Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

R. S., 4572.
Dec. 21, 1898.
Sec. 15.

R. S., 4290.

thing necessary for the wear of a seaman; also a full supply of tobacco and blankets. Any of the contents of the slop chest shall be sold, from time to time, to any or every seaman applying therefor, for his own use, at a profit not exceeding ten per centum of the reasonable wholesale value of the same at the port at which the voyage commenced. And if any such vessel is not provided, before sailing, as herein required, the owner shall be liable to a penalty of not more than five hundred dollars. The provisions of this section shall not apply to vessels plying between the United States and the Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, the Bermuda Islands, the Bahama Islands, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America.

120. Warmth and clothing.

Every vessel bound on any foreign voyage exceeding in length fourteen days shall also be provided with at least one suit of woolen clothing for each seaman, and every vessel in the foreign or domestic trade shall provide a safe and warm room for the use of seamen in cold weather. Failure to make such provision shall subject the owner or master to a penalty of not less than one hundred dollars. [This section shall not apply to fishing or whaling vessels or yachts-Dec. 21, 1898, sec. 26.]

121. Log-book.

Every vessel making voyages from a port in the United States to any foreign port, or being of the burden of seventy-five tons, or upward, from a port on the Atlantic to a port on the Pacific, or vice versa, shall have an official log-book; and every master of such vessel shall make, or cause to be made therein, entries of the following matters, that is to say:

First. Every legal conviction of any member of his crew, and the punishment inflicted.

Second. Every offense committed by any member of his crew for which it is intended to prosecute, or to enforce a forfeiture, together with such statement concerning the reading over such entry, and concerning the reply, if any, made to the charge, as is required by the provisions of section forty-five hundred and ninety-seven.

Third. Every offense for which punishment is inflicted on board, and the punishment inflicted.

Fourth. A statement of the conduct, character, and qualifications of each of his crew; or a statement that he declines to give an opinion of such particulars.

Fifth. Every case of illness or injury happening to any member of the crew, with the nature thereof, and the medical treatment.

Sixth. Every case of death happening on board, with the cause thereof.

Seventh. Every birth happening on board, with the sex of the infant, and the names of the parents.

Eighth. Every marriage taking place on board, with the names and ages of the parties.

Ninth. The name of every seaman or apprentice who ceases to be a member of the crew otherwise than by death, with the place, time, manner, and cause thereof.

Tenth. The wages due to any seaman or apprentice who dies during the voyage, and the gross amount of all deductions to be made there from.

Eleventh. The sale of the effects of any seaman or apprentice who dies during the voyage, including a statement of each article sold, and the sum received for it.

Twelfth. In every case of collision in which it is practicable so to do, the master shall, immediately after the occurrence, cause a statement thereof, and of the circumstances under which the same occurred, to be entered in the official log book. Such entry shall be made in the manner prescribed in section forty-two hundred and ninety-one, and failure to make such entry shall subject the offender to the penalties prescribed by section fortytwo hundred and ninety-two.

Feb. 14, 1900.

Every entry hereby required to be made in the official R. S., 4291. log-book shall be signed by the master and by the mate, or some other one of the crew, and every entry in the official log-book shall be made as soon as possible after the occurrence to which it relates, and, if not made on the same day as the occurrence to which it relates, shall be made and dated so as to show the date of the occurrence, and of the entry respecting it; and in no case shall any entry therein, in respect of any occurrence happening previously to the arrival of the vessel at her final port, be made more than twenty-four hours after such arrival.

If in any case the official log-book is not kept in the R. S., 4292. manner hereby required, or if any entry hereby directed to be made in any such log-book is not made at the time and in the manner hereby directed, the master shall, for each such offense, be liable to a penalty of not more than twenty-five dollars; and every person who makes, or procures to be made, or assists in making, any entry in any official log-book in respect of any occurrence happening previously to the arrival of the vessel at her final port of discharge, more than twenty-four hours after such arrival, shall, for each offense, be liable to a penalty of not more than one hundred and fifty dollars.

PART VII. LIABILITY OF OWNERS, MASTERS, AND

SHIPPERS.

122. Liability of owners, masters, and shippers.

123. Act of Feb. 18, 1893.
124. General libel bond.

R. S., 4281.

R. S., 4282.

R. S., 4283.

122. Liability of owners, masters, and shippers.

If any shipper of platina, gold, gold dust, silver, bullion, or other precious metals, coins, jewelry, bills of any bank or public body, diamonds, or other precious stones, or any gold or silver in a manufactured or unmanufactured state, watches, clocks, or time pieces of any description, trinkets, orders, notes, or securities for payment of money, stamps, maps, writings, title-deeds, printings, engravings, pictures, gold or silver plate or plated articles, glass, china, silks in a manufactured or unmanufactured state, and whether wrought up or not wrought up with any other material, furs, or lace, or any of them, contained in any parcel, or package, or trunk, shall lade the same as freight or baggage, on any vessel, without at the time of such lading giving to the master, clerk, agent, or owner of such vessel receiving the same a written notice of the true character and value thereof, and having the same entered on the bill of lading therefor, the master and owner of such vessel shall not be liable as carriers thereof in any form or manner; nor shall any such master or owner be liable for any such goods beyond the value and according to the character thereof so notified and entered.

