Each person violating such regulations shall be subject to a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, in the discretion of the court. (Mar. 31, 1900; sec. 2.)
This Act shall be construed as supplementary to section nine of chapter three hundred and seventy-four of the Statutes of eighteen hundred and eighty two, and section forty-six hundred and six of the Revised Statutes. (Sec. 3.)
Boarding and search of vessel.
It shall be lawful for any officer of the customs, including inspectors and occasional inspectors, or of a revenue-cutter, or authorized agent of the Treasury Department, or other person specially appointed for the purpose in writing by a collector, naval officer, or surveyor, to go on board of any vessel, as well without as within his district, and to inspect, search, and examine the same, and any person, trunk, or envelope on board, and to this end to hail and stop such vessel if under way, and to use all necessary force to compel compliance; and if it shall appear that any breach or violation of the laws of the United States has been committed, whereby or in consequence of which such vessel, or the merchandise, or any part thereof, on board of or imported by such vessel, is liable to forfeiture, to make seizure of the same, or either or any part thereof, and to arrest, or in case of escape, or any attempt to escape, to pursue and arrest any person engaged in such breach or violation. (R. S., 3059.)
The original appointment in writing of any person specially appointed under the provisions of the previous section shall be filed in the custom-house where such appointment is made. (R. S., 3060.)
It shall be lawful for all collectors, naval officers, surveyors, inspectors, and the officers of the revenue-cutters, to go on board of vessels in any port of the United States, or within four leagues of the coast thereof, if bound to the United States, whether in or out of their respective districts, for the purpose of demanding the manifests, and of examining and searching the vessels; and those officers respectively shall have free access to the cabin and every part of a vessel. (R. S., 3067.)
If any master of a vessel coming into or having arrived at any port within the United States, shall obstruct or hinder or shall intentionally cause any obstructions or hindrance to any officer in lawfully going on board such vessel for the purpose of carrying into effect any of the revenue laws of the United States, he shall for every such offense be liable to a penalty of not more than five hundred dollars nor less than fifty dollars. (R. S., 3068.)
If any box, trunk, chest, cask, or other package shall be found in the cabin, steerage, or forecastle of a vessel, or in any other place separate from the residue of the cargo, the officer of the customs shall take a particular account of such package, and of the marks and numbers thereof, if any, and a description thereof, and, if he judges proper, shall seal every such package; and such account and description shall be by him forwarded without delay to the collector of the district to which such vessel is bound. If upon her arrival at the port of her entry, the packages so described, or any of them, are missing, or if any seal put thereon has been broken, the master shall be liable to a penalty for every package missing, or on which any seal shall be broken, of two hundred dollars. (R. S., 3069.)