Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 12.djvu/637

THIRTY—SEVENTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 204. 1862. 607 public interest but not in consequence of injuries received in action, fifty dollars for every person who shall be on board at the time of such capture. Sec. 5. And be it farther enacted, That the commanding officer of Duty ofcom: every vessel, or the senior officers of all vessels of the navy, which shall capture or seize upon any vessel or vessels as a prize, shall carefully pre- of vessels as serve all the papers and writings found on board, and transmit the whole Pd"- of the originals, unmutilated, to the judge of the district to which such prize is ordered to proceed, with the necessary witnesses, and a report of the circumstances attending the capture, stating the names of vessels claiming a share thereof; and the commanding officer of every vessel in the navy entitled to, or claiming an award of prize money shall, as early as practicable after the capture, transmit to the Navy Department a complete list of the officers and men of his vessel, entitled to share, inserting thereon the quality of every person rating, on pain of forfeiting his whole share of the prize money resulting from such capture, and suffering such further punishment as a court·martial shall adjudge. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That any armed vessel in the ser- Amgdvmei, vice of the United States which shall make a capture, or assist in a cap- making qapww ture, under circumstances which would entitle a vessel of the navy to gig: t° prize money, shall be entitled to an award of prize money in the same manner as if such vessel belonged to the navy; and such prize money shall be distributed and apportioned in the same manner and under the same rules and regulations as provided for persons in the naval service, and paid under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy. Sue. 7. And Zve it further enacted, That no person in the navy shall pmpmymt to take out of a prize, or vessel seized as a prize, any money, plate, goods, l>¢_Y<=m<>V€d fP<>¥¤ or any part of her equipment, unless it be for the better preservation pn"' thereof, or absolutely necessary for the use of any of the vessels or armed forces of the United States, before the same shall be adjudged lawful prize by a competent court ; but the whole, without fraud, concealment, or embezzlement, shall be brought in, and judgment passed thereon, upon pain that every person offending herein shall forfeit his share of the capture, and suffer such further punishment as a court-martial shall adjudge. Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That no person in the navy shall Persons taken strip off the clothes, or pillage, or in any manner maltreat, persons taken zlgtlitgagd P'lT°S¤ on board a prize, on pain of such punishment as a court-martial shall ad- m,md_° me _ `udve. J Scicc. 9. And be it further enacted, That all ransom money, salvage, Ransom money, bounty, or proceeds of forfeiture or confiscation, accruing or awarded to §;·é*° be d’S“"b‘ any vessel of the navy, shall be distributed and paid to the officers and ` men entitled thereto, in the same manner as prize money, under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy. Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That any person entitled to wages Assignment of or prize money may have the same paid to his assignee, provided the ggés 0* P¤z° assignment be attested by the captain and paymaster; and in case of the (my' assignment of wages, the power shall specify the precise time they commence. But the commander of every vessel is required to discourage his crews from selling any part of their wages or prize money, and never to attest any power of attorney, until he is satisfied that the same is not granted in consideration of money given for the purchase of wages or prize money. _ Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That all money accruing or which m°““y . . . g to the has already accrued to the United States from sale of prizes shall be United S{g_{gg’t0 and remain forever a fund for the payment of pensions to the officers, Y¤m=fi¤ ¤¤"¤¤d for seamen, and marines who may be entitled to receive the same; and if p€"‘°°s’ the said fund shall be insufficient for the purpose, the public iaith is is {mais iuhereby pledged to make up the deficiency; but if it should be more than S¤¤i¢i¤¤¤·