Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

PART XVIII.-COMMERCE WITH CONTIGUOUS

COUNTRIES.

251. Size of foreign-trade vessels.
252. Evasion of coasting laws on the
lakes and frontiers.

253. Inward manifests.
254. Customs inspection.

255. Customs seals on frontier.

256. Transfer of cargo.

257. Sea stores.

258. Saloon stores.

259. Duties on repairs.

R. S., 3095.
Apr. 27, 1904.

R. S., 3096.

R. S., 3110.

[blocks in formation]

251. Size of foreign-trade vessels.

Except in the districts on the northern, northwestern, and western boundaries of the United States, adjoining to the Dominion of Canada, or into the districts adjacent to Mexico, no merchandise of foreign growth or manufacture, subject to the payment of duties, shall be brought into the United States from any foreign port in any other manner than by sea, nor in any vessel of less than thirty net register tons; or landed or unladen at any other port than is directed by law, under the penalty of seizure and forfeiture of all such vessels, and of the merchandise imported therein, laden or unladen in any other manner.

All persons may import any merchandise of which the importation shall not be entirely prohibited, into the districts which are or may be established on the northern and northwestern boundaries of the United States, in vessels or boats of any burden, and in rafts or carriages of any kind or nature whatsoever.

252. Evasion of coasting laws on the lakes and frontiers.

If any merchandise shall, at any port in the United States on the northern, northeastern, or northwestern frontiers thereof, be laden upon any vessel belonging wholly or in part to a subject of a foreign country, and shall be taken thence to a foreign port to be reladen and reshipped to any other port in the United States on such frontiers, either by the same or any other vessel, foreign or American, with intent to evade the provisions relating to the transportation of merchandise from one port of the United States to another port of the United States, in a vessel belonging wholly or in part to a subject of any foreign power, the merchandise shall, on its arrival at such last-named port, be seized and forfeited to the

United States, and the vessel shall pay a tonnage-duty of fifty cents per ton on her admeasurement.

253. Inward manifests.

All vessels, boats, rafts, and carriages, of what kind R. S., 3097. soever, arriving in such districts, on the northern and northwestern frontiers, containing merchandise subject to duties, on being imported into any port of the United States, shall be reported to the collector, or other chief officer of the customs at the port of entry in the district into which it shall be so imported; and such merchandise shall be accompanied with like manifests, and like entries shall be made, by the persons having charge of any such vessels, boats, rafts, and carriages, and by the owners or consignees of the merchandise laden on board the same; and the powers and duties of the officers of the customs shall be exercised and discharged in the districts last mentioned, in like manner as is prescribed in respect to merchandise imported in vessels from the sea; and generally, all such importations shall be subject to like regulations, penalties, and forfeitures as in other districts, except as is hereinafter specially provided.

The master of any vessel, except registered vessels, and R. S., 3098. every person having charge of any boat, canoe, or raft, and the conductor or driver of any carriage or sleigh, and every other person, coming from any foreign territory adjacent to the United States into the United States, with merchandise subject to duty, shall deliver, immediately on his arrival within the United States, a manifest of the cargo or loading of such vessel, boat, canoe, raft, carriage, or sleigh, or of the merchandise so brought from such foreign territory, at the office of any collector or deputy collector which shall be nearest to the boundary-line, or nearest to the road or waters by which such merchandise is brought; and every such manifest shall be verified by the oath of such person delivering the same; which oath shall be taken before such collector or deputy collector; and such oath shall state that such manifest contains a full, just, and true account of the kinds, quantities, and values of all the merchandise so brought from such foreign territory.

If the master, or other person having charge of any ves- R. S., 3099. sel, boat, canoe, or raft, or the conductor or driver of any carriage or sleigh, or other person bringing such merchandise, shall neglect or refuse to deliver the manifest required by the preceding section, or pass by or avoid such office, the merchandise subject to duty, and so imported, shall be forfeited to the United States, together with the vessel, boat, canoe, or raft, the tackle, apparel, and furniture of the same, or the carriage or sleigh, and harness and cattle drawing the same, or the horses with their saddles and bridles, as the case may be; and such master,

R. S., 3100.

R. S., 3101.

R. S., 3102.

conductor, or other importer shall be subject to a penalty of four times the value of the merchandise so imported.

254. Customs inspection.

All merchandise, and all baggage and effects of passengers, and all other articles imported into the United States from any contiguous foreign country, except as hereafter provided, as well as the vessels, cars, and other vehicles and envelopes in which the same shall be imported, shall be unladen in the presence of, and be inspected by, an inspector or other officer of the customs, at the first port of entry or custom-house in the United States where the same shall arrive; and to enable the proper officer thoroughly to discharge this duty, he may require the owner or his agent, or other person, having charge or possession of any trunk, traveling-bag, or sack, valise, or other envelope, or of any closed vessel, car, or other vehicle, to open the same, or to deliver to him the proper key.

If any owner, agent, or other person shall refuse or neglect to comply with his demands, allowed by the preceding section, the officer shall retain such trunk, traveling bag, or sack, valise, or whatsoever it may be, and open the same, and, as soon thereafter as may be practicable, examine the contents; and if any article subject to the payment of duty shall be found therein, the whole contents, together with the envelope, shall be forfeited to the United States, and disposed of as the law provides in other similar cases. If any such dutiable merchandise or article shall be found in any such vessel, car, or other vehicle, the owner, agent, or other person in charge of which shall have refused to open the same or deliver the key as herein provided, the same, together with the vessel, car, or other vehicle, shall be forfeited to the United States, and shall be held by such officer, to be disposed of as the law provides in other similar cases of forfeiture. 255. Customs seals on frontier.

