293. Wrecks in Florida waters.

All property, of any description whatsoever, which shall R. S., 4239 be taken from any wreck, from the sea, or from any of the keys and shoals, within the jurisdiction of the United States, on the coast of Florida, shall be brought to some port of entry within the jurisdiction of the United States.

Every vessel which shall be engaged or employed in R. S., 4240. carrying or transporting any property whatsoever, taken from any wreck, from the sea, or from any of the keys or shoals, within the jurisdiction of the United States, on the coast of Florida, to any foreign port, shall, together with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, be forfeited, and all forfeitures incurred by virtue of this section shall accrue, one moiety to the informer and the other to the United States.

No vessel, or master thereof, shall be regularly employed R. S., 4241 in the business of wrecking on the coast of Florida without the license of the judge of the district court for the district of Florida; and, before licensing any vessel or master, the judge shall be satisfied that the vessel is sea-worthy, and properly and sufficiently fitted and equipped for the business of saving property shipwrecked and in distress; and that the master thereof is trustworthy, and innocent of any fraud or misconduct in relation to any property shipwrecked or saved on the coast.

PART XXV.-REVENUE CUTTERS.

R. S., 2747.

R. S.. 2758.

R. S., 2760.

R. S., 2763.

R. S., 2764.

294. Revenue cutters.

The President may, for the better securing the collection of import or tonnage duties, cause to be maintained so many of the revenue-cutters as may be necessary to be employed for the protection of the revenue, the expense whereof shall be paid out of such sum as shall be annually appropriated for the revenue-cutter service, and not otherwise.

The Secretary of the Treasury may direct the performance of any service by the revenue-vessels which, in his judgment, is necessary for the protection of the revenue.

The officers of the revenue-cutters shall respectively be deemed officers of the customs, and shall be subject to the direction of such collectors of the revenue, or other officers thereof, as from time to time shall be designated for that purpose. They shall go on board all vessels which arrive within the United States or within four leagues of the coast thereof, if bound for the United States, and search and examine the same, and every part thereof, and shall demand, receive, and certify the manifests required to be on board certain vessels, shall affix and put proper fastenings on the hatches and other communications with the hold of any vessel, and shall remain on board such vessels until they arrive at the port or place of their destination.

The collector of each district may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, provide and employ such small open row and sail boats, and persons to serve in them, as shall be necessary for the use of the surveyors and inspectors in going on board of vessels and otherwise, for the better detection of frauds.

The cutters and boats employed in the service of the revenue shall be distinguished from other vessels by an ensign and pendant, with such marks thereon as shall be prescribed by the President. If any vessel or boat, not employed in the service of the revenue, shall, within the jurisdiction of the United States, carry or hoist any pendant or ensign prescribed for vessels in such service, the master of the vessel so offending shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars.

Whenever any vessel liable to seizure or examination does not bring-to, on being required to do so, or on being chased by any cutter or boat which has displayed the pendant and ensign prescribed for vessels in the revenue service, the master of such cutter or boat may fire at or into such vessel which does not bring-to, after such pendant and ensign has been hoisted, and a gun has been fired by such cutter or boat as a signal; and such master, and all persons acting by or under his direction, shall be indemnified from any penalties or actions for damages for so doing. If any person is killed or wounded by such firing, and the master is prosecuted or arrested therefor, he shall be forthwith admitted to bail.

R. S., 2765.

Hereafter revenue cutters shall be used exclusively for July 17, 1884. the public service, and in no way for private purposes.

PART XXVI.-REMISSION OF FINES AND

PENALTIES.

R. S., 5292.

R. S., 5293.

295. Remission of fines and penalties.

Whenever any person who shall have incurred any fine, penalty, or forfeiture, or disability, or may be interested in any vessel or merchandise which has become subject to any seizure, forfeiture, or disability by authority of any provisions of law for imposing or collecting any duties or taxes, or relating to registering, recording, enrolling, or licensing vessels, or providing for the suppression of insurrections or unlawful combinations against the United States, shall prefer his petition to the judge of the district in which such fine, penalty, or forfeiture, or disability has accrued, truly and particularly setting forth the circumstances of his case, and shall pray that the same may be mitigated or remitted, the judge shall inquire, in a summary manner, into the circumstances of the case; first causing reasonable notice to be given to the person claiming such fine, penalty, or forfeiture, and to the attorney of the United States for such district, that each may have an opportunity of showing cause against the mitigation or remission thereof; and shall cause the facts appearing upon such inquiry to be stated and annexed to the petition, and direct their transmission to the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary shall thereupon have power to mitigate or remit such fine, forfeiture, or penalty, or remove such dis ability, or any part thereof, if, in his opinion, the same was incurred without willful negligence, or any intention of fraud in the person incurring the same; and to direct the prosecution, if any has been instituted for the recovery thereof, to cease and be discontinued, upon such terms or conditions as he may deem reasonable and just.

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prescribe such rules and modes of proceeding to ascertain the facts upon which an application for remission of a fine, penalty, or forfeiture is founded, as he deems proper, and, upon ascertaining them, to remi the fine, penalty, or forfeiture, if in his opinion it was incurred without willful negligence or fraud, in either of the following cases:

First. If the fine, penalty, or forfeiture was imposed under authority of any revenue law, and the amount does not exceed one thousand dollars.

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Second. Where the case occurred within either of the collection-districts in the States of California or Oregon.

Third. If the fine, penalty, or forfeiture was imposed under authority of any provisions of law relating to the importation of merchandise from foreign contiguous territory, or relating to manifests for vessels enrolled or licensed to carry on the coasting-trade on the northern, northeastern, and north western frontiers.

Fifth. If the fine, penalty, or forfeiture was imposed by authority of any provisions of laws for levying or collecting any duties or taxes, or relating to registering, recording, enrolling, or licensing vessels, and the case arose within the collection-district of Alaska, or was imposed by virtue of any provisions of law relating to fur-seals upon the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George.

The Secretary of the Treasury may, upon application therefor, remit or mitigate any fine or penalty provided for in laws relating to vessels, or discontinue any prosecution to recover penalties denounced in such laws, excepting the penalty of imprisonment, or of removal from office, upon such terms as he, in his discretion, shall think proper; and all rights granted to informers by such laws shall be held subject to the Secretary's power of remission, except in cases where the claims of any informer to the share of any penalty shall have been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, prior to the application for the remis sion of the penalty; and the Secretary shall have authority to ascertain the facts upon all such applications, in such manner and under such regulations as he may deem proper.

Any officer or other person entitled to or interested in a part or share of any fine, penalty, or forfeiture incurred under any law of the United States, may be examined as a witness in any of the proceedings for the recovery of such fine, penalty, or forfeiture by either of the parties thereto, and such examination shall not deprive such witness of his share or interest in such fine, penalty, or forfeiture.

Whenever any fine, penalty, forfeiture, exaction, or charge arising under the laws relating to vessels or seamen has been paid to any collector of customs or consular officer, and application has been made within one year from such payment for the refunding or remission of the same, the Secretary of the Treasury if on investigation he finds that such fine, penalty, forfeiture, exaction, or charge was illegally, improperly, or excessively imposed, shall have the power, either before or after the same has been covered into the Treasury, to refund so much of such fine, penalty, forfeiture, exaction or charge as he may think proper, from any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

NAV 95, PT 2-18