when necessary to the act of immigration. Carriges, under the same circumstances, if necessary to the act of immigration, may be admitted free, but under no other circumstances.

In the present case the carriage was properly charged with duty. The personal oath is herewith returned.

I am, very respectfully,

B. H. BRISTOW,

Secretary.

Messrs. WELLS, FARGO & Co., New York.

(2029.)

Paper dollar of Cuba.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 5, 1874.

SIR: Your communication of December 3 is received, transmitting appeals, thirteen in number, as per schedule following, against your decision assessing duty on importations the values of which are stated in the paper dollar of Cuba.

On examination of the appeals, it appears that the invoices are duly accompanied by consular certificates of the depreciation of the paper dollar of Cuba, in which certificates the value is declared in American gold coin.

The act, originally of March 3, 1801, reproduced in section 2838 of the act of June 22, 1874, declares that all invoices of goods subject to duty ad valorem "shall be made out in the currency of the place or country from whence the importation shall be made." Section 2903 of the last-named act declares that "the President shall cause to be es tablished fit and proper regulations for estimating the duties on imports into the United States, in respect to which the original cost shall be exhibited in a depreciated curency, issued and circulated under authority of any foreign government;" and under authority of this law the Presdent has directed that consuls of the United States at any foreign port from which merchandise may be imported shall declare the value of any depreciated currency at its equivalent in American gold dollars. Such declaration is therefore the law under which the true value for duty, as declared in the statutes, is to be determined.

The appellants in this case do not allege that the value so declared is not the true value. They simply claim that this declaration should have been made in another manner than that prescribed by the President of the United States, viz., that the value should have been declared in the Cuban gold dollar.

This law, as here stated, is a sufficient answer to the claim of the appellants, and it must be shown that the value as declared in American gold dollars was not the true value to constitute a proper subject for investigation. No such allegation appears in these appeals. Your assessment is therefore affirmed in each case.

Circular to collectors of customs relative to steering and sailing rules, and to the lights, torches, and fog-signals to be provided, used, and observed on steam and sailing vessels, to prevent collisions on the water.

cases.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 5, 1874. This Department has received information that masters of vessels frequently fail to comply with the rules and regulations herewith published, relating to the steering and sailing of vessels, and to the lights and torches to be exhibited, and fog-signals to be sounded in certain The danger to navigation from such failures demands that these rules and regulations shall be rigidly enforced, and all violations thereof promptly reported and punished in the manner provided for by law. In order that all persons concerned, and especially the masters of sailing-vessels, may be fully apprised of their duties in the premises, you are directed to place a copy of this circular in possession of the master of every vessel clearing from your port. The instructions herein contained will be observed in the navigation of vessels of the mercantile marine of the United States; and, by the provisions of the Revised Statutes, the following rules, from one to twenty-four, inclusive, are made applicable to the navigation of vessels of the Navy:

STEAM AND SAIL VESSELS.

RULE ONE. Every steam-vessel which is under sail and not under steam, shall be considered a sail-vessel ; and every steam-vessel which is under steam, whether under sail or not, shall be considered a steamvessel.

LIGHTS.

RULE TWO. The lights mentioned in the following rules, and no others, shall be carried, in all weathers, between sunset and sunrise:

Lights for ocean-going steamers and steamers carrying sail.

RULE THREE. All ocean-going steamers, and steamers carrying sail, shall, when under way, carry—

(a.) At the foremast head, a bright white light, of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least five miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam, on either side.

(b.) On the starboard side, a green light, of such character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam, on the starboard side.

(c.) On the port side, a red light, of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam, on the port side.

The green and red lights shall be fitted with inboard screens, projecting at least three feet forward from the lights, so as to prevent them from being seen across the bow.

Lights for towing-steamers.

RULE FOUR. Steam-vessels when towing other vessels shall carry two bright white masthead lights, vertically, in addition to their side lights, so as to distinguish them from other steam-vessels. Each of these masthead lights shall be of the same character and construction as the masthead lights prescribed by rule three.

Lights for steamers not ocean-going nor carrying sail.

KULE FIVE. All steam-vessels other than ocean-going steamers and steamers carrying sail, shall, when under way, carry, on the starboard

and port sides, lights of the same character and construction, and in the same position as are prescribed for side lights by rule three, except in the case provided in rule six.

Lights for steamers on the Mississippi River.

RULE SIX. River steamers, navigating waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, shall carry the following lights, namely: One red light on the outboard side of the port smoke-pipe, and one green light on the outboard side of the starboard smoke-pipe. Such lights shall show both forward and abeam on their respective sides. Lights for coasting steam-vessels and steam-vessels navigating bays, lakes, and rivers.

RULE SEVEN. All coasting steam-vessels and steam-vessels other than ferry boats, and vessels otherwise expressly provided for, navigating the bays, lakes, rivers, or other inland waters of the United States, except those mentioned in rule six, shall carry the red and green lights, as prescribed for ocean-going steamers, and, in addition thereto, a central range of two white lights; the after light being carried at an elevation of at least fifteen feet above the light at the head of the vessel. The head light shall be so constructed as to show a good light through twenty points of the compass, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam, on either side of the vessel, and the after light so as to show all around the horizon.

The lights for ferry-boats

Shall be regulated by such rules as the Board of Supervising Inspectors for Steam-Vessels shall prescribe. (See "Additional Rules" below.)

Lights for sailing-vessels.

RULE EIGHT. Sail-vessels, under way or being towed, shall carry the same lights as steam-vessels under way, with the exception of the white masthead light, which they shall never carry. (See rule three, b and c.)

Exceptional lights for small sailing-vessels.

RULE NINE. Whenever, as in case of small vessels, during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition, and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in

such a manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, they shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens.

Lights for steam-vessels and sailing-vessels at anchor.

RULE TEN. All vessels, whether steam-vessels or sail-vessels, when at anchor in roadsteads or fairways, shall, between sunset and sunrise, exhibit where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light in a globular lantern of eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear, uniform, and unbroken light, visible all around the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile.

Lights for pilot vessels.

RULE ELEVEN. Sailing pilot vessels shall not carry the lights required for other sailing vessels, but shall carry a white light at the masthead, visible all around the horizon, and shall also exhibit a flareup light every fifteen minutes.

Lights for coal boats, trading boats, rafts, and other like water-craft.

RULE TWELVE. Coal boats, trading boats, produce boats, canal boats, oyster boats, fishing boats, rafts, or other water-craft, navigating any bay, harbor, or river, by hand-power, horse-power, sail, or by the current of the river, or which shall be anchored or moored in or near the channel or fairway of any bay, harbor, or river, shall carry one or more good white lights, which shall be placed in such manner as shall be prescribed by the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steam-Vessels.

Lights for open boats.

RULE THIRTEEN. Open boats shall not be required to carry the side lights required for other vessels, but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a green slide on one side and a red slide on the other side, and, on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, and in such a manner that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. Open boats, when at anchor or stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light. They shall not, however, be prevented from using a flare-up, in addition, if considered expedient.