Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 1.djvu/170

 liable to action, judgment or suit, on account of such seizure or prosecution. Provided, That the ship or vessel, goods, wares or merchandise be after judgment forthwith returned to such claimant or claimants, his or their agents.

And provided, That no action or prosecution shall be maintained in any case under this act, unless the same shall have been commenced within three years next after the penalty or forfeiture was incurred.

.And be it further enacted, That all ships, vessels, goods, wares or merchandise, which shall be condemned by virtue of this act, shall be sold by the proper officer of the court in which such condemnation shall be had, to the highest bidder at public auction, by order of such court, and at such place as the court may appoint, giving at least fifteen days notice (except in case of perishable goods) in one or more of the public newspapers of the place where such sale shall be, or if no paper is published in such place, in one or more of the papers published in the nearest place thereto.

.And be it further enacted, That all penalties, fines and forfeitures, recovered by virtue of this act (and not otherwise appropriated), shall, after deducting all proper costs and charges, be disposed of as follows: One moiety shall be for the use of the United States, and paid into the treasury thereof; the other moiety shall be divided into three equal parts, and paid to the collector, naval officer and surveyor of the district wherein the same shall have been incurred; and in such districts where only two of the aforesaid officers shall have been established, the said moiety shall be equally divided between them; and in such districts where only one of the aforesaid officers shall have been established, the said moiety shall be given to such officer: Provided nevertheless, That in all cases where such penalties, fines and forfeitures shall be recovered in pursuance of information given to such collector, by any person, other than the said naval officer and surveyor, the one half of such moiety shall be given to the informer, and the remainder thereof shall be disposed of between the collector, naval officer and surveyor, in manner and form as above limited and expressed.

And whereas, The States of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and North Carolina, have not as yet ratified the present Constitution of the United States, by reason whereof this act doth not extend to the collecting of duties within either of the said two States, and it is thereby become necessary that the following provision with respect to goods, wares or merchandise imported from either of the said two States should for the present take place:

.Be it therefore further enacted, That all goods, wares and merchandise not of their own growth or manufacture, which shall be imported from either of the said two States of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, or North Carolina, into any other port or place within the limits of the United States, as settled by the late treaty of peace, shall be subject to the like duties, seizures and forfeitures, as goods, wares or merchandise imported from any State or country without the said limits.

.And be it further enacted, That no goods, wares or merchandise of foreign growth or manufacture, subject to the payment of duties, shall be brought into the United States, in any other manner than by sea, nor in any ship or vessel less than thirty tons burthen, except within the district of Louisville, and except also in such vessels as are now actually on their voyages; nor shall be landed, or unladen, at any other place than is by this act directed, under the penalty of seizure