Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 1.djvu/792



collector of the district; for which a certificate or receipt shall be granted in the following form:

I certify, that there has been received into store, from on board the (insert the denomination and name of the vessel) whereof (insert the name) is master, from (insert the port or place where from) the following merchandise, to wit: (here enumerate the several packages, their denominations, marks and numbers, and if articles in bulk, the quantity) lodged by (insert the name) inspector, under whose care the said vessel was unladen.A. B.

And the said goods shall be kept with due and reasonable care, at the charge and risk of the owner or owners thereof, for the term of nine months, and if within that time, no claim be made for the same, the said collector shall procure an inventory of the said goods, and an appraisement thereof, to be made and to be verified on oath or affirmation by two or more reputable merchants before the said collector, and to remain with him; and said collector shall afterwards cause the said goods to be sold at public auction (previously causing the same to be advertised in one or more of the public newspapers, printed at or nearest to the port or place, where the sale is to be, for the space of one month) and retaining the duties thereon agreeably to such inventory and appraisement, and all charges thereon, shall pay the overplus, if any there be, into the treasury of the United States, there to remain for the use of the owner or owners, who shall, upon due proof of his, her, or their property, be entitled to receive the same; for which purpose the collector shall transmit with the said overplus a copy of the inventory, appraisement, and account of sales, specifying the marks, number, and descriptions of the packages sold, their contents, the name of the vessel and master, in which, and of the port or place from whence they were imported, and the time when, and the name of the person, or persons to whom the said goods were consigned in the manifest; and the receipt or certificate of the collector shall exonerate the master or person having the charge or command of any ship or vessel, in which such goods, wares and merchandise were imported, from all claim of the owner or owners thereof: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be understood to prohibit the sale of such quantities of goods, stored as aforesaid, as may be necessary to discharge the duties thereon, at the time or times, when such duties shall become due and payable. And provided, that where any entry shall have been duly made of such goods, the same shall not be appraised; and that where such goods are of a perishable nature, they shall be sold forthwith: Provided further, that the said limitation of fifteen days shall not extend to ships or vessels laden with salt or coal; but if the said master or owner of any such ship or vessel, so laden with sale or coal, requires a longer time to discharge her cargo, the wages, or compensation of the inspector, for every day’s attendance, exceeding the said fifteen days, shall be paid by the said master or owner—and thereupon, the collector is hereby authorized and required to allow such longer time as in his judgment he may think necessary to discharge such cargo, not exceeding fifteen days. And if by reason of the delivery of the cargo, in several districts, more than the said term of fifteen working days shall in the whole be spent therein, the wages or compensation of the inspector or inspectors who may be employed on board of any ship or vessel, in respect to which such term may be so exceeded, shall, for every day of such excess, be paid by the said master or owner; and it shall be the duty of such inspectors, previously to the clearance of such ship or vessel, to render an exact account to the collector, of all such compensations as shall have been paid, or shall be due and payable by such master or owner.