A

BILL

For the General Regulation of the Customs.

[Note.-The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted in the Committee.]

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HEREAS an Act was passed in the Session of Parliament Preamble: holden in the third and fourth years of the reign of his late Majesty King WILLIAM the Fourth, intituled, "An Act for the general 3 & 4 Will. 4, Regulation of the Customs," whereby the Laws of Customs in relation to the general regulation of the Customs were consolidated :

And whereas since the passing of the said Act divers parts of Acts for the amendment of the law in this respect have been found necessary, and it will be of advantage to the trade and commerce of the country that the said Act and parts of Acts should be consclidated into 10 one Act; E it therefore Enacted, by The QUEEN's most Excellent MAJESTY, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, THAT from and after the passing of this Act, the same shall come into and be and continue in full force and operation for the purposes mentioned therein, except where any other commencement is herein particularly directed.

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AND whereas it is expedient that the officers of Customs should have full cognizance of all ships coming into any port in the United Kingdom or in the Isle of Man, or approaching the coasts thereof, and of all goods on board or which may have been on board such ships, and also of all goods unladen from any ship in any port or place in the United Kingdom or in the Isle of Man; BE it therefore Enacted, That no goods shall be unladen from any ship arriving from

c. 52.

1.

Commencement of Act.

Inwards.

General Provision.

Inwards.

General Provision.

Times and places of landing and care of officers.

Goods not reported or entered forfeited. If bulk illegally broken, Master to forfeit £. 100.

Certain articles may be landed without Entry.

Manifest. 3.

All British

Manifests.

Manifest.

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parts beyond the seas at any port or place in the United Kingdom or
in the Isle of Man, nor shall bulk be broken after the arrival of such
ship within Four Leagues of the coasts thereof respectively, before due
report of such ship and due entry of such goods shall have been
made, and warrant granted in manner hereinafter directed; and that
no goods shall be so unladen, except at such times and places, and
in such manner and by such persons, and under the care of such
officers as is and are hereinafter directed; and that all goods not duly
reported, or which shall be unladen contrary hereto, shall be forfeited ;
and if bulk be broken contrary hereto, the Master of such ship shall
forfeit the sum of One hundred Pounds; and if, after the arrival of
any ship within Four Leagues of the coast of the United Kingdom
or of the Isle of Man, any alteration be made in the stowage of the
cargo of such ship, so as to facilitate the unlading of any part of such
cargo, or if any part be staved, destroyed or thrown overboard, or
any package be opened, such ship shall be deemed to have broken
bulk Provided always, That the several articles hereinafter enume-
rated may be landed in the United Kingdom, without report, entry
or warrant; (that is to say) diamonds and bullion, fresh fish of British
taking, and imported in British ships, and lobsters, fresh, however 20
taken or imported.

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And be it Enacted, That no goods shall be imported into the United ships to have Kingdom or into the Isle of Man, from parts beyond the seas, in any British ship, unless the Master shall have on board a manifest of such goods made out and dated and signed by him at the place or respective 25 places where the same, or the different parts of the same, was or were taken on board and authenticated in the manner hereinafter provided; Particulars of and every such manifest shall set forth the name and the tonnage of the ship, the name of the Master, and of the place to which the ship belongs, and of the place or places where the goods were taken on 30 board respectively, and of the place or places for which they are destined respectively, and shall contain a particular account and description of all the packages on board, with the marks and numbers thereon, and of the sorts of goods and different kinds of each sort contained therein, to the best of the Master's knowledge; and the 35 general denomination of the contents of every package containing the following articles imported from any foreign place in Europe, namely, cambrics or lawns, leather gloves, manufactures of silk, tobacco, cigars or snuff, and the particulars of such goods as are stowed loose, and the names of the respective shippers and consignees, as far as the 40 same can be known to the Master; and to such particular account shall be subjoined a general account or recapitulation of the total number of the packages of each sort, describing the same by their usual names, or by such descriptions as the same can best be known by, and the different goods therein, and also the total quantities of

the

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the different goods stowed loose; and that all such cambrics or lawns, leather gloves, manufactures of silk, tobacco, cigars or snuff not so manifested shall be forfeited.

