ulation with sureties in such sum as the court shall direct, to pay all costs and expenses, which shall be awarded against him in the suit upon the final adjudication thereof, or by any interlocutory order in the process of the suit.

RULE XXVI. In suits in rem, the party claiming the property shall verify his claim on oath or solemn affirmation, stating that the claimant, by whom or on whose behalf the claim is made, is the true and bonâ fide owner, and that no other person is the owner thereof. And where the claim is put in by an agent or consignee, he shall also make oath, that he is duly authorized thereto by the owner, or if the property be at the time of the arrest in the possession of the master of a ship, that he is the lawful bailee thereof for the owner. And upon putting in such claim, the claimant, shall file a stipulation with sureties in such sum as the court shall direct, for the payment of all costs and expenses which shall be awarded against him by the final decree of the court, or upon an appeal, by the appellate court.

RULE XXVII. In all libels in causes of civil and maritime jurisdiction, whether in rem or in personam, the answer of the defendant to the allegations in the libel shall be on oath or solemn affirmation; and the answer shall be full and explicit and distinct to each separate article and separate allegation in the libel, in the same order as numbered in the libel; and shall also answer in like manner each interrogatory propounded at the close of the libel.

RULE XXVIII. The libellant may except to the sufficiency or fullness or distinctness or relevancy of the answer to the article and interrogatories in the libel; and if the court shall adjudge the same exceptions or any of them to be good and valid, the court shall order the defendant forthwith, within such time as the court shall direct, to answer the same, and may further order the defendant to pay such costs as the court shall adjudge reasonable.

RULE XXIX. If the defendant shall omit or refuse to make due answer to the libel upon the return day of the process, or other day assigned by the court, the court shall pronounce him to be in contumacy and default, and thereupon the libel shall be adjudged to be taken pro confesso against him, and the court shall proceed to hear the cause ex parte, and adjudge therein as to law and justice shall appertain. But the court may in its discretion set aside the default, and upon the application of the defendant, admit him to make answer to the libel at any time before the final hearing and decree, upon his

payment of all the costs of the suit up to the time of granting leave

therefor.

RULE XXX. In all cases where the defendant answers, but does not answer fully and explicitly and distinctly, to all the matters in any article of the libel, and exception is taken thereto by the libellant, and the exception is allowed, the court may, by attachment, compel the defendant to make further answer thereto, or may direct the matter of the exception to be taken pro confesso against the defendant, to the full purport and effect of the article to which it purports to answer, and as if no answer had been put in thereto.

RULE XXXI. The defendant may object by his answer to answer any allegation or interrogatory contained in the libel, which will expose him to any prosecution or punishment for a crime, or for any penalty or any forfeiture of his property for any penalty offense.

RULE XXXII. The defendant shall have a right to require the personal answer of the libellant, upon oath or solemn affirmation, to any interrogatories which he may at the close of his answer propound to the libellant touching any matters charged in the libel, or touching any matter of defense set up in the answer, subject to the like exception as to matters which shall expose the libellant to any prosecution or punishment or forfeiture, as is provided in the 31st Rule. In default of due answer by the libellant to such interrogatories, the court may adjudge the libellant to be in default and dismiss the libel, or may compel his answer in the premises by attachment, or take the subject-matter of the interrogatory pro confesso in favor of the defendant, as the court in its discretion shall deem most fit to promote public justice.

RULE XXXIII. Where either the libellant or the defendant is out of the country, or unable from sickness or other casualty to make an answer to any interrogatory on oath or solemn affirmation at the proper time, the court may in its discretion, in furtherance of the due administration of justice, dispense therewith, or may award a commission to take the answer of the defendant when and as soon as it may be practicable.

RULE XXXIV. If any third person shall intervene in any cause of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction in rem, for his own interest, and he is entitled, according to the course of admiralty proceedings, to be heard for his own interest therein, he shall propound the matter in suitable allegations, to which, if admitted by the court, the other party or parties in the suit may be required by order of the

court to make due answer, and such further proceedings shall be had and decree rendered by the court therein as to law and justice shall appertain. But every such intervenor shall be required, upon filing his allegations, to give a stipulation with sureties, to abide by the final decree rendered in the cause, and to pay all such costs and expenses and damages as shall be awarded by the court upon the final decree, whether it is rendered in the original or appellate court.

RULE XXXV. Stipulations in admiralty and maritime suits may be taken in open court, or by the proper judge at chambers, or under his order, by any commissioner of the court, who is a standing commissioner of the court, and is now by law authorized to take affidavits and bail, and also depositions in civil causes pending in the courts of the United States.

