(ACT of December 31st, 1792.)

sworn (or affirmed) that he (or she, and, if more than one owner, adding the words, "together with," and the name or names, occupation or occupations, place or places of abode, of the other owner or owners) is (or are) the only owner (or owners) of the ship or vessel, called the [inserting here her name] of [inserting here the port to which she may belong] whereof [inserting here the name of the master] is at present master, and is a citizen of the United States, and that the said ship or vessel was [inserting here, when and where built] and [inserting here, the name and office, if any, of the person by whom she shall have been surveyed or admeasured] having certified that the said ship or vessel has [inserting here, the number of decks] and [inserting here, the number of masts] and that her length is [inserting here, the number of feet] her breadth [inserting here, the number of feet] her depth [inserting here, the number of feet] and that she measures [inserting here, her number of tons] that she is [describing here, the particular kind of vessel, whether ship, brigantine, snow, schooner, sloop, or whatever else, together with her built, and specifying whether she has any, or no, gallery or head.] And the said [naming the owner, or the master, or other person acting in behalf of the owner or owners, by whom the certificate of admeasurement shall have been countersigned, as aforesaid] having agreed to the description and admeasurement above specified, and sufficient security having been given, according to the said act, the said ship or vessel has been duly registered at the port of [naming the port where registered.] Given under my hand and seal, at [naming the said port] this [inserting the particular day] day of [naming the month] in the year [specifying the number of the year, in words at length:"] Provided, That if the master, or person having the charge or command of such ship or vessel, shall, himself, have made oath or affirmation touching his being a citizen, the wording of the said certificate shall be varied so as to be conformable to the truth of the case: And provided, That where a new certificate of registry is granted, in consequence of any transfer of a ship or vessel, the words shall be so varied as to refer to the former certificate of registry for her admeasure

ment.

SEC. X. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the treasury to cause to be prepared, and transmitted, from time to time, to the collectors of the several districts, a sufficient number of forms of the said certificates of registry, attested under the seal of the treasury, and the hand of the register thereof, with proper blanks, to be filled by the said collectors, respectively, by whom, also, the said certificates shall be signed and sealed, before they shall be issued; and, where there is a naval officer at any port, they shall be countersigned by him; and where there is a surveyor, but no naval officer, they shall be countersigned by him; and a copy of each shall be transmitted to the said register, who shall cause a record to be kept of the same.

(ACT of December 31st, 1792.)

9. SEC. XI. Where any citizen or citizens of the United States shall purchase, or become owner or owners of, any ship or vessel, entitled to be registered by virtue of this act, such ship or vessel, being within any district, other than the one in which he or they usually reside, such ship or vessel shall be entitled to be registered by the collector of the district where such ship or vessel may be, at the time of his or their becoming owner or owners thereof, upon his or their complying with the provisions hereinbefore prescribed in order to the registry of ships or vessels: And the oath or affirmation which is required to be taken, may, at the option of such owner or owners, be taken, either before the collector of the district, comprehending the port to which such ship or vessel may belong, or before the collector of the district within which such ship or vessel may be, either of whom is hereby empowered to administer the same: Provided, nevertheless, That whenever such ship or vessel shall arrive within the district, comprehending the port to which such ship or vessel shall belong, the certificate of registry, which shall have been obtained as aforesaid, shall be delivered up to the collector of such district, who, upon the requisites of this act, in order to the registry of ships or vessels, being complied with, shall grant a new one, in lieu of the first; and the certificate, so delivered up, shall forthwith be returned, by the collector who shall receive the same, to the collector who shall have granted it: and if the said first mentioned certificate of registry shall not be delivered up, as above directed, the owner or owners, and the master of such ship or vessel, at the time of her said arrival within the district comprehending the port to which such ship or vessel may belong, shall, severally forfeit the sum of one hundred dollars, to be recovered, with costs of suit; and the said certificate of registry shall be thenceforth void. And, in case any of the matters of fact in the said oath or affirmation alleged, which shall be within the knowledge of the party so swearing or affirming, shall not be true, there shall be a forfeiture of the ship or vessel, together with her tackle, furniture, and apparel, in respect to which the same shall have been made, or of the value thereof, to be recovered, with costs of suit, of the person by whom such oath or affirmation shall have been made: Provided always, That if the master, or person having the charge or command of such ship or vessel, shall be within the district aforesaid when application shall be made for registering the same, he shall, himself, make oath or affirmation, instead of the said owner, touching his being a citizen, and the means whereby, or manner in which, he is so a citizen; in which case, if what the said master, or person having the said charge or command, shall so swear or affirm, shall not be true, the forfeiture aforesaid shall not be incurred, but he shall, himself, forfeit and pay, by reason thereof, the sum of one thousand dollars.

