Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 13.djvu/225

THIRTY—EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 164. 1864. 197 Can. CLXIV. —An Act to prevent Smuggling, and jbr other Purposes. June 27, 1864. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives qj the United JPSE; ch' States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the passage ’ p' ` of this act, all goods, wares, and merchandise, and all baggage and effects Gc<>ds,&c-,i¤>- of passengers, and all other articles imported into the United States from §g'1Efl‘}Ag:n";;d any contiguous foreign country or countries, except as hereafter provided, inspected at mss; as well as the vessels, cars, and other vehicles and envelopes in which the Pm °f ¤¤i”l· same shall be imported, shall be unleden in the presence of, and be inspected by, an inspector or other officer of the customs, at the Erst port of entry or custom-house in the United States where the same shallnrrive; and to enable the proper officer thoroughly to discharge this duty, he may require the owner or owners, or his, her, or their agent, or other person having charge or possession of any trunk, travelling-bag or sack, valise, Truuks,c1osed or other envelope, or of any closed vessel, car, or other vehicle, to open {:°g°l:£f;°·&*;_ the same, or to deliver to him the proper key; and if such owner, agent, P’ or other person shall refuse or neglect to comply with his demands, the said officer shall retain such trunk, travelling-bag or sack, valise, or whatsoever it may be, and open the same, and, as soon thereafter as may be practicable, examine the contents ; and if any article or articles subject to the payment of duty shall be found therein, the whole contents, together with the envelope, shall he forfeited to the United States, and disposed of fo bg forfeited as the law provides in other similar cases. And if any such dutiable if d¤fl¤bl¤ M- goods, article -01* articles, shall he found in such vessel, car, or other ve- 32::,;* {mma hicle, the owner, agent., or other person in charge of which shall have refused to open the same or deliver the key as herein provided, the same, together with the vessel, car, or other vehicle, shall be forfeited to the United States, and shall be held by such officer, to be disposed of as the law provides in other similar cases of forfeiture. Sec. 2. And 6e it further enacted, That to avoid the inspection at the Proceedings to first port of arrival, required by the Erst section of this act, the owner, °:‘g1{l§g¤S!;_$;‘°*l°¤ agent, master, or conductor of any such vessel, car, or other vehicle, or a P° owner, agent, or other person having charge of any such goods, wares, merchandise, baggage, effects, or other articles, may apply to any officer of the United States duly authorized to act in the premises, to seal or close the same, under and according to the regulations hereinafter authorized, previous to their importation into the United States; which oinoer shall seal or close the same accordingly ; whereupon the same may proceed to their port of destination without further inspection : Provided, Provism That nothing contained in this section shall be construed to exempt such vessel, oar, or vehicle, or its contents, from such examination as may be necessary and proper to prevent frauds upon the revenue and violations of this act: And provided, further, That every such vessel, car, or other Proviso. vehicle, shall proceed, without unnecessary delay, to the port or place of _ its destination, as named in the manifest of its cargo, freight, or contents, and be there inspected, as provided in section one. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury Regulations for he, and he is hereby, authorized and required to make such regulations, S"f*l?€· &°·»3:”• and from time to time so to change the same as to him shall seem neces- mg gm ’ sary and proper, for sealing such vessels, cars, and other vehicles, when practicable, and for sealing, marking, and identifying such goods, wares, merchandise, baggage, effects, trunks, travelling-bags or sacks, valises, and other envelopes and articles; and also in regard to invoices, manifests, and other pertinent papers, and their authentication. Sec. 4. And be it_/itrther enacted, That if the owners, master, or person Penalty on in charge of any vessel, car, or other vehicle, sealed as aforesaid, shall not g;':‘°;gL“s}·nf°'i proceed to the port or place of destination thereof named in the manifest placg of d,,u§,,.° of its cargo, freight, or contents, and deliver such vessel, car, or vehicle, to ti¤¤, &¤· the proper officer of the customs, or shall dispose of the same by sale or 17 *