Chapter 839.
2,242 words·~10 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-26/chapter-839A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 839.— An act providing for an inspection of meats for exportation, prohibiting the importation of adulterated articles of food or drink, and authorizing the President to make proclamation in certain cases, and for other purposes.August 30, 1890. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Import and export of infected cattle, export of unwholesome meats, and import of adulterated fowl and drink, prohibited.Exclusion of imports from foreign states unjustly discriminating against American products.Secretary of Agriculture to cause inspection of salted pork, etc., intended for export.Inspection to be made at place of packing.
That the Secretary of Agriculture may cause to be made a careful inspection of salted pork and bacon intended for exportation, with a view to determining whether the same is wholesome, sound, and fit for human food whenever the laws, regulations, or orders of the Government of any foreign country to which such pork or bacon is to be exported shall require inspection thereof relating to the importation thereof into such country, and also whenever any buyer, seller, or exporter of such meats intended for exportation shall request the inspection thereof.
Such inspection shall be made at the place where such meats are packed or boxed, and each package of such meats so inspected shall bear the marks, stamps, or other device for identification provided *Proviso*.for in the last clause of this section: *Provided*, That an inspection Or at place of exportation.of such meats may also be made at the place of exportation if an inspection has not been made at the place of packing, or if, in the Reinspection.opinion of the Secretary of Agriculture, a re-inspection becomes FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
Sess. I. Ch. 839. 1890.415 necessary. One copy of any certificate issued by any such inspectorInspector’s certificate to be filed. shall be filed in the Department of Agriculture; another copy shall be attached to the invoice of each separate shipment of such meat, and a third copy shall be delivered to the consignor or shipper of such meat as evidence that packages of salted pork and bacon haveEvidence of Inspection. been inspected in accordance with the provisions of this act and found to be wholesome, sound, and fit for human food; and for the identification of the same such marks, stamps, or other devices asIdentification marks, etc. the Secretary of Agriculture may by regulation prescribe shall be affixed to each of such packages.
Any person who shall forge, counterfeit, or knowingly and wrongfullyForging marks, etc., on packages. alter, deface, or destroy any of the marks, stamps, or other device’s provided for in this section on any package of any such meats, or who shall forge, counterfeit, or knowingly and wrongfully alter,Forging certificates, etc. deface, or destroy any certificate in reference to meats provided for in this section, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on convictionCrime.Penalty. thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 2. That it shall be unlawful to import into the United StatesImportation of adulterated food, liquor, etc., declared unlawful. any adulterated or unwholesome food or drug or any vinous, spirituous or malt liquors, adulterated or mixed with any poisonous or noxious chemical drug or other ingredient injurious to health. Any person who shall knowingly import into the United States any such adulterated food or drug, or drink, knowing or having reasons to believe the same to be adulterated, being the owner or the agent of the owner, or the consignor or consignee of the owner, or in privity with them, assisting in such unlawful act, shall be deemed guilty of aCrime. misdemeanor, and liable to prosecution therefor in the district court of the United States for the district into which such property is imported; and, on conviction, such person shall be fined in a sumPenalty. not exceeding one thousand dollars for each separate shipment, and may be imprisoned by the court for a term not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Sec. 3. That any article designed for consumption as human food or drink, and any other article of the classes or description mentioned in this act, which shall be imported into the United States contrary to its provisions, shall be forfeited to the United States, and shall beForfeiture of imports.Procedure. proceeded against under the provisions of chapter eighteen of title thirteen of the Revised Statutes of the United States: and such imported property so declared forfeited may be destroyed or returned[R.S., Title XIII, chap. 18, pp. 172–193](/us/rs/chap18/pp172/193).Return, etc., for exportation.Costs and expenses. to the importer for exportation from the United States after the payment of all costs and expenses, under such regulations as the Secretary of theTreasury regulations.
Treasury may prescribe; and the Secretary of the Treasury may cause such imported articles to be inspected or examinedSecretary of Treasury to cause Inspection. in order to ascertain whether the same have been so unlawfully imported. Sec. 4. That whenever the President is satisfied that there is goodSuspension of importation of adulterated articles, etc., by Presidential proclamation. reason to believe that any importation is being made, or is about to be made, into the United States, from any foreign country, of any article used for human food or drink that is adulterated to an extent dangerous to the health or welfare of the people of the United States, or any of them, he may issue his proclamation suspending the importation of such articles from such country for such periodPeriod of suspension. of time as he may think necessary to prevent such importation: and during such period it shall be unlawful to import into the United States from the countries designated in the proclamation of the President any of the articles the importation of which is so suspended.
Sec. 5. That whenever the President shall be satisfied that unjustUnjust discriminations by foreign states against importing American products. discriminations are made by or under the authority of any foreign state against the importation to or sale in such foreign state of any 416FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 839. 1890. product of the United States, he may direct that such products ofExclusion from importation of products from such foreign state. such foreign state so discriminating against any product of the United States as he may deem proper shall be excluded from importationBy Presidential proclamation. to the United States; and in such case he shall make proclamation of his direction in the premises, and therein name the time when such direction against importation shall take effect, and after When importation unlawful.Revocation, etc., of Presidential declaration.such date the importation of the articles named in such proclamation shall be unlawful.
