of Congress for the able for viola ting revenue collection of the revenue of the United States laws of the and for the prevention of smuggling, shall forfeit the commission or letters of marque and reprisal, and they and the vessels owned or commanded by them, shall be liable to all the penalties and forfeitures attaching to merchant vessels in like cases. States. concerns Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That so Non importa. much of any act or acts as prohibits the impor- tion law, so tation of goods, wares and merchandise, of the far as it growth, produce and manufacture of the do- prize goods, minions, colonies and dependencies of the dispensed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or of goods, wares and merchandise imported from the dominions, colonies, and dependen cies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, be, and the same is hereby repeak with. Offences on board private punishable. Proviso. ed, so far as the same may prohibit the importation or introduction into the United States and their territories of such goods, wares and merchandise as may be captured from the enemy and made good and lawful prize of war, either by vessels having letters of marque and reprisal or by the vessels of war and revenue of the United States. And all such goods, wares and merchandise, when imported or brought into the United States or their territories, shall pay the same duties, to be secured and collected in the same manner and under the same regulations, as the like goods, wares and merchandise, if imported in vessels of the United States from any foreign port or place, in the ordinary course of trade, are now or may at the time be liable to pay. Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That all offences committed by any officer or seaman armed en board any such vessel, having letters vessels, how of marque and reprisal, during the present hostilities against Great Britain, shall be tried and punished in such manner as the like offences are or may be tried and punished when committed by any person belonging to the public ships of war of the United States: Provided always, That all offenders who shall be accused of such crimes as are cognizable by a court martial, shall be confined on board the vessel in which such offence is alledged to have been committed, until her arrival at some port in the United States or their territories; or until she shall meet with one or more of the public armed vessels of the United States abroad, the officers whereof shall be sufficient to make a court martial for the trial of the accused; and upon application made, by the commander of such vessel, on board of which the offence is alledged to have been committed, to the Secretary of the Navy, or to the commander or senior officer of the ship or ships of war of the United States abroad as aforesaid, the Secretary of the Navy, or such commander or officer, is hereby authorised to order a court martial of the officers of the navy of the United States, for the trial of the accused, who shall be tried by the said court. tion laws far as they Sec. 16. And be it further enacted, That an Parts of emact, entitled "An act laying an embargo on bargo and all the ships and vessels in the ports and harbors non-exportaof the United States, for a limited time," pass- repealed, so ed the fourth day of April, one thousand eight relate to prihundred and twelve; and an act, entitled "An vate armed act to prohibit the exportation of specie, goods, vessels. wares and merchandise, for a limited time," passed April fourteenth, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, so far as they relate to ships and vessels having commissions or letters of marque and reprisal, or sailing under the same, be, and they hereby are respectively repealed. Commissions to the collect Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That two per centum on the net amount (after deducting all charges and expenditures) of the ors and prize money arising from captured vessels and consuls upon prize goods: cargoes, and on the net amount of the salvage to what uses of vessels and cargoes re-captured by the pri- to be applied. vate armed vessels of the United States, shall be secured and paid over to the collector or other chief officer of the customs at the port or place in the United States, at which such captured or re-captured vessels may arrive; or to the consul or other public agent of the United States residing at the port or place, not within the United States, at which such cap. tured or re-captured vessels may arrive. And the monies arising therefrom, shall be held and hereby is pledged by the government of the United States as a fund for the support and maintenance of the widows and orphans of such persons as may be slain; and for the support and maintenance of such persons as may be wounded and disabled on board of the private armed vessels of the United States, in any engagement with the enemy, to be assigned and distributed in such manner as shall hereafter by law be provided. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Senate, pro-tempore. June 26, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. CHAPTER CVIII. AN ACT for the more perfect organization of the BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the infantry of the army of the United States shall consist Organization of twenty-five regiments, and that a regiment of the army. shall consist of one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, one major, one adjutant, one paymaster, one quarter-master, one surgeon, two surgeon's mates, one sergeant-major, one quarter-master's sergeant, two principal musicians, and ten companies. |