RULE XXXVI. Exceptions may be taken to any libel, allegation, or answer for surplusage, irrelevancy, impertinence, or scandal, and if, upon reference to a master, the exception shall be reported to be so objectionable, and allowed by the court, the matter shall be expunged at the cost and expense of the party in whose libel or answer the same is found.

RULE XXXVII. In cases of foreign attachment, the garnishee shall be required to answer on oath or solemn affirmation, as to the debts, credits, or effects of the defendant in his hands, and to such interrogatories touching the same as may be propounded by the libellant; and if he shall refuse or neglect so to do, the court may award compulsory process in personam against him. If he admit any debts, credits, or effects, the same shall be held in his hands liable to answer the exigency of the suit.

RULE XXXVIII. In cases of mariner's wages, or bottomry, or salvage, or other proceedings in rem, where freight, or other proceeds of property are attached to or are bound by the suit, which are in the hands or possession of any person, the court may, upon due application by petition of the party interested, require the party charged with the possession thereof to appear and show cause, why the same should not be brought into court to answer the exigency of the suit; and if no sufficient cause be shown, the court may order the same to be brought into court to answer the exigency of the suit, and upon failure of the party to comply with the order, may award an attachment or other compulsive process to compel obedience thereto.

RULE XXXIX. If in any admiralty suit, the libellant shall not

appear and prosecute his suit according to the course and orders of the court, he shall be deemed in default and contumacy, and the court may, upon the application of the defendant, pronounce the suit to be deserted, and the same may be dismissed with costs.

RULE XL. The court may in its discretion, upon the motion of the defendant and the payment of costs, rescind the decree in any suit in which on account of his contumacy and default the matter of the libel shall have been decreed against him, and grant a rehearing thereof, at any time within ten days after the decree has been entered, the defendant submitting to such further orders and terms in the premises as the court may direct.

RULE XLI. All sales of property under any decree in Admiralty shall be made by the marshal or his deputy, or other proper officer assigned by the court, where the marshal is a party in interest, in pursuance of the orders of the court; and the proceeds thereof, when sold, shall be forthwith paid into the registry of the court by the officer making the sale, to be disposed of by the court according to law. RULE XLII. All moneys paid into the registry of the court shall be deposited in some bank designated by the court, and shall be so deposited in the name of the court, and shall not be drawn out except by a check or checks signed by a judge of the court, and coun- tersigned by the clerk, stating on whose account and for whose use it is drawn, and in what suit and out of what fund in particular it is paid. The clerk shall keep a regular book containing a memorandum and copy of all the checks so drawn and the date thereof.

RULE XLIII. Any person having an interest in any proceeds in the registry of the court, shall have a right by petition and summary proceedings to intervene per interesse suo, for a delivery thereof to him; and upon due notice to the adverse parties, if any, the court shall and may proceed summarily to hear and decide thereon, and to decree therein according to law and justice; and if such petition or claim shall be deserted, or upon a hearing be dismissed, the court may in its discretion award costs against the petitioner in favor of the adverse party.

RULE XLIV. In cases where the court shall deem it expedient or necessary for the purposes of justice, the court may refer any matters arising in the progress of the suit to one or more commissioners, to be appointed by the court, to hear the parties and make report therein. And such commissioner or commissioners shall have and possess all the powers in the premises which are usually given to or

exercised by masters in chancery in reference to them, including the power to administer oaths to and examine the parties and witnesses touching the premises.

RULE XLV. All appeals from the district to the circuit court must be made while the court is sitting, or within such other period as shall be designated by the district court by its general rules, or by an order specially made in the particular suit.

RULE XLVI. In all cases not provided for by the foregoing rules, the district and circuit courts are to regulate the practice of said courts respectively, in such manner as they shall deem most expedient for the administration of justice in suits in admiralty.

RULE XLVII. These rules shall be in force in all the circuit and district courts of the United States from and after the first day of September next.

It is ordered by the court, that the foregoing rules be and they are adopted and promulgated as rules for the regulation and government of the practice of the circuit courts and district courts of the United States in suits in admiralty on the instance side of the courts; and that the reporter of the court do cause the same to be published in the next volume of his reports; and that he do cause such additional copies thereof to be published, as he may deem expedient for the due information of the bar and bench in the respective districts and circuits.

AN ACT to regulate prize proceedings and the distribution of prize money, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be the duty of the commanding officer of any vessel or vessels making a capture to secure the documents of the ship and cargo, including the log-book, with all other documents, letters, and other papers found on board, and make an inventory of the same, and seal them up and send them, with the inventory, to the court in which proceedings are to be had, with a written statement that they are all the papers found and in the condition in which they were found, or explaining the absence of any documents or papers or any change in their condition. He shall send to said court, as witnesses, the master, one or more of the other