SEC. XII. When any ship or vessel, entitled to be registered pursuant to this act, shall be purchased by an agent or attorney

(ACT of December 31st, 1792.)

for, or on account of, a citizen or citizens of the United States, such ship or vessel, being in a district of the United States more than fifty miles distant, taking the nearest usual route by land, from the one comprehending the port to which, by virtue of such purchase, and by force of this act, such ship or vessel ought to be deemed to belong, it shall be lawful for the collector of the district, where such ship or vessel may be, and he is hereby required, upon the application of such agent or attorney, to proceed to the registering of the said ship or vessel, the said agent or attorney first complying, on behalf, and in the stead of, the owner or owners, thereof, with the requisites prescribed by this act, in order to the registry of ships or vessels, except, that in the oath or affirmation which shall be taken by the said agent or attorney, instead of swearing or affirming that he is owner, or an owner, of such ship or vessel, he shall swear or affirm that he is agent or attorney for the owner or owners thereof, and that he hath bona fide purchased the said ship or vessel, for the person or persons whom he shall name and describe as the owner or owners thereof. Provided, nevertheless, That whenever such ship or vessel shall arrive within the district comprehending the port to which such ship or vessel shall belong, the certificate of registry which shall have been obtained as aforesaid, shall be delivered up to the collector of such district, who, upon the requisites of this act, in order to the registry of ships or vessels, being complied with, shall grant a new one, in lieu of the first; and the certificate, so delivered up, shall forthwith be returned by the collector, who shall transmit the same to the collector who shall have granted it. And if the said first mentioned certificate of registry, shall not be delivered up, as above directed, the owner or owners, and the master of such ship or vessel at the time of her said arrival within the district comprehending the port to which she may belong, shall, severally, forfeit the sum of one hundred dollars, to be recovered, with costs of suit, and the said certificate of registry shall be thenceforth void. And in case any of the matters of fact in the said oath or affirmation alleged, which shall be within the knowledge of the party so swearing or affirming, shall not be true, there shall be a forfeiture of the ship or vessel, together with her tackle, furniture, and apparel, in respect to which the same shall have been made, or of the value thereof, to be recovered, with costs of suit, of the person by whom such oath or affirmation shall have been made: Provided always, That if the master, or person having the charge or command of such ship or vessel, shall be within the district aforesaid, when application shall be made for registering the same, he shall, himself, make oath or affirmation, instead of the said agent or attorney, touching his being a citizen, and the means whereby, or manner in which, he is so a citizen; in which case, if what the said master, or person having the said charge or command, shall so swear or affirm, shall not be true, the forfeit

(ACT of December 31st, 1792.)

ure aforesaid shall not be incurred, but he shall, himself, forfeit and pay, by reason thereof, the sum of one thousand dollars.

