deliver the same, for which he shall be entitled to his reasonable salvage to be ascertained in manner before directed; and should any person, finding stranded goods or other property as foresaid, conceal the same, or convert the same to his own use, or fail within ten days to give information thereof to the nearest commissioner of wrecks in his or their county, on proof thereof had, he or they shall to the commissioner, discovering the same, double the value of such property, to be recovered before any competent jurisdiction having cognizance thereof.
Punishment for stealing or embezzling wrecked property. 9.[1] if any person shall embezzle or steal any stranded property, or conceal the same, knowing it to have been stolen, such person or persons, upon due proof thereof, shall forfeit and pay to the owner or commissioner double the value of the stolen goods so proved against him or them, or found in his or her possession, to be recovered before any justice of the peace or other competent jurisdiction; and the person or persons, so feloniosly taking or concealing the same, shall moreover be deemed guilty of larceny, and shall be indicted under this act and suffer as cases of larceny at common law.
Penalties on commissioners for abuse of trust. 10.[2] Should any commissioner, appointed as aforesaid, either by fraud or wilful neglect, abuse the trust so reposed in him, he shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit and pay treble damages to the party aggrieved, to be recovered, with costs, by action on the case in any court of record, and shall thereafter be incapable of acting as a commissioner; and any sheriff or constable or other persons, summoned as aforesaid, refusing or neglecting to give the assistance required for the saving of any vessel or her cargo, shall forfeit and pay the sum of four dollars to be recovered by the commissioner, ordering such duty, before any justice of the peace in the county, where such was required.
Persons finding wrecked property at sea, what to do. 11.[3] Whenever hereafter any property shall be found on board any vessel at sea, which has been wrecked or abandoned by the crew, which property is afterwards brought into this State, it shall be the duty of the person, in whose possession the same may be, to deliver it to the wreck master of the district, into which said property may be brought, to be disposed of as stranded property is now directed to be; and any person, who shall hereafteer embezzle or conceal any such property, shall be liable to indictment, and upon conviction shall be whipped at the discretion of the court, not exceeding thirtynine lashes.
Compensation to commissioners when no owner appears. 12.[4] The commissioner of wrecks, when there shall be any stranded or wrecked property case ashore, or any such property shall come into his hands, and there shall appear no owner to claim the same, shall be allowed, in full for performing the duties and services enjoined by this act in such cases, the sum of five percent. on the value or sales or sales of such goods.
