Shipment of seamen in the coasting or near-by foreign trade.
None of the provisions of an act entitled "An act to authorize the appointment of shipping commissioners by the several circuit courts of the United States to superintend the shipping and discharge of seamen engaged in merchant ships belonging to the United States, and for the further protection of seamen" shall apply to sail or steam vessels engaged in the coastwise trade, (except the coastwise trade between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,) or in the lake-going trade touching at foreign ports or otherwise, or in the trade between the United States and the British North American possessions, or in any case where the seamen are by custom or agreement entitled to participate in the profits or result of a cruise, or voyage. (June 9, 1874; June 19, 1886; Feb. 18, 1895.)
Shipping commissioners may ship and discharge crews for any vessel engaged in the coastwise trade, or the trade between the United States and the Dominion of Canada, or Newfoundland, or the West Indies, or the Republic of Mexico, at the request of the master or owner of such vessel, the shipping and discharging fees in such cases to be one-half that prescribed by section forty-six hundred and twelve of the Revised Statutes, for the purpose of determining the compensation of shipping commissioners. (June 19, 1886; sec. 2.)
When a crew is shipped by a shipping commissioner for any American vessel in the coastwise trade, or the trade between the United States and the Dominion of Canada, or New Foundland, or the West Indies, or Mexico, as authorized by section two of an Act approved June nineteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-six, entitled "An Act to abolish certain fees for official services to American vessels, and to amend the laws relating to shipping commissioners, seamen, and owners of vessels, and for other purposes," an agreement shall be made with each seaman engaged as one of such crew in the same manner as is provided by Sections four thousand five hundred and eleven and four thousand five hundred and twelve of the Revised Statutes, not however including the sixth and eighth items of Section four thousand five hundred and eleven; and such agreement shall be posted as provided in Section four thousand five hundred and nineteen, and such seamen shall be discharged and receive their wages as provided by the first clause of Section four thousand five hundred and twenty-nine and also by Sections four thousand five hundred and twenty-six, four thousand five hundred and twenty-seven, four thousand five hundred and twenty-eight, four thousand five hundred and thirty, four thousand five hundred and thirty-five, four thousand fine hundred and thirty-six, four thousand five hundred and forty-two, four thousand five hundred and forty-three, four thousand five hundred and forty-four, four thousand five hundred and forty-five, four thousand five hundred and forty-six, four thousand five hundred and forty-seven, four thousand five hundred and forty-nine, four thousand five hundred and fifty, four thousand five hundred and fifty-one, four thousand five hundred and fifty-two, four thousand five hundred and fifty-three, four thousand five hundred and fifty-four and four thousand six hundred and two of the Revised Statutes; but in all other respects such shipments of seamen and such shipping agreement shall be regarded as if both shipment and agreement had been entered into between the master of a vessel and a seaman without going before a shipping commissioner. (Feb. 18,1895; Mar. 3,1897; sec. 8; Dec. 21,1898; sec. 25; Mar. 3, 1897; sec. 8.)