R. S., 4538.

R. S., 4539.

officer of the United States, to ports of the United States, there shall be allowed to the master or owner of each vessel, in which they are transported, such reasonable compensation, in addition to the allowance now fixed by law, as shall be deemed equitable by the Comptroller of the Treasury.

101. Effects of deceased seamen.

Whenever any seaman or apprentice belonging to or sent home on any merchant vessel, whether a foreigngoing or domestic vessel, employed on a voyage which is to terminate in the United States, dies during such voyage, the master shall take charge of all moneys, clothes, and effects which he leaves on board, and shall, if he thinks fit, cause all or any of such clothes and effects to be sold by auction at the mast or other public auction, and shall thereupon sign an entry in the official log-book, and cause it to be attested by the mate and one of the crew, containing the following particulars:

First. A statement of the amount of money so left by the deceased.

Second. In case of a sale, a description of each article sold, and the sum received for each.

Third. A statement of the sum due to deceased as wages, and the total amount of deductions, if any, to be made therefrom.

In cases embraced by the preceding section, the following rules shall be observed:

First. If the vessel proceeds at once to any port in the United States, the master shall, within forty-eight hours after his arrival, deliver any such effects remaining unsold, and pay any money which he has taken charge of, or received from such sale, and the balance of wages due to the deceased, to the shipping-commissioner at the port of destination in the United States.

Second. If the vessel touches and remains at some foreign port before coming to any port in the United States, the master shall report the case to the United States consular officer there, and shall give to such officer any information he requires as to the destination of the vessel and probable length of the voyage; and such officer may, if he considers it expedient so to do, require the effects, money, and wages to be delivered and paid to him, and shall, upon such delivery and payment, give to the master a receipt; and the master shall within forty-eight hours after his arrival at his port of destination in the United States produce the same to the shipping-commissioner there. Such consular officer shall, in any such case, indorse and certify upon the agreement with the crew the particulars with respect to such delivery and payment.

Third. If the consular officer does not require such payment and delivery to be made to him, the master shall take charge of the effects, money, and wages, and shall, within

forty-eight hours after his arrival at his port of destination in the United States, deliver and pay the same to the shipping-commissioner there.

Fourth. The master shall, in all cases in which any seaman or apprentice dies during the voyage or engagement, give to such officer or shipping-commissioner an account, in such form as they may respectively require, of the effects, money, and wages so to be delivered and paid; and no deductions claimed in such account shall be allowed unless verified by an entry in the official log-book, if there be any; and by such other vouchers, if any, as may be reasonably required by the officer or shipping-commissioner to whom the account is rendered.

Fifth. Upon due compliance with such of the provisions of this section as relate to acts to be done at the port of destination in the United States, the shipping-commissioner shall grant to the master a certificate to that effect. No officer of customs shall clear any foreign-going vessel without the production of such certificate.

Whenever any master fails to take such charge of the money or other effects of a seaman or apprentice during a voyage, or to make such entries in respect thereof, or to procure such attestation to such entries, or to make such payment or delivery of any money, wages, or effects of any seaman or apprentice dying during a voyage, or to give such account in respect thereof as is above directed, he shall be accountable for the money, wages, and effects of the seaman or apprentice to the circuit court in whose jurisdiction such port of destination is situate, and shall pay and deliver the same accordingly; and he shall, in addition, for every such offense, be liable to a penalty of not more than treble the value of the money or effects, or, if such value is not ascertained, not more than two hundred dollars; and if any such money, wages, or effects are not duly paid, delivered, and accounted for by the master, the owner of the vessel shall pay, deliver, and account for the same, and such money and wages and the value of such effects shall be recoverable from him accordingly; and if he fails to account for and pay the same, he shall, in addition to his liability for the money and value, be liable to the same penalty which is incurred by the master for a like offense; and all money, wages, and effects of any seaman or apprentice dying during a voyage shall be recoverable in the courts and by the modes of proceeding by which seamen are enabled to recover wages due to them.

Whenever any such seaman or apprentice dies at any place out of the United States, leaving any money or effects not on board of his vessel, the consular officer of the United States at or nearest the place shall claim and take charge of such money and effects, and shall, if he thinks fit, sell all or any of such effects, or any effects of any deceased seaman or apprentice delivered to him under the

R. S., 4540.

R. S., 4541.
Mar. 3, 1897.

Sec. 4.

R. S., 4542.

provisions of this Title [R. S., 4501-4613], and shall quarterly remit to the circuit court for the circuit embracing the port from which such vessel sailed, or the port where the voyage terminates, all moneys belonging to or arising from the sale of the effects or paid as the wages of any deceased seamen or apprentices which have come to his hands; and shall render such accounts thereof as the circuit court requires.

Whenever any seaman or apprentice dies in the United States, and is, at the time of his death, entitled to claim from the master or owner of any vessel in which he has served, any unpaid wages or effects, such master or owner Mar. 3, 1897. shall pay and deliver, or account for the same, to the shipping-commissioner at the port where the seaman apprentice was discharged, or was to have been discharged, or where he died.

Sec. 6.

R. S., 4543.

R. S., 4544.

Every shipping-commissioner in the United States shall, within one week from the date of receiving any such money, wages, or effects of any deceased seaman or apprentice, pay, remit, or deliver to the circuit court of the circuit in which he resides, the money, wages, or effects, subject to such deductions as may be allowed by the circuit court for expenses incurred in respect to such money and effects; and should any commissioner fail to pay, remit, and deliver the same to the circuit court, within the time hereinbefore mentioned, he shall incur a penalty of not more than treble the value of such money and effects.

