Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 18 Part 2c.djvu/229

 222 PUBLIC TREATIES. the Most Christian King, the Consul or Vice-Consul nearest to the place of shipwreck shall do whatever he may judge proper, as well for the purpose of saving the said ship or vessel, 1bS cargo and appurtenances, as for the storing and the security of the efects and merchandize saved. He may take an inventory of them, without the mtermeddling of any otncers of the military, of the customs, of justice, or of the police of the country. otherwise than to give to the Consuls, V1ceConsuls, captain and crew of the vessel shipwrecked or stranded, all the succour and favour which they shall ask of them, either for the expedition and security of the saving, and of the efects saved, or to prevent all disturbance. And in order to prevent alllkinds of dispute and discussion in the said cases ot shipwreck, it is agreed that when there shall be no Cousul_or V1ce-Consul to attend to the saving of the wreck, or that the residence of the said Consul or Vice-Consul (he not being at the place of the wreck) shall be more distant from the said place than that of the competent judge of the country, the latter shall immediately proceed therein, with all the dispatch, certainty, and precautions prescribed by the respective laws; but the said territorial judge shall retire on the arrival of the Consul or Vice-Consul, and shall deliver over to him the report of his proceedings, the expenses of which the Consul or Viee·Consul shall cause to be reimbursed to him, as well as those of saving the wreck. The merchandize and efects saved shall be deposited in the nearest custom-house, or other place of safety, with the inventory thereof, which shall have been made by the Consul or Vice-Consul, or by the judge who shall have proceeded in their absence, that the said eifects and merchandise may be afterwards delivered, (after levying therefrom the costs,) and without form of process to the owners, who, being furnished with au order for their delivery from the nearest Consul or Vice-Consul, shall reclaim them by themselves or by their order, either for the purpose of reexporting such merchandize, in which case they shall pay no kind of duty of exportation, or for that of selling them in the country, it they be not prohibited there, and in this last case the said merchandize, if they be damaged, shall be allowed an abatement of entrance duties, proportioned to the damage they have sustained, which shall be ascertained by the andavits taken at the time the vessel was wrecked or s uc. Anrrcrn VIII. Power of eee- The Consuls or Vice-Consuls shall exercise police over all the vessels mls respectipgvcs- of their respective nations, and shall have on board the said vessels all r12b';' H""' °‘”' power and 'jurisdiction in civil matters, in all the disputes which may ' there arise; they shall have an entire inspection over the said vessels, their crew, and the changes and substitutions there to be made; for which purpose they may go on board the said vessels whenever they may judge it necessary. Well understood that the functions hereby allowed shall be confined to the interior of the vessels, and that they shall not take place in any case which shall have any interference with the police of the ports where the said vessels shall be. Anrrcma IX. Deserters {mm The Consuls and Vice-Consuls may cause to be arrested the captains, v•••e1•. officers, marmers, sailors, and all other persons being part of the crews of the_vessels of their respective nations, who shall have deserted from the said vessels, in order to send- them back and transport them out of the country; for which purpose the said Consuls and Vice-Consuls shall address themselves to the courts, judges, and officers competent, and shall demand the said deserters in writin rovin b' t', g, p g y an exhibition o the registers of the vessel or ship’s roll that those men were part of the said crews; and on this demand so proved Ssgving, however, where the contrary is proved) the_del1very shall not refused; and there shall be given all and and assistance to the said Consuls and Vice-Consuls for