Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, the 5th day of October, A. D. 1830, and the fifty-fifth of the Independence of the United States. ANDREW JACKSON.

By the President:

M. VAN BUREN,

Secretary of State.

EXTRACTS FROM THE REVISED STATUTES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1878, RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION.a

TITLE XLVIII.

REGULATION OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION.

Chapter One.

Registry and Recording.

SEC. 4131. Vessels registered pursuant to law and no others, except such as shall be duly qualified according to law for carrying on the coasting or fishing trade, shall be deemed vessels of the United States, and entitled to the benefits and privileges appertaining to such vessels; but no such vessel shall enjoy such benefits and privileges longer than it shall continue to be wholly owned by a citizen or citizens of the United States or a corporation created under the laws of any of the States thereof, and be commanded by a citizen of the United States. And all the officers of vessels of the United States who shall have charge of a watch, including pilots, shall in all cases be citizens of the United States. The word "officers" shall include the chief engineer and each assistant engineer in charge of a watch on vessels propelled wholly or in part by steam; and after the first day of January, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, no person shall be qualified to hold a license as a commander or watch officer of a merchant vessel of the United States who is not a native-born citizen, or whose naturalization as a citizen shall not have been fully completed. [As amended by Sec. 1, Chap. 255, Act of Congress of May 28, 1896.]

SEC. 4132. Vessels built within the United States, and belonging wholly to citizens thereof, and vessels which may be captured in war by citizens of the United States, and lawfully condemned as prize, or which may be adjudged to be forfeited for a breach of the laws of the United States, being wholly owned by citizens, and no others, may be registered as directed in this Title.

SEC. 4133. No vessel shall be entitled to be registered, or, if registered, to the benefits of registry, if owned, in whole or in part by any citizen of the United States who usually resides in a foreign country, during the continuance of such residence, unless such citizen be a consul of the United States, or an agent for and a partner in some house of trade or copartnership, consisting of citizens of the United States actually carrying on trade within the United States.

Repealed by sec. 16, chap. 389, act of Congress of March 3, 1897. " See also pp. 1300, 1301.

SEC. 4134. No vessel shall be entitled to be registered as a vessel of the United States, or, if registered, to the benefits of registry, if owned in whole or in part by any person naturalized in the United States, and residing for more than one year in the country from which he originated, or for more than two years in any foreign country, unless such person be a consul or other public agent of the United States. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the registering anew of any vessel before registered, in case of a sale thereof in good faith to any citizen resident in the United States; but satisfactory proof of the citizenship of the person on whose account a vessel may be purchased shall be exhibited to the collector, before a new register shall be granted for such vessel."

SEC. 4142. In order to the registry of any vessel, an oath shall be taken and subscribed by the owner, or by one of the owners thereof, before the officer authorized to make such registry, declaring, according to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person so swearing, the name of such vessel, her burden, the place where she was built, if built within the United States, and the year in which she was built; or that she has been captured in war, specifying the time, by a citizen of the United States, and lawfully condemned as prize, producing a copy of the sentence of condemnation, authenticated in the usual forms; or that she has been adjudged to be forfeited for a breach of the laws of the United States, producing a like copy of the adjudication of forfeiture; and declaring his name and place of abode, and if he be the sole owner of the vessel, that such is the case; or if there be another owner, that there is such other owner, specifying his name and place of abode, and that he is a citizen of the United States, and specifying the proportion belonging to each owner; and where an owner resides in a foreign country, in the capacity of a consul of the United States, or as an agent for and a partner in a house or copartnership consisting of citizens of the United States, actually carrying on trade within the United States, that such is the case, that the person so swearing is a citizen of the United States, and that there is no subject or citizen of any foreign prince or state, directly or indirectly, by way of trust, confidence, or otherwise, interested in such vessel, or in the profits or issues thereof; and that the master thereof is a citizen, naming the master, and stating the means whereby or manner in which he is a citizen.

SEC. 4143. If any of the matters of fact alleged in the oath taken by an owner to obtain the registry of any vessel, which within the knowledge of the party so swearing are not true, there shall be a forfeiture of the vessel, together with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, in respect to which the oath shall have been made, or of the value thereof, to be recovered, with the costs of suit, of the person by whom the oath was made.

SEC. 4165. A vessel registered pursuant to law, which by sale has become the property of a foreigner, shall be entitled to a new register upon afterwards becoming American property, unless it has been enlarged or undergone change in build outside of the United

Repealed by sec. 16, chap. 389, act of Congress of March 3, 1897.

States. [As amended by Sec. 10, Chap. 389, Act of Congress of March 3, 1897].

*

SEC. 4171. When the master or person having the charge or command of a registered vessel is changed, the owner, or one of the owners, or the new master of such vessel, shall report such change to the collector of the district where the same has happened, or where the vessel shall first be after the same has happened, and shall produce to him the certificate of registry of such vessel, and shall make oath, showing that such new master is a citizen of the United States, and the manner in which or means whereby he is so a citizen. Thereupon the collector shall indorse upon the certificate of registry a memorandum of such change, specifying the name of such new master, and shall subscribe the memorandum with his name; and if other than the collector of the district by whom the certificate of registry was granted, shall transmit a copy of the memorandum to him, with notice of the particular vessel to which it relates; and the collector of the district, by whom the certificate shall have been granted, shall make a like memorandum of such change in his book of registers, and shall transmit a copy thereof to the Register of the Treasury. If the change is not reported, or if the oath is not taken, as above directed, the registry of such vessel shall be void, and the master or person having the charge or command of her shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars.

