Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/83

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in case of a vessel acting singly from his commanding officer, on pain of death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall adjudge.

Message from an enemy to be communicated.Art. XI. If any letter or message from an enemy or rebel, be conveyed to any officer or private of the navy, and he shall not, within twelve hours, make the same known, having opportunity so to do, to his superior or commanding officer; or if any officer commanding a ship or vessel, being acquainted therewith, shall not, with all convenient speed, reveal the same to the commander in chief of the fleet, commander of a squadron, or other proper officer whose duty it may be to take cognizance thereof, every such offender shall suffer earth, or such other punishment as a court martial shall adjudge.

Mutiny and sedition.Art XII. Spies, and all persons who shall come or be found in the capacity of spies, or who shall bring or deliver any seducing letter or message from an enemy or rebel, or endeavour to corrupt any person in the navy to betray his trust, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall adjudge.

Attempt at mutiny.Art. XIII. If any person in the navy shall make or attempt to make any mutinous assembly, he shall on conviction thereof by a court martial, suffer death; and if any person as aforesaid shall utter any seditious or mutinous words, or shall conceal or connive at any mutinous or seditious practices, or shall treat with contempt his superior, being in the execution of his office; or being witness to any mutiny or sedition, shall not do his utmost to suppress it, he shall be punished at the discretion of a court martial.

Disobedience of orders and assault of a superior officer.Art XIV. No officer or private in the navy shall disobey the lawful orders of his superior officer, or strike him, or draw, or offer to draw, or raise any weapon against him, while in the execution of the duties of his office, on pain of death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall inflict.

Quarreling.Art XV. No person in the navy shall quarrel with any other person in the navy, nor use provoking or reproachful words, gestures, or menaces, on pain of such punishment as a court martial shall adjudge.

Desertion.Art. XVI. If any person in the navy shall desert to an enemy or rebel, he shall suffer death.

Art. XVII. If any person in the navy shall desert, or shall entice others to desert, he shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall adjudge; and if any officer or other person belonging to the navy, shall receive or entertain any deserter from any other vessel of the navy, knowing him to be such, and shall not, with all convenient speed, give notice of such deserter to the commander of the vessel to which he belongs, or to the commander in chief, or to the commander of the squadron, he shall on conviction thereof, be cashiered, or be punished at the discretion of a court martial.Offences committed on shore. All offences committed by persons belonging to the navy while on shore, shall be punished in the same manner as if they had been committed at sea.

Frauds against the United States.Art. XVIII. If any person in the navy shall knowingly make or sign, or shall aid, abet, direct, or procure the making or signing of any false muster, or shall execute, or attempt, or countenance any fraud against the United States, he shall, on conviction, be cashiered and rendered for ever incapable of any future employment in the service of the United States, and shall forfeit all the pay and subsistence due him, and suffer such other punishment as a court martial shall inflict.

Improper navigation of vessels.Art. XIX. If any officer, or other person in the navy, shall, through intention,[1] negligence, or any other fault, suffer any vessel of the navy to be stranded, or run upon rocks or shoals, or hazarded, he shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall adjudge.

Negligence in the performance of duty, &c.Art. XX. If any person in the navy shall sleep upon his watch, or negligently perform the duty assigned him, or leave his station before regularly relieved, he shall suffer death, or such punishment as a court


  1. So in original. Perhaps inattention is meant.