Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/775



whence they were imported, or originally procured, as the case may be, as prescribed in the fifth section of this act, such collector shall direct the same to be appraised in the manner prescribed by this act; and if the value at which the same shall be so appraised, shall exceed, by twenty-five per centum, the invoice prices thereof, then, in addition to the ten or twenty per centum, as the case may be, laid upon correct and regular invoices, according to law, there shall be added fifty per centum on the appraised value; on which aggreate [aggregate] amount the duties on such goods, wares, or merchandise, shall be estimated. Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to impose the said penalty of fifty per centum for a variance between the bona fide invoice of goods, produced in the manner specified in the proviso in the fifth section of this act, and the current value of the said merchandise, in the country where the same may have been originally manufactured or produced.

. And be it further enacted, That, in all cases where the appraised value of any goods, wares, or merchandise, appraised under this or any other act concerning imports and tonnage, shall exceed, by less than twenty-five per centum, the invoice value thereof, such appraised value shall be considered the true value of such goods, wares, or merchandise, upon which the duty shall be charged, with the addition of such per centum as may be by law, required: Provided, That, in no case, shall the duty be estimated on an amount less than the invoice value, with the addition by law required.

. And be it further enacted, That the collectors of the revenue shall cause at least one package out of every invoice, and one package, at least, out of every twenty packages of each invoice of goods, wares, or merchandise, imported into their respective districts, which package or packages he shall have first designated on the invoice, to be opened and examined, and if the same be found not to correspond with the invoice thereof, or to be falsely charged in such invoice, a full inspection of all such goods, wares, or merchandise, as may be included in the same entry, shall be made; and in case such goods, wares, or merchandise, be subject to ad valorem duty, the same shall be appraised, and subjected to the penalties provided in the thirteenth section, in the case of suspected or fraudulent invoices; and in every case, whether such goods, wares, or merchandise be subject to ad valorem or specific duty, if any package be found to contain any article not described in the invoice, the whole package shall be forfeited: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to remit the said forfeiture, if, in his opinion, the said article was put in by mistake, or without any intention to defraud the revenue.

. And be it further enacted, That, for the appraisement of goods, wares, or merchandise, required by this or any other act concerning imports and tonnage, the President of the United States, shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint, in each of the ports of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, two persons, well qualified to perform that duty, who, before they enter thereon, shall severally make oath, diligently and faithfully to examine and inspect such goods, wares, or merchandise, as the collector may direct, and truly to report, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the true value thereof, according to the provisions of the fifth section of this act; and when any appraisement is to be made in any port other than those above named, the collector shall appoint two respectable resident merchants, who, after having taken the oath required by this section, shall be the appraisers; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall have authority to direct the appraisers for any collection district, to attend in any other collection district for the purpose of appraising any goods, wares, or merchandise, imported therein; and the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in the recess of the Senate, to