10. SEC, XII. If the certificate of the registry of any ship or vessel shall be lost or destroyed, or mislaid, the master, or other person having the charge or command thereof, may make oath or affirmation, before the collector of the district where such ship or vessel shall first be after such loss, destruction, or mislaying, who is hereby authorized to administer the same, which oath or affirmation shall be of the form following: "I [inserting here the name of the person swearing or affirming] being master (or having the charge or command) of the ship or vessel called the (inserting the name of the vessel] do swear (or affirm) that the said ship or vessel hath been, as I verily believe, registered, according to law, by the name of [inserting again the name of the vessel] and that a certificate thereof was granted by the collector of the district of [naming the district where registered] which certificate has been lost, (or destroyed, or unintentionally and by mere accident mislaid, as the case may be) and (except, where the certificate is alleged to have been destroyed) that the same, if found again, and within my power, shall be delivered up to the collector of the district in which it was granted," which oath or affirmation shall be subscribed by the party making the same: and upon such oath or affirmation being made, and the other requisites of this act, in order to the registry of ships or vessels, being complied with, it shall be lawful for the collector of the district, before whom such oath or affirmation is made, to grant a new register, inserting therein that the same is issued in the room of the one lost or destroyed. But in all cases where a register shall be granted, in lieu of the one lost or destroyed, by any other than the collector of the district to which the ship or vessel actually belongs, such register shall, within ten days after her first arrival within the district to which she belongs, be delivered up to the collector of the said district, who shall, thereupon, grant a new register in lieu thereof. And in case the master or commander shall neglect to deliver up such register, within the time aforesaid, he shall forfeit one hundred dollars; and the former register shall become null and void.

11. SEC. XIV. When any ship or vessel, which shall have been registered pursuant to this act, or the act hereby, in part, repealed, shall, in whole or in part, be sold, or transferred to a citizen or citizens of the United States, or shall be altered in form, or burthen, by being lengthened, or built upon, or from one denomination to another, by the mode or method of rigging or fitting, in every such case the said ship or vessel shall be registered anew, by her former name, according to the directions hereinbefore contained, (otherwise she shall cease to be deemed a ship or vessel of the United States,) and her former certificate of registry shall be delivered up to the collector to whom application for such new registry shall be made, at the time that the same shall be made, to be by him transmitted to the register of the treasury, who shall

(ACT of December 31st, 1792.)

cause the same to be cancelled. And in every such case of sale or transfer, there shall be some instrument of writing, in the nature of a bill of sale, which shall recite, at length, the said certificate, otherwise the said ship or vessel shall be incapable of being so registered anew. And in every case, in which a ship or vessel is hereby required to be registered anew, if she shall not be so registered anew, she shall not be entitled to any of the privileges or benefits of a ship or vessel of the United States. And further, if her said former certificate of registry shall not be delivered up, as aforesaid, except where the same may have been destroyed, lost, or unintentionally mislaid, and an oath or affirmation thereof shall have been made, as aforesaid, the owner or owners of such ship or vessel shall forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars, to be recovered, with costs of suit.

12. SEC. XV. When the master, or person having the charge or command of a ship or vessel, registered pursuant to this act, or the act hereby in part repealed, shall be changed, the owner, or one of the owners, or the new master of such ship or vessel, shall report such change to the collector of the district where the same shall happen, or where the said ship or vessel shall first be, after the same shall have happened, and shall produce to him the certificate of registry of such ship or vessel, and shall make oath or affirmation, 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; whereupon the said collector shall endorse upon the said certificate of registry a memorandum of such change, specifying the name of such new master, and shall subscribe the said memorandum with his name; and, if other than the collector of the district by whom the said certificate of registry shall have been granted, shall transmit a copy of the said memorandum to him, with notice of the particular ship or vessel to which it shall relate; and the collector of the district by whom the said 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. And if the said change shall not be reported, or if the said oath or affirmation shall not be taken, as above directed, the registry of such ship or vessel shall be void, and the said master, or person having the charge or command of her, shall forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred dollars.

13. SEC. XVI. If any ship or vessel heretofore registered, or which shall hereafter be registered, as a ship or vessel of the United States, shall be sold or transferred, in whole or in part, by way of trust, confidence, or otherwise, to a subject or citizen of any foreign prince or state, and such sale or transfer shall not be made known, in manner hereinbefore directed, such ship or vessel, together with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, shall be forfeited: Provided, That if such ship or vessel shall be owned in part only, and it shall be made appear to the jury, before whom the trial for