Collector's atten

tion called to cer

act.

164. It is deemed sufficient only further to call tain sections of the particular attention to the 1st, 2d, 6th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th sections of this act, in which certain provisions, different from existing laws, have been enacted, and to state that all the requirements of said sections must be strictly enforced.

To furnish masters

of certain vessels

copies of these regulations.

Collectors are directed to furnish the masters of all vesand others with sels engaged in transporting passengers between their respective ports and foreign countries, and each owner or consignee of any such vessel residing at their ports, with one copy of these instructions.

When certificates are not valid.

Such certificates not to be issued

165. At some of the ports, collectors or surveyors have been, it appears, in the habit of giving to vessels papers purporting to be certificates of their legal capacity for the carriage of passengers. No validity attaches to such a certificate, as it is not authorized, or recognised, by any law of the United States, and, consequently, no officer has a right to issue it.

The responsibility, in such cases, must rest where the law places it, on the ship-owners, whose duty it is to ascer tain and know how many passengers their vessels can lawfully carry, and they should be held to such reponsibility.

166. No officer of the customs will hereafter issue to hereafter. any person a certificate of this description; but whenMeasurement to be ever any measurement, necessary to ascertain the legal capacity of vessels to carry passengers, shall be made, the collector will be careful to keep an exact record of it in the office.

recorded.

Sec. 1 Act March

3, 1855, applicable

or sailing vessels.

167. The provisions of the 1st section of the passenger equally to steamers act of the 3d March, 1855, regulating the proportion of passengers to tonnage and spaces, apply as well to vessels propelled in whole or in part by steam as to sailing vessels.

Act Aug. 80, 1852.

SECTION XVIII.

FOR THE SECURITY OF THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS ON BOARD

STEAM VESSELS,

ART. 168. The provisions of the act of the 30th August, 1852, amendatory of "An act to provide for the better security of the lives of passengers on board of vessels

1

quired of collectors supervising and local inspec

tors.

propelled in whole or in part by steam," and for other purposes, are so explicit as to require but little explanation. Jolnt action reIt is a law, however, that requires the joint action of the and supervising and local inspectors and collectors of the customs to give its provisions full and proper effect, and on them, therefore, in the first instance, must the responsibility devolve.

It is made the special duty of the collector and other Special duty of colchief officers of the customs

lectors and other chief officers of customs.

fore issuing regis

license.

Not to issue any license, register, or enrolment, or Requirements beother paper, to any vessel propelled in whole or in part ter, enrolment, or by steam, and carrying passengers, till he shall have satisfactory evidence that all the provisions of the act are fully complied with. A certificate from the board of inspectors of the character of that set forth in the 4th article of the ninth section of the act, will be necessary, and also a payment of the fees provided for in section 31, before any license, register, enrolment, or other paper can be issued to any such steam vessel.

board of inspectors

169. It is the duty of the collector, or other chief officer To require from of the customs, at each of the twenty-five designated ports, prompt reports. to require from the board of inspectors a prompt report of all their doings, as provided for in article 14 of section 9.

formation to other

170. It is the duty of the collector, or other chief officer To give certain inof customs, of each of the twenty-five designated ports, collectors, and to to give to the others the information called for by the 23d cal inspectors. section. He will also give to each supervising or local inspector the like information when solicited.

visions of the law.

171. It is the duty of the collector, or other chief officer To enforce the proof the customs, as provided in section 24, as well as of the inspectors, to enforce the provisions of the law.

of inspectors, and

ter or owner of

172. The collector, or other chief officer of customs, To file certificates will, agreeably to section 25, file all original certificates of give copies to masthe inspectors required by this act to be delivered to him, vessel. and give to the master or owner of the vessel therein named two certified copies of such certificate.

spectors monthly

moneys received,

173. The collectors will require from the inspectors at To require from inthe close of each month the payment over to them of all payment over, of fees or other moneys received by them, together with a list and also of all pilots and engineers to whom licenses have been granted or renewed during the month.

lists.

Duty of supervising inspect'r where local inspector

174. In cases in which a local board of inspectors shall neglects his duty. neglect its duty, the supervising inspector will immediately report the facts in writing to the Secretary of the Treasury, in order that the delinquent may be removed according to section 20 of the act.