No owner of any vessel shall be liable to answer for or make good to any person any loss or damage which may happen to any merchandise whatsoever, which shall be shipped, taken in, or put on board any such vessel, by reason or by means of any fire happening to or on board the vessel, unless such fire is caused by the design or neglect of such owner.

The liability of the owner of any vessel, for any embezzlement, loss, or destruction, by any person, of any property, goods, or merchandise, shipped or put on board of such vessel, or for any loss, damage, or injury by collision, or for any act, matter, or thing, lost, damage, or forfeiture, done, occasioned, or incurred, without the privity or knowledge of such owner or owners, shall in no case exceed the amount or value of the interest of such owner in such vessel, and her freight then pending.

Whenever any such embezzlement, loss, or destruction R. S., 4284. is suffered by several freighters or owners of goods, wares, merchandise, or any property whatever, on the same voyage, and the whole value of the vessel, and her freight for the voyage, is not sufficient to make compensation to each of them, they shall receive compensation from the owner of the vessel, in proportion to their respective losses; and for that purpose the freighters and owners of the property, and the owner of the vessel, or any of them, may take the appropriate proceedings in any court, for the purpose of apportioning the sum for which the owner of the vessel may be liable among the parties entitled thereto. It shall be deemed a sufficient compliance on the part of R. S., 4285. such owner with the requirements of this Title [R. S., 4131-4305] relating to his liability for any embezzlement, loss, or destruction of any property, goods, or merchandise, if he shall transfer his interest in such vessel and freight, for the benefit of such claimants, to a trustee, to be appointed by any court of competent jurisdiction, to act as such trustee for the person who may prove to be legally entitled thereto; from and after which transfer all claims and proceedings against the owner shall cease.

The charterer of any vessel, in case he shall man, vict- R. S., 4286. ual, and navigate such vessel at his own expense, or by his own procurement, shall be deemed the owner of such vessel within the meaning of the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4131-4305] relating to the limitation of the liability of the owners of vessels; and such vessel, when so chartered, shall be liable in the same manner as if navigated by the owner thereof.

Nothing in the five preceding sections shall be con- R. S., 4287. strued to take away or affect the remedy to which any party may be entitled, against the master, officers, or seamen, for or on account of any embezzlement, injury, loss, or destruction of merchandise, or property, put on board any vessel, or on account of any negligence, fraud, or other malversation of such master, officers, or seamen, respectively, nor to lessen or take away any responsibility to which any master or seaman of any vessel may by law be liable, notwithstanding such master or seaman may be an owner or part owner of the vessel.

Any person shipping oil of vitriol, unslacked lime, in- R. S., 4288. flammable matches, or gunpowder, in a vessel taking cargo for divers persons on freight, without delivering, at the time of shipment, a note in writing, expressing the nature and character of such merchandise, to the master, mate, officer, or person in charge of the lading of the vessel, shall be liable to the United States in a penalty of Sec. 4. one thousand dollars.

The individual liability of a ship-owner, shall be limited to the proportion of any or all debts and liabilities that his individual share of the vessel bears to the whole; and

June 19, 1886.

June 26, 1884.
Sec. 18.

R. S., 4289.

Sec. 4.

the aggregate liabilities of all the owners of a vessel on account of the same shall not exceed the value of such vessel and freight pending: Provided, That this provision shall not affect the liability of any owner incurred previous to the passage of this act, nor prevent any claimant from joining all the owners in one action; nor shall the same apply to wages due to persons employed by said ship-owners.

The provisions of the seven preceding sections, and of June 19, 1886. section eighteen of an act entitled "An act to remove certain burdens on the American merchant marine and encourage the American foreign carrying-trade, and for other purposes," approved June twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, relating to the limitations of the liability of the owners of vessels, shall apply to all sea-going vessels, and also to all vessels used on lakes or rivers or in inland navigation, including canal-boats, barges, and lighters.

Feb. 13, 1893.
Sec. 1.

Sec. 2.

Sec. 3.

123. Act of February 13, 1893 (Harter Act).

It shall not be lawful for the manager, agent, master or owner of any vessel transporting merchandise or property from or between ports of the United States and foreign ports to insert in any bill of lading or shipping document any clause, covenant, or agreement whereby it, he, or they shall be relieved from liability for loss or damage arising from negligence, fault, or failure in proper loading, stowage, custody, care, or proper delivery of any and all lawful merchandise or property committed to its or their charge. Any and all words or clauses of such import inserted in bills of lading or shipping receipts shall be null and void and of no effect.

It shall not be lawful for any vessel transporting merchandise or property from or between ports of the United States of America and foreign ports, her owner, master, agent or manager to insert in any bill of lading or shipping document any covenant or agreement whereby the obligations of the owner or owners of said vessel to exercise due diligence, properly equip, man, provision, and outfit said vessel, and to make said vessel seaworthy and capable of performing her intended voyage, or whereby the obligations of the master, officers, agents, or servants to carefully handle and stow her cargo and to care for and properly deliver same, shall in any wise be lessened, weakened, or avoided.

If the owner of any vessel transporting merchandise or property to or from any port in the United States of America shall exercise due diligence to make the said. vessel in all respects seaworthy and properly manned, equipped, and supplied, neither the vessel, or owners, agent, or charterers shall become or be held responsible for damage or loss resulting from faults or errors in navigation or in the management of said vessel, nor shall the

« ZurückWeiter »