The President may at any time revoke, modify, terminate, or renew any such direction as, in his opinion, the public interest may require. Sec. 6. That the importation of neat cattle, sheep, and otherImportation of diseased, etc., cattle, etc., prohibited. ruminants, and swine, which are diseased or infected with any disease, or which shall have been exposed to such infection within sixty days next before their exportation, is hereby prohibited; and any person who shall knowingly violate the foregoing provision shall be A misdemeanor.Penalty.deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction, be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years, and any vessel or vehicle used in Forfeiture of vessel, etc.such unlawful importation with the knowledge of the master or owner of said vessel or vehicle that such importation is diseased or has been exposed to infection as herein described, shall be forfeited to the United States.
Sec. 7. That the Secretary of Agriculture be, and is hereby, authorized,Secretary of Agriculture to quarantine imported cattle, etc. at the expense of the owner, to place and retain in quarantine all neat cattle, sheep, and other ruminants, and all swine, Quarantine ports, etc.imported into the United States, at such ports as he may designate for such purpose, and under such conditions as he may by regulation prescribe, respectively, for the several classes of animals above Quarantine buildings, etc.described: and for this purpose he may have and maintain possession of all lands, buildings, animals, tools, fixtures, and appurtenances now in use for the quarantine of neat cattle, and hereafter purchase, Appointment of surgeons, inspectors, etc.construct, or rent as may be necessary, and he may appoint veterinary surgeons, inspectors, officers, and employees by him deemed necessary to maintain such quarantine, and provide for the execution of the other provisions of this act.
Sec. 8. That the importation of all animals described in this actImportation of certain animals except at certain quarantine ports, prohibited. into any port in the United States, except such as may be designated by the Secretary of Agriculture, with the approval of Slaughter of infected animals.the Secretary of the Treasury, as quarantine stations, is hereby prohibited; and the Secretary of Agriculture may cause to be slaughtered such of the animals named in this act as may be, under regulations prescribed by him, adjudged to be infected with any contagious disease, Slaughter of animals exposed to infection but not infected.Ascertainment o value.or to have been exposed to infection so as to be dangerous to other animals; and that the value of animals so slaughtered as being so; exposed to infection but not infected may be ascertained by the agreement of the Secretary of Agriculture and owners thereof, if Appraisal.practicable; otherwise, by the appraisal by two persons familiar with the character and value of such property, to be appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, whose decision, if they agree shall be Final decision.final; otherwise, the Secretary of Agriculture shall decide between them, and his decision shall be final: and the amount of the value Payment to owner of ascertained value.thus ascertained shall be paid to the owner thereof out of money in the Treasury appropriated for the use of the Bureau of Animal Limitation.Industry; but no payment shall be made for any animal imported in violation of the provisions of this act.
If any animal subject to Such animals brought to prohibited ports, to be sent by port-collector to nearest quarantine at owner’s cost.quarantine according to the provisions of this act are brought into any port of the United States where no quarantine station is established the collector of such port shall require the same to be conveyed by the vessel on which they are imported or are found to the nearest quarantine station, at the expense of the owner. Sec. 9. That whenever, in the opinion of the President, it shall beImportation of all animals, may be suspended by proclamation. necessary for the protection of animals in the United States against FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
Sess. I. Chs. 839–841. 1890.417 infectious or contagious diseases, he may, by proclamation, suspend the importation of all or any class of animals for a limited time, and may change, modify, revoke, or renew such proclamation, as theModifications, etc. public good may require; and during the time of such suspensionImportation, etc., unlawful. the importation of any such animals shall be unlawful. Sec. 10. That the Secretary of Agriculture shall cause careful inspectionInspection of all imported animals, etc., to be made. to be made by a suitable officer of all imported animals described in this act, to ascertain whether such animals are infected with contagious diseases or have been exposed to infection so as to be dangerous to other animals, which shall then either be placed inDisposal of animals, etc., by regulations of Secretary of Agriculture. quarantine or dealt with according to the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture; and all food, litter, manure, clothing, utensils, and other appliances that have been so related to such animals on board ship as to be judged liable to convey infection shall be dealt with according to the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture; and the Secretary of Agriculture may cause inspection to be madeInspection of animals intended for export.Disinfection of vessels, etc. of all animals described in this act intended for exportation, and provide for the disinfection of all vessels engaged in the transportation thereof, and of all barges or other vessels used in the conveyance of such animals intended for export to the ocean steamer or other vessels, and of all attendants and their clothing, and of all head-ropes and other appliances used in such exportation, by such orders and regulations as he may prescribe; and if, upon such inspection, any such animals shall be adjudged, under the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, to be infected or to have been exposed to infection so as to be dangerous to other animals, they shallInfected or exposed animals not allowed to embark.Cost of inspection and disinfection. not be allowed to be placed upon any vessel for exportation; the expense of all the inspection and disinfection provided for in this section to be borne by the owners of the vessels on which such animals are exported.
Approved, August 30, 1890. Chapter 840: to establish a fog-signal at or near the Cuckolds Island, at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, otherwise known as Townsend Harbor, Maine. Chapter 840 26 Stat. 417 1890-08-30 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2026-02-21 51 1 public
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
statutes-at-large