Where master, en

gineer, pilot, or

duty.

175. By the same section it is enacted, that whenever a owner neglects his supervising inspector ascertains to his satisfaction that the master, engineer, pilot, or owner of any vessel, fails to perform his duties, he shall, if need be, cause the negligent or offending party to be prosecuted. In such instances the inspector will report the facts to the United States district attorney, and he will take the proper steps according to the nature of the case.

Compensation local inspector.

of 176. The thirtieth section provides that each local inspector shall be allowed annually a certain compensation, "to be paid under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, in the manner the officers of the revenue are paid." But this provision, so far as respects mode of payment, is regarded as superseded by those clauses in the deficiency and civil and diplomatic appropriation bills of Congress of March 3, 1853, in which certain sums are appropriated "for salaries of nine supervising and fifty local inspectors, with travelling and other incidental expenses incurred by them." The salaries and expenses of the local inspectors will therefore be paid quarterly at the treasury, as those of the supervising inspectors are paid.

177. The salary of each supervising inspector will be sent to him at the close of each quarter, without his rendering a special account to the Treasury Department. The date of the oath of each of these officers should be reported to the Secretary of the Treasury, with a statement of the place to which the drafts for the payment of his salary are to be sent. Notice should be given before the close of the quarter of any change of locality.

Ten cents a mile will be allowed for travelling expenses in lieu of all charges in detail.

The form of account for such expenses will be as follows:

The United States,

To

District No.

FORM No. 63.

Travelling expenses.

Supervising Inspector.

Form of account

Dr.

for such expenses.

For travelling expenses from

(naming the principal port of the district) to (naming the place of destination,) commencing on the

day of

In returning, give a proper description of the route back, inserting the dates, and carrying out the amount as above. If the travel is by land, the route should be designated.

For the expense of transporting from place to place the instruments used in inspection, the inspector who incurs the expense should take a receipt from the person employed, stating the kind of instrument transported, from whence taken, and where delivered.

For other incidental expenses the inspector will also take receipts.

These expenses will be included in the inspector's account current, accompanied by the receipt, or receipts, as vouchers.

Accounts for all such expenses should be sent to the Secretary of the Treasury at the close of each quarter; and the law requires that they be rendered under oath. If both kinds of expense should be charged in the same account, the oath may be as follows:

pervising inspector

I,————, supervising inspector for district No., Form of oath of sudo solemnly swear (or affirm) that the travelling was ne- to account. cessary in the performance of my duty, and when away from, the principal port in my district; and that I actually paid for the transportation of instruments, and for other incidental expenses, as charged, and that the same is reasonable.

Negotiable drafts not to be drawn by

Department.

If only one kind of expense enters into an account, the part of the oath that applies to that expense alone will be taken.

The oath may be administered by an officer of the United States, or of the proper State or Territory, authorized to administer an oath, or by a collector, or surveyor of customs acting as collector. If by a magistrate of a State or Territory, his authority to administer an oath must be verified by a clerk of a court of record.

178. An inspector is not to draw negotiable drafts on inspector on the the Department. When an account shall be settled, the money will be paid or sent according to written instructions.

instructions in re

penses and ac

counts.

Local appraisers; 179. The form of rendering accounts, and of proving gard to their ex- them, will be the same with the local as with the supervising inspectors; and they will be allowed the like compensation for expenses of travel. Their accounts for salaries will be stated by the First Auditor at the close of each quarter, and, unless otherwise directed, drafts will be remitted to them to pay the respective sums found due.

Each local inspector should inform the First Auditor of the place of his residence; and if any change takes place therein, give due notice before the end of the quarter.

When an inspector makes a charge for travelling expenses, he should give the number and names of the steamboats inspected at each place by him visited.

The cost of stationery, boxes for instruments, and other contingencies, are embraced under the head of "other expenses." The articles purchased must be specified, and the bills or accounts must be duly receipted and presented as vouchers.

All expenses of local inspectors, other than those incurred for travel and transportation of instruments, should be approved by the collector or other chief officer of customs.

The local inspectors will apply to the collector or surveyor, as the case may be, for a place within his customhouse, or other public building, in which to deposit their instruments and transact their business. They will not be allowed for the rent of rooms, unless previous authority