A C T S PASSED AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE SECOND CONGRESS OF THE United States of America, BEGUN AND HELD AT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, In the State of Pennsylvania, On Monday the Fifth of November, IN THE YEAR M,DCC,XCII. AND OF THE Independence of the United States THE SEVENTEENTH. VOL. II. R A CT S O F CONGRES S. CHAPTER I. An Act concerning the Registering and Recording of Ships or Veffels. What fhips or veffels the United Sec. I. E it enacted by the Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives of the United States of America in Congrefs affembled, That fhips or veffels, which fhall have been regiftered by virtue of the act, intitled, "An act for registering and clearing veffels, fhall be regulating the coafting trade, and for other deemed of purposes," and thofe which after the laft day States; of March next, fhall be registered, pursuant to this act, and no other (except fuch as fhall be duly qualified, according to law, for carrying on the coafting trade and fisheries, or one of them) fhall be denominated and deemed fhips or veffels of the United States, entitled to the benefits and privileges appertaining to fuch fhips or vellels; Provided, That they privileges to enjoy the fhall not continue to enjoy the fame, longer only while than they fhall continue to be wholly owned, by citizens owned, &c. and to be commanded by a citizen or citizens of U. s. of the faid ftates. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That fhips or veffels built within the United States, whether before, or after, the fourth of July, or veffels What fhips one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-fix, may be re- and belonging wholly to a citizen or citizens gistered. confined to dents, thereof, or not built within the said states, but on the fixteenth day of May, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, belonging, and thenceforth continuing to belong to a citizen or citizens thereof, and ships or veffels, which may hereafter be captured in war, by fuch citizen or citizens, and lawfully condemned as prize, or which have been or may be adjudged to be forfeited for a breach of the laws of the United States, being wholly owned by a citizen or citizens thereof, and no other, may be registered as herein after directed: Provided, That no fuch Registry, fhip or veffel fhall be entitled to be fo regifbenefits of, tered, or if registered, to the benefits thereof, actual refi- if owned in whole, or in part, by any citizen of the United States, who ufually refides in a foreign country, during the continuance of fuch refidence, unlefs fuch citizen be in the capacity of a conful of the United States, or capacity of an agent for, and a partner in, fome house of conful, or trade or co-partnership, confifting of citizens, of the faid ftates actually carrying on trade within the faid ftates: And provided further, That no fhip or veffel, built within the United States, prior to the said sixteenth day of May, which was not then owned wholly, or in part, by a citizen or citizens of the United States, fhall be capable of being registered, by virtue of any transfer to a citizen or citizens, which may hereafter be made, unless by way of prize or forfeiture: Provided nevertheless, That this fhall not be conftrued to prevent the registering anew, of any fhip or veffel, which was before registered, purfuant to the act before mentioned. unless in agent for a houfe of trade. By whom Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That every fhip or veffel, hereafter to be registered registered. (except as is herein after provided) fhall be registered by the collector of the district in which fhall be comprehended the port to which fuch fhip or veffel fhall belong, at the time of her registry, which port fhall be deemed to be that, at or nearest to which, the owner, if there be but one, or if more than one, the husband or acting and managing owner of fuch fhip or veffel, ufually refides. And the name of the faid fhip or veffél, and of the veilels port to which she fhall fo belong, fhall be pain- to be painted on her ftern, on a black ground, in white ted on the letters, of not less than three inches in length. tern, &c. And if any fhip or veffel of the United States, fhall be found, without having her name, and the name of the port, to which fhe belongs, painted in manner aforefaid, the owner or owners fhall forfeit fifty dollars; one half to on neglect the perfon giving the information thereof, the thereof. other half to the ufe of the United States. Ships or name, &c.. forfeiture to be taken officer. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in Regiary, order to the registry of any fhip or veffel, an how to be oath or affirmation fhall be taken and fubfcri- obtained; bed by the owner, or by one of the owners fubflance thereof, before the officer authorized to make of the oath fuch registry, who is hereby empowered to before readminifter the fame, declaring, according to giftering the best of the knowledge and belief of the perfon fo fwearing or affirming, the name of fuch fhip or veffel, her burthen, the place where fhe was built, if built within the United States, and the year in which fle was built; and if built within the United States, before the faid fixteenth day of May, one thoufand feven hundred and eighty-nine, that she was then owned wholly, or in part, by a citizen |