Chapter CLXIX. *to reorganize the Marine Hospital Service, and to provide for the Relief of sick and disabled Seamen*
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CHAP. CLXIX.— An Act *to reorganize the Marine Hospital Service, and to provide for the Relief of sick and disabled Seamen*. June 29, 1870. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Forty cents a month to be retained from wages of certain seamen and paid over to the collectors of customs. Pub. Res. No. 27.*Post*, p. 595. That from and after the first day of August, eighteen hundred and seventy, there shall be assessed and collected by the collectors of customs at the ports of the United States, from the masters or owners of every vessel of the United States arriving from a foreign port, or of registered vessels employed in the coasting trade, the sum of forty cents per month for each and every seaman who shall have been employed on said vessel since she was last entered at any port of the United States, which sum said master or owner is hereby authorized to collect and retain from the wages of said employees.
Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted*, That from and after the first day ofNo new enrolment or license to be granted to any vessel, unless the master has rendered account of the seamen, &c. to collector. August, no collector shall grant to any vessel whose enrollment or license for carrying on the coasting trade has expired a new enrollment or license, unless the master of such vessel shall have first rendered a true account to the collector of the number of seamen and the time they have been employed on such vessel during the continuance of the license which has so expired, and shall have paid to such collector forty cents per month170FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
Sess. II. Ch. 169, 170. 1870. for every such seaman who shall have been employed as aforesaid, which sum the said master is hereby authorized to retain out of the wages of Penalty upon master for rendering a false account;such seaman; and if the master of any registered, enrolled, or licensed vessel of the United States shall render a false account of the number of seamen so employed, or of the length of time they have severally been employed, as is herein required, he shall forfeit and pay fifty dollars, which how to be applied.shall be applied to, and shall make a part of, the general fund created by this act, and all needful regulations for the mode of collecting the sums hereinbefore mentioned shall be prepared under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, by such person as by him may be designated.
Sec. 3. Collectors to deposit sums thus collected to the credit of, &c. and make returns.*And be it further enacted*, That it shall be the duty of the several collectors to deposit the sums collected by them respectively under the provisions of this act, in the nearest United States depository, to the credit of “the fund for the relief of sick and disabled seamen”; making returns of the same with proper vouchers monthly, on forms to be furnished by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Sec. 4. Moneys to be paid into the treasury without reduction, and to be credited how.*And be it further enacted*, That all moneys received or collected by virtue of this act shall be paid into the treasury like other public moneys, without abatement or reduction ; and all moneys so received are hereby appropriated for the expenses of the marine hospital service, and shall be credited to the marine hospital fund, of which separate accounts shall be kept. Sec. 5. Fund how to be employed.*And be it further enacted*, That the fund thus obtained shall be employed, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, for the care and relief of sick and disabled seamen employed in registered, enrolled, and licensed vessels of the United States.
Sec. 6. Supervising surgeon of marine hospital service authorized ;duties and salary.*And be it further enacted*, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to appoint a surgeon to act as supervising surgeon of marine hospital service, whose duty it shall be, under the direction of the Secretary, to supervise all matters connected with the marine-hospital service, and with the disbursement of the fund provided by this act, at a salary not exceeding the rate of two thousand dollars per annum, and his Monthly reports.necessary travelling expenses, who shall be required to make monthly reports to the Secretary of the Treasury.
Sec. 7. The term “vessel” in this act to include what.*Post*, p. 595.*And be it further enacted*, That, for the purposes of this act, the term “vessel,” herein used, shall be held to include every description of water-craft, raft, vehicle, and contrivance used or capable of being used as a means or auxiliary of transportation on or by water. And all acts and parts of acts inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this act be, and the same are hereby, repealed. Approved, June 29, 1870.