*

SEC. 4189. Whenever any certificate of registry, enrollment, or license, or other record or document granted in lieu thereof, to any vessel, is knowingly and fraudulently obtained or used for any vessel not entitled to the benefit thereof, such vessel, with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, shall be liable to forfeiture.

SEC. 4190. No sea-letter or other document certifying or proving any vessel to be the property of a citizen of the United States shall be issued, except to vessels duly registered, or enrolled and licensed as vessels of the United States, or to vessels which shall be wholly oned by citizens of the United States, and furnished with or entitled to sea-letters or other custom-house documents.

TITLE L.

REGULATION OF VESSELS IN DOMESTIC COMMERCE.

SEC. 4311. Vessels of twenty tons and upward, enrolled in pursuance of this Title, and having a license in force, or vessels of less than twenty tons, which, although not enrolled, have a license in force, as required by this Title, and no others, shall be deemed vessels of the United States entitled to the privileges of vessels employed in the coasting-trade or fisheries.

SEC. 4312. In order for the enrollment of any vessel, she shall possess the same qualifications, and the same requirements in all respects shall be complied with, as are required before registering a vessel; and the same powers and duties are conferred and imposed upon all officers, respectively, and the same proceedings shall be had,

in enrollment of vessels, as are prescribed for similar cases in registering; and vessels enrolled, with the masters or owners thereof, shall be subject to the same requirements as are prescribed for registered vessels.

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SEC. 4320. No licensed vessel shall be employed in any trade whereby the revenue laws of the United States shall be defrauded. The master of every such vessel shall swear that he is a citizen of the United States, and that such license shall not be used for any other vessel or any other employment than that for which it was specially granted, or in any trade or business whereby the revenue of the United States may be defrauded; and if such vessels be less than twenty tons burden, the husband or managing owner shall swear that she is wholly the property of citizens of the United States; whereupon it shall be the duty of the collector of the district comprehending the port whereto such vessel may belong to grant a license." [As amended by sec. 3, chap. 24, Act of Congress of January 16, 1895.]

SEC. 4321. The form of a license for carrying on the coasting-trade or fisheries shall be as follows:

"License for carrying on the (here insert coasting trade,'' whalefishery,'' mackerel-fishery', or 'cod-fishery,' as the case may be).

"In pursuance of Title L, Regulation of Vessels in Domestic Commerce,' of the Revised Statutes of the United States, (inserting here the name of the husband or managing owner, with his occupation and place of abode, and the name of the master, with the place of his abode), having given bond that the (insert here the description of the vessel, whether ship, brigantine, snow, schooner, sloop, or whatever else she may be), called the (insert here the vessel's name), whereof the said (naming the master) is master, burden (insert here the number of tons, in words) tons, as appears by her enrollment, dated at (naming the district, day, month and year, in words at length, but if she be less than twenty tons, insert, instead thereof, 'proof being had of her admeasurement '), shall not be employed in any trade, while this license shall continue in force, whereby the revenue of the United States shall be defrauded, and having also sworn (or affirmed) that this license shall not be used for any other vessel, or for any other employment, than is herein specified, license is hereby granted for the said (inserting here the description of the vessel) called the (inserting here the vessel's name), to be employed in carrying on the (inserting here coasting trade," whale-fishery,' 'mackerel-fishery', or 'cod-fishery', as the case may be), for one year from the date hereof, and no longer. Given under my hand and seal, at (naming the said district), this (inserting the particular day) day of (naming the month), in the year (specifying the number of the year in words at length").

EXTRACTS FROM REPORT ON THE PRINCIPAL FISHERIES OF THE AMERICAN SEAS; BY LORENZO SABINE.*

CUSTOM-HOUSE, BOSTON, Collector's Office, December 10, 1852. SIR: I transmit herewith a report on the fisheries, by Lorenzo Sabine, esq., which he has prepared for the department. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, P. GREELY, Jr.,

Hon. THOMAS CORWIN,

Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.

Collector.

FRAMINGHAM, December 6, 1852.

SIR: I submit herewith the report which I have prepared, in accordance with your instructions of the 2d of February last.

More than twenty years have elapsed since I formed the design of writing a work on the American fisheries, and commenced collecting materials for the purpose. My intention embraced the whale fishery of our flag in distant seas; the fisheries of our own coasts, lakes, and rivers, as well as those which we prosecute within British jurisdiction, under treaty stipulations; and the fisheries of the Indian tribes within the limits of the United States. That a part of my plan has now been executed, is owing entirely to the interest and zeal which you have manifested in the undertaking.

Our first interview upon the subject was caused by a communication to you from the Treasury Department, in which the Secretary conveyed a request that a report of limited size should be furnished from your own office. During our conversation, you expressed a desire to look over my collection of documents and state-papers, and they were accordingly deposited with you for examination. On returning them to me, you were pleased to give a favorable opinion of their value, and to say that you would at once suggest and recommend to Mr. Corwin the expediency of employing me to write a paper somewhat more elaborate than he had contemplated.

Subsequently, you announced to me that the Secretary promptly adopted your views, and submitted the whole matter to your discretion. I undertook the task with all my heart, and with a determination to complete it, if possible, in a manner to meet the expectations of the department and of yourself. It is finished. Whatever the judgment pronounced upon it, I have still to express my grateful acknowledg ments to Mr. Corwin for the kindness which has allowed the partial gratification of a long-cherished wish, and to you for the original suggestion, for your countenance, your sympathy, and your personal supervision.

If I may venture to hope that, as the result of my labors, an important branch of national industry will hereafter be better understood and

* All footnotes printed with these extracts are as they appear in the original report.