If the money and effects of any seaman or apprentice paid, remitted, or delivered to the circuit court, including the moneys received for any part of his effects which have been sold, either before delivery to the circuit court, or by its directions, do not exceed in value the sum of three hundred dollars, then, subject to the provisions hereinafter contained, and to all such deductions for expenses incurred in respect to the seaman or apprentice, or of his money and effects, as the said court thinks fit to allow, the court may pay and deliver the said money and effects to any claimants who can prove themselves either to be his widow or children, or to be entitled to the effects of the deceased under his will, or under any statute, or at common law, or to be entitled to procure probate, or take out letters of administration or confirmation, although no probate or letters of administration or confirmation have been taken out, and shall be thereby discharged from all further liability in respect of the money and effects so paid and delivered; or may, if it thinks fit so to do, require probate, or letters of administration or confirmation, to be taken out, and thereupon pay and deliver the said money and effects to the legal personal representatives of the deceased; and if such money and effects exceed in value the sum of three hundred dollars, then, sub

ject to deduction for expenses, the court shall pay and deliver the same to the legal personal representatives of the deceased.

A circuit court, in its discretion, may at any time direct the sale of the whole or any part of the effects of a deceased seaman or apprentice, which it has received or may hereafter receive, and shall hold the proceeds of such sale as the wages of deceased seamen are held. When no claim to the wages or effects or proceeds of the sale of the effects of a deceased seaman or apprentice, received by a circuit court, is substantiated within six years after the receipt thereof by the court, it shall be in the absolute discretion of the court, if any subsequent claim is made, either to allow or refuse the same. Such courts shall, from time to time, pay any moneys arising from the unclaimed wages and effects of deceased seamen, which in their opinion it is not necessary to retain for the purpose of satisfying claims, into the Treasury of the United States, and such moneys shall form a fund for, and be appropriated to, the relief of sick and disabled and destitute seamen belonging to the United States merchant marine service.

102. Offenses and punishments.

Dec. 21, 1898.
Sec. 19.

The words "domestic trade" in this section shall in- R. S., 4596. clude trade between ports of the United States and trade between ports of the United States and the Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, the West Indies, and Mexico. The words "foreign trade" shall include trade between ports of the United States and foreign ports, except as above specified, and trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States. Whenever any seaman who has been lawfully engaged or any apprentice to the sea service commits any of the following offenses he shall be punishable as follows:

First. For desertion, if the offense occur at a port of the United States, or a foreign port in the domestic trade, by forfeiture of all or any part of the clothes or effects he leaves on board and of all or any part of the wages or emoluments which he has then earned. If the offense occur at a foreign port in the foreign trade, by forfeiture of all or any part of the clothes or effects he leaves on board and of all or any part of the wages or emoluments which he has then earned; and also, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than one month. Second. For neglecting or refusing, without reasonable cause, to join his vessel or to proceed to sea in his vessel, or for absence without leave at any time within twentyfour hours of the vessel's sailing from any port, either at the commencement or during the progress of any voyage, or for absence at any time without leave and without sufficient reason from his vessel or from his duty, not amounting to desertion or not treated as such by the

master, if the offense occur at a port of the United States or a foreign port in the domestic trade, by a forfeiture. from his wages of not more than two days' pay, or sufficient to defray any expenses which have been properly incurred in hiring a substitute; or if the offense occur at a foreign port, in the foreign trade, by a forfeiture from his wages of not more than two days' pay, or, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than one month.

Third. For quitting the vessel, in whatever trade engaged, at a foreign or domestic port, without leave after her arrival at her port of delivery and before she is placed in security, by forfeiture from his wages of not more than one month's pay.

Fourth. For willful disobedience to any lawful command at sea, by being, at the option of the master, placed in irons until such disobedience shall cease, and upon arrival in port, if of the United States, by forfeiture from his wages of not more than four days' pay, or upon arrival in a foreign port by forfeiture from his wages of not more than four days' pay, or, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than one month.

Fifth. For continued willful disobedience to lawful command or continued willful neglect of duty at sea by being, at the option of the master, placed in irons, on bread and water, with full rations every fifth day, until such disobedience shall cease, and upon arrival in port, if of the United States, by forfeiture, for every twenty-four hours' continuance of such disobedience or neglect, of either a sum of not more than twelve days' pay or sufficient to defray any expenses which have been properly incurred in hiring a substitute, or upon arrival in a foreign port, in addition to the above penalty, by imprisonment for not more than three months, at the discretion of the court.

Sixth. For assaulting any master or mate, in whatever trade engaged, by imprisonment for not more than two

years.

Seventh. For willfully damaging the vessel, or embezzling or willfully damaging any of the stores or cargo, in whatever trade engaged, by forfeiture out of his wages of a sum equal in amount to the loss thereby sustained, and also, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than twelve months.

Eighth. For any act of smuggling for which he is convicted, and whereby loss or damage is occasioned to the master or owner, in whatever trade engaged, he shall be liable to pay such master or owner such a sum as is sufficient to reimburse the master or owner for such loss or damage; and the whole or any part of his wages may be retained in satisfaction or on account of such liability; and he shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of not more than twelve months.