To avoid the inspection at the first port of arrival, the owner, agent, master, or conductor of any such vessel, car, or other vehicle, or owner, agent, or other person having charge of any such merchandise, baggage, effects, or other articles, may apply to any officer of the United States duly authorized to act in the premises, to seal or close the same, under and according to the regulations hereinafter authorized, previous to their importation into the United States; which officer shall seal or close the same accordingly; whereupon the same may proceed to their port of destination without further inspection. Every such vessel, car, or other vehicle, shall proceed, without unnecessary delay, to the port of its destination, as named in the manifest of its cargo, freight, or contents, and be there inspected. Nothing contained in this section shall be

construed to exempt such vessel, car, or vehicle, or its contents, from such examination as may be necessary and proper to prevent frauds upon the revenue and violations of this Title [R. S., 2517-3129].

The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and R. S., 3103. required to make such regulations, and from time to time so to change the same as to him shall seem necessary and proper, for sealing such vessels, cars, and other vehicles, when practicable, and for sealing, marking, and identifying such merchandise, baggage, effects, trunks, traveling-bags, or sacks, valises, and other envelopes and articles; and also in regard to invoices, manifests, and other pertinent papers, and their authentication.

If the owner, master, or person in charge of any vessel, R. S., 3104. car, or other vehicle so sealed, shall not proceed to the port or place of destination thereof named in the manifest of its cargo, freight, or contents, and deliver such vessel, car, or vehicle to the proper officer of the customs, or shall dispose of the same by sale or otherwise, or shall unload the same, or any part thereof, at any other than such port, or place, or shall sell or dispose of the contents of such vessel, car, or other vehicle, or any part thereof, before such delivery, he shall be deemed guilty of felony, and on conviction thereof, before any court of competent jurisdiction, pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years, or both, at the discretion of the court; and such vessel, car, or other vehicle, with its contents, shall be forfeited to the United States, and may be seized wherever found within the United States, and disposed of and sold as in other cases of forfeiture. Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to prevent sales of cargo, in whole or in part, prior to arrival, to be delivered as per manifest, and after due inspection.

If any unauthorized person or persons shall willfully R. S., 3105. break, cut, pick, open, or remove any wire, seal, lead, lock, or other fastening or mark attached to any vessel, car, or other vehicle, crate, box, bag, bale, basket, barrel, bundle, cask, trunk, package, or parcel, or anything whatsoever, under and by virtue of this Title [R. S., 2517-3129] and regulations authorized by it, or any other law, or shall affix or attach, or any way willfully aid, assist, or encourage the affixing or attaching, by wire or otherwise, to any vessel, car, or other vehicle, or to any crate, box, bales, barrel, bag, basket, bundle, cask, package, parcel, article, or thing of any kind, any seal, lead, metal, or anything purporting to be a seal authorized by law, such person or persons shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years, or shall pay a fine of not exceeding one thousand dollars, or both, at the discretion of the court.

R. S., 3106.

R. S., 3109.

Each vessel, car, or other vehicle, crate, box, bag, basket, barrel, bundle, cask, trunk, package, parcel, or other thing, with the cargo, or contents thereof, from which the wire, seal, lead, lock, or other fastening or mark shall have been broken, cut, picked, opened, or removed by any such unauthorized person or persons, or to which such seal, or other thing purporting to be a seal, has been wrongfully attached, shall be forfeited.

256. Transfer of cargo.

The master of any foreign vessel, laden or in ballast, ariving, whether by sea or otherwise, in the waters of the United States from any foreign territory adjacent to the northern, northeastern, or northwestern frontiers of the United States, shall report at the office of any collector or deputy collector of the customs, which shall be nearest to the point at which such vessel may enter such waters; and such vessel shall not transfer her cargo or passengers to another vessel or proceed farther inland, either to unlade or take in cargo, without a special permit from such collector or deputy collector, issued under and in accordance with such general or special regulations as Feb. 14, 1903. the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, from Feb. 17, 1898. time to time prescribe. This section shall also apply to trade with or through Alaska. For any violation of this section such vessel shall be seized and forfeited. [Repealed by Art. 1, treaty of Jan. 11, 1909, with Great Britain.]

Sec. 10.

Sec. 4.

R. S., 3111.

R. S., 3112.

257. Sea stores.

If any vessel enrolled or licensed to engage in the foreign and coasting trade on the northern, northeastern, and northwestern frontiers of the United States shall touch at any port in the adjacent British provinces, and the master of such vessel shall purchase any merchandise for the use of the vessel, the master of the vessel shall report the same, with cost and quantity thereof, to the collector or other officer of the customs at the first port in the United States at which he shall next arrive, designating them as "sea-stores;" and in the oath to be taken by such master of such vessel, on making such report, he shall declare that the articles so specified or designated "sea-stores" are truly intended for the use exclusively of the vessel, and are not intended for sale, transfer, or private use. If any other or greater quantity of dutiable articles shall be found on board such vessel than are specified in such report or entry of such articles, or any part thereof shall be landed without a permit from a collector or other officer of the customs, such articles together with the vessel, her apparel, tackle, and furniture, shall be forfeited.

If, upon examination and inspection by the collector or other officer of the customs, such articles are not deemed excessive in quantity for the use of the vessel, until an

« AnteriorContinuar »