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June 10, 1890.
Sec. 26.

Sec. 27.

221. Bribery and solicitation of bribes.

Any person who shall give, or offer to give or promise to give any money or thing of value, directly or indirectly, to any officer or employee of the United States in consideration of or for any act or omission contrary to law in connec tion with or pertaining to the importation, appraisement, entry, examination, or inspection of goods, wares, or merchandise including herein any baggage, or of the liquidation of the entry thereof, or shall by threats or demands, or promises of any character attempt to improperly influ ence or control any such officer or employee of the United States as to the performance of his official duties shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not exceeding two thousand dol lars, or be imprisoned at hard labor not more than one year, or both, in the discretion of the court; and evidence of such giving, or offering, or promising to give, satisfactory to the court in which such trial is had, shall be regarded as prima facie evidence that such giving or offering or promising was contrary to law, and shall put upon the accused the burden of proving that such act was innocent, and not done with an unlawful intention.

Any officer or employee of the United States who shall, excepting for lawful duties or fees, solicit, demand, exact or receive from any person, directly or indirectly, any money or thing of value, in connection with or pertaining to the importation, appraisement, entry, examination, or inspection of goods, wares, or merchandise, including herein any baggage, or liquidation of the entry thereof, on conviction thereof, shall be fined not exceeding five thousand dollars, or be imprisoned at hard labor not more than two years, or both, in the discretion of the court. And evidence of such soliciting, demanding, exacting, or receiving, satisfactory to the court in which such trial is had, shall be regarded as prima facie evidence that such soliciting, demanding, exacting, or receiving was contrary to law, and shall put upon the accused the burden of proving that such act was innocent and not with an unlawful intention.

221 a. Entry of articles not merchandise for sale.

Articles, not merchandise intended for sale, not exceeding June 8, 1896. five hundred dollars in value, imported in packages not exceeding one hundred pounds in weight, in vessels of the United States, may be specially delivered to and appraised at the public stores, and the entry thereof liquidated by the collector under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, and after such appraisement and liquidation may be delivered, upon payment of the liquidated duties under the bond provided for in this Act, to express companies or other duly incorporated inland carriers bonded for the transportation of appraised or unappraised merchandise between the several ports in the United States: Provided, That not more than one such consignment to one ultimate consignee from the same consignor shall be imported in any one vessel: And provided, That the original appraisement of and liquidation of duties on such importations shall be final against the owner, importer, agent, or consignee, except in the case of manifest clerical errors, as provided for in section twenty-four of the Act of June tenth, eighteen hundred and ninety: Provided, That nothing contained in this Act shall apply to explosives, or any article the importation of which is prohibited by law.

Such express companies or other inland carriers shall be Sec. 2. responsible to the United States under bond for the safe delivery of such articles to the ultimate consignee: Provided, That if any package shall not be delivered to the ultimate consignee by the express company or other inland carrier, and shall be returned to the collector of the port where such articles are entered under the provisions of this Act within ninety days from the date of importation intact, the collector shall take charge of such package and dispose of it as unclaimed merchandise, and the duties, including additional duties, if any, under section seven of the Act of June tenth, eighteen hundred and ninety, paid shall be refunded by the Secretary of the Treasury out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated; and the express company or other inland carriers shall be relieved of any liability therefor under its bond; and before any express company or other inland carrier shall be permitted to receive and transport any such articles they shall become bound to the United States in such bonds, in such form and amount, and with such conditions not inconsistent with law as the Secretary of the Treasury may require.

Articles transported under the provisions of this Act shall be corded and sealed in such manner as shall from time to time be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury; and the collector of the port of first arrival shall retain in his office a permanent record of such merchandise so forwarded.

Such packages may be consigned to and entered by the agents of the express company or other inland carrier or steamship company, who shall at the time of entry state the ultimate consignee, and in all cases where a certified or other invoice is now required by law such invoice may be attached to or inclosed in the package, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; and the delivery of such articles to the express company or other inland carrier shall not be delayed because of the nonarrival of the triplicate invoice, but the ultimate consignee shall be liable for any increased duty found due on reliquidation, if any, after receipt of said merchandise from the express company or other inland carrier or steamship company making entry under this Act; and the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred and fifty-seven, Revised Statutes, shall not apply to importations under this Act.

Sec. 3.

Sec. 4.

PART XIV.-TARIFF PROVISIONS DIRECTLY

RELATING TO VESSELS.

R. S. 2981.

May 21, 1896.

1.5་༤

221 b. Liens for freight.

Insert at page 192.

Whenever the collector of the port of entry of the vessel,
or other proper officer of the customs, shall be duly notified
in writing of the existence of a lien for freight, charges, or
contribution in general average upon imported goods, wares,
or merchandise in his custody, he shall, before delivering
such goods, wares, or merchandise to the importer, owner,
or consignee thereof for consumption, or to any vessel or
vehicle for transportation or exportation, give seasonable
notice to the party or parties claiming the lien; and the pos-
session by the officers of customs shall not affect the discharge
of such lien, under such regulations as the Secretary of the
Treasury may prescribe; and such officer shall refuse the
delivery of such merchandise from any public or bonded
warehouse or other place in which the same shall be deposited
until proof to his satisfaction shall be produced that the
freight, charges, or contribution in general average thereon
has been paid or secured; but the rights of the United States
shall not be prejudiced thereby, nor shall the United States
or its officers be in any manner liable for losses consequent
upon such refusal to deliver. If merchandise so subject to
a lien, regarding which notice has been filed, shall be for-
feited to the United States and sold, the freight, charges, or
contribution in general average due thereon shall be paid
from the proceeds of such sale in the same manner as other
charges and expenses authorized by law to be paid therefrom
are paid.

rials have been used for such purposes no unne
paid thereon. But vessels receiving the benefit of this sec-
tion shall not be allowed to engage in the coastwise trade
of the United States more than two months in any one
year except upon the payment to the United States of the
duties of which a rebate is herein allowed: Provided, That
vessels built in the United States for foreign account and
ownership shall not be allowed to engage in the coastwise
trade of the United States.

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