Report and declaration of master.
Within twenty-four hours after the arrival of any vessel, from any foreign port, at any port of the United States established by law, at which an officer of the customs resides, or within any harbor, inlet, or creek thereof, in the hours of business at the office of the chief officer of the customs at such port will permit, or as soon thereafter as such hours will permit, the master shall repair to such office, and make report to the chief officer, of the arrival of the vessel; and he shall, within forty-eight hours after such arrival, make a further report in writing to the collector of the district, which report shall be in the form, and shall contain all the particulars required to be inserted in, and verified like, a manifest. Every master who shall neglect or omit to make either of such reports and declarations, or to verify any such declaration as required, or shall not fully comply with the true intent and meaning of this section, shall, for each offense, be liable to a penalty of one thousand dollars. (R. S., 2774.)
The master of any vessel having on board distilled spirits, or wines, shall, within forty-eight hours after his arrival, whether the same be at the first port of arrival of such vessel or not, in addition to the requirements of the preceding section, report in writing to the surveyor or officer acting as inspector of the revenue of the port at which he has arrived, the foreign port from which he last sailed, the name of his vessel, his own name, the tonnage and denomination of such vessel, and to what nation belonging, together with the quantity and kinds of spirits and wines, on board of the vessel, particularizing the number of casks, vessels, cases, or other packages containing the same, with their marks and numbers, as also the quantity and kinds of spirits and wines, on board such vessel as sea-stores, and in default thereof he shall be liable to a penalty of five hundred dollars and any spirits omitted to be reported shall be forfeited. (R. S., 2775.)
If any vessel, having arrived within the limits of any collection-district, from any foreign port, departs, or attempts to depart from the same, unless to proceed on her way to some more interior district to which she may be bound, before report or entry shall have been made by the master with the collector of some district, the master shall be liable to a penalty of four hundred dollars; and any collector, naval officer, surveyor, or commander of any revenue cutter may cause such vessel to be arrested and brought back to the most convenient port of the United States. If, however, it is made to appear by the oath of the master, and of the person next in command, or by other sufficient proof to the satisfaction of the collector of the district within which such vessel shall afterward come, or to the satisfaction of the court in which the prosecution for such penalty may be had, that the departure or attempt to depart was occasioned by stress of weather, pursuit or duress of enemies, or other necessity, the penalty imposed by this section shall not be incurred. (R. S., 2773.)