The collector of any district at which any vessel arrives, immediately on her first coming within such district, or the surveyor of any port where such vessel is, may put and keep on board such vessel, while remaining within such district, or in going from one district to another, one or more inspectors to examine the cargo or contents of such vessel, and to superintend the delivery thereof, or of so much thereof as shall be delivered within the United States, and to perform such other duties according to law, as they shall be directed by the collector, or surveyor, to perform for the better securing the collection of the duties. Only collectors shall have power, however, to put inspectors on board vessels to go from one district to another. (R. S., 2875.)
The inspector shall make known to the master of such vessel the duties he is to perform; and shall suffer no merchandise to be unladen, or otherwise removed from such vessel, without a permit in writing from the collector of the port, and naval officer thereof, if any. The inspector shall enter in a book, to be by him kept according to such a form as shall be prescribed or approved by the collector, the name of the person in whose behalf such permits are granted, together with the particulars therein specified, and the marks, numbers, kinds, and description of the respective packages which shall be unladen pursuant thereto, and shall keep a like account in the book of all merchandise which, not having been entered within the time limited by this Title [R. S., 2517-3129], or for some other cause, has been sent to the store or warehouse provided for the reception of such merchandise; such book shall be delivered to the surveyor in the month of January in every year for his inspection, and immediately after such inspection be transmitted by the surveyor, with such observations as he may think necessary thereon, to the collector, to be deposited in his office. (R. S., 2876.)
The inspector shall attend to the delivery of the cargo under his care, at all times when the unlading or delivery of merchandise is lawful, particularly from the rising to the setting of the sun on each day, Sundays and the fourth day of July in each year excepted; for which purpose he shall constantly attend and remain on board the vessel, the deliveries from which he is to superintend, or at any other station where his inspection is necessary. The inspector shall not quit such station or place without the leave of the surveyor of the port first obtained, who shall appoint another inspector, if he deems it necessary, to supply the place of such inspector during his absence; and any inspector who shall neglect or in any manner act contrary to the duties hereby enjoined, shall for the first offense be liable to a penalty of the sum of fifty dollars, and for the second offense shall be displaced, and be incapable of holding any station of trust or profit under the revenue laws of the United States, for a term not exceeding seven years. (R. S., 2877.)
No inspector shall perform any other duties or service on board any vessel, the superintendence of which is committed to him for any person whatever, other than what is required by this Title [R. S., 2517-3129], under the penalty of being disabled from acting any longer as an inspector of the customs; the wages or compensation of such inspector as may proceed from one district to another, shall be defrayed by the master of the vessel committed to his care; every inspector or other officer of the revenue, while performing any duty on board any vessel, not in a port of the United States, discharging her cargo, shall be entitled to receive from the master of such vessel such provisions and accommodations as are usually supplied to passengers, or as the state and condition of such vessel will admit, on receiving therefor fifty cents a day; and any master of any vessel who shall refuse such provisions and reasonable accommodations shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars. (R. S., 2878.)
If, by reason of the delivery of the cargo in several districts, more than the term allowed by law shall in the whole be spent therein, the wages or compensation of the inspector who may be employed on board of any vessel, in respect to which such term may be so exceeded, shall, for every day of such excess, be paid by the master or owner; and the inspector shall, previously to the clearance of the vessel, render an exact account to the collector of all such compensation as has been paid, or is due and payable by the master or owner. (R. S., 2879.)
The inspector who may be put on board of any vessel shall secure, after sunset in each evening, or previous to his quitting the vessel, the hatches and other communications with the hold of such vessel, or any other part thereof he may judge necessary, with locks or other proper fastenings, which locks or other fastenings shall not be opened, broken, or removed until the morning following, or after the rising of the sun, and in the presence of the inspector by whom the same were affixed, except by special license from the collector of the port, and the naval officer, if any, first obtained. If the locks or other fastenings, or any of them, are broken or removed contrary to this section, or, if any merchandise or packages are clandestinely landed, notice thereof shall be immediately given by the inspector to the collector and naval officer, if any, of the port where the vessel may be; and the master of such vessel shall, for each or every such offense, be liable to a penalty of five hundred dollars. (R. S., 3070.)
Merchandise shall not be entered or delivered from customs custody elsewhere than at one of the ports of entry hereinbefore designated, except at the expense of the parties in interest, upon express authority from the Secretary of the Treasury and under conditions to be prescribed by him. When it shall be made to appear to the Secretary of the Treasury that the interests of commerce or the protection of the revenues so require, he may cause to be stationed at places in the various collection districts, though not named as ports of entry, officers or employees of the customs with authority to enter and clear vessels, to accept entries of merchandise, to collect duties, and to enforce the various provisions of the customs and navigation laws. (See Appendix A.) (Executive order; Mar. 3, 1913.)
Limit of time for unlading.
Whenever any merchandise shall be imported into any port of the United States from any foreign port, in any vessel, at the expiration of ten working days if the vessel is less than five hundred tons register, and within fifteen working days if it is of five hundred tons register and less than one thousand, and within twenty working days if it is of one thousand tons register and less than fifteen hundred, and within twenty-five working days if it is of fifteen hundred tons register and upward, not including legal holidays and days when the condition of the weather prevents the unlading of the vessel with safety to its cargo, after the time within which the report of the master of any vessel is required to be made to the collector of the district, if there is found any merchandise other than has been reported for some other district or some foreign port, the collector shall take possession thereof; but with the consent of the owner or consignee of any merchandise, or with the consent of the owner or master of the vessel in which the same may be imported, the merchandise may be taken possession of by the collector after one day's notice to the collector of the district. All merchandise so taken shall be delivered pursuant to the order of the collector of the district, for which a certificate or receipt shall be granted. (R. S., 2880; May 9, 1896.)
The limitation of time for unlading, prescribed by the preceding section, shall not extend to vessels laden exclusively with coal, salt, sugar, hides, dyewoods, wool, or jute butts, consigned to one consignee, arriving at a port for orders; but if the master of any such vessel requires a longer time to discharge her cargo, the wages or compensation of the inspector, for every day's attendance exceeding the number of days allowed by law, shall be paid by the master or owner; and thereupon the collector is hereby authorized and required to allow such longer time, not exceeding fifteen days. (R. S., 2881; June 3, 1892; sec. 2.)