And be it Enacted, That before any ship shall be cleared out or depart from any place in any of the British possessions abroad, with any goods for the United Kingdom or for the Isle of Man, the Master of such ship shall produce the manifest to the Collector or Comptroller of the Customs, or other proper officer, who shall certify upon the same the date of the production thereof to him: Provided always, That in all places within the territorial possessions of the East India Company, the Collector of Sea Customs or other proper officer shall authenticate the manifest as aforesaid.

And be it Enacted, That if any goods shall be imported into the United Kingdom or into the Isle of Man in any British ship, without such manifest, or if any goods contained in such manifest be not on board, the Master of such ship shall forfeit the sum of One hundred Pounds.

6. Manifest to be produced within Four

Leagues;

and copies delivered to

And be it Enacted, That the Master of every ship required to have a manifest on board, shall produce such manifest to any officer of the Customs who shall come on board his ship after her arrival within Four Leagues of the coast of the United Kingdom or of the coast of the Isle of Man, and who shall demand the same for his inspection ; and such Master shall also deliver to any such officer who shall be the first to demand it, a true copy of such manifest, signed by the officers. Master, and shall also deliver another copy to any other officer of the Customs who shall be the first to demand the same within the limits of the port to which such ship is bound; and thereupon such officers respectively shall notify on such manifest and on such copies the date of the production of such manifest and of the receipt of such 30 copies, and shall transmit such copies to the Collector and Comptroller of the port to which such vessel is first bound, and shall return such manifest to the Master; and if such Master shall not in any case produce such manifest or deliver such copy, he shall forfeit the sum of One hundred Pounds.

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Copies to be port of desti

transmitted to

nation.

Master not producing to forfeit £.100.

Report.

7.

Master, with in Twentyfour Hours king and before breaking bulk, shall report.

And be it Enacted, That the Master of every ship arriving from parts beyond the seas at any port in the United Kingdom or in the Isle of Man, whether laden or in ballast, shall within Twenty-four Hours after such arrival, and before bulk be broken, make due report of such ship, and shall make and subscribe a declaration to the 40 truth of the same before the Collector or Comptroller of such port; and such report shall contain an account of the particular marks, Report.

Particulars of

Inwards.

Report.

Penalty on failure, £.100.

8.

Bond to maintain Africans.

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numbers and contents of all the different packages or parcels of the
goods on board such ship, and the particulars of such goods as are
stowed loose, to the best of his knowledge, and the general denomi-
nation of the contents of every package containing the following
articles imported from any foreign place in Europe; namely, cambrics
or lawns, leather gloves, manufactures of silk, tobacco, cigars or snuff,
and of the place or places where such goods were respectively taken on
board, and of the burthen of such ship, and of the country where such
ship was built, or if British, of the port of registry, and of the country
of the people to whom such ship belongs, and of the name and
country of the person who was Master during the voyage, and of the
number of the people by whom such ship was navigated, stating how
many are subjects of the country to which such ship belongs, and how
many are of some other country; and in such report it shall be
further declared, whether and in what cases such ship has broken 15
bulk in the course of her voyage, and what part of the cargo,
if any,
is intended for importation at such port, and what part, if any,
intended for importation at another port in the United Kingdom, or
at another port in the Isle of Man respectively, and what part, if any,
is prohibited to be imported, except to be warehoused for exportation 20
only, and what part, if any, is intended for exportation in such ship
to parts beyond the seas, and what surplus stores or stock remain on
board such ship, and if a British ship, what foreign-made sails or
cordage, not being standing or running rigging, are in use on board
such ship; and the Master of any ship who shall fail to make such 25
report, or who shall make a false report, shall forfeit the sum of One
hundred Pounds.

is

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Provided always, and be it Enacted, That the Master of every vessel coming from the coast of Africa, and having taken on board at any place in Africa any person or persons being or appearing 30 to be natives of Africa, shall, in addition to all other matters, state in the report of his vessel how many such persons have been taken on board by him in Africa; and any such Master failing herein shall forfeit the sum of One hundred Pounds: Provided also, That the Master or Owner or Owners of such vessel, or some or one of them, at the time of making such report, be required to enter into bond to Her Majesty in the sum of One hundred Pounds, conditioned to keep harmless any parish or any extra-parochial or other place maintaining its own poor, against any expense which such parish or other place may be put to in supporting any such person during their stay in the 40 United Kingdom; and any such Master, Owner or Owners refusing or neglecting to enter into such bond, shall forfeit the sum of Two hundred Pounds.

And