Chapter 9. To amend an Act entitled “An Act to prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes,” approved February ninth, nineteen hundred and nine
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CHAP. 9.— An Act To amend an Act entitled “An Act to prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes,” approved February ninth, nineteen hundred and nine. January 17, 1914.[[H. R. 1966](/us/bill/63/hr/1966).][[Public, No. 46](/us/pl/63/46).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That an Act entitled “An Opium.Vol. 35, p. 614, amended.*Post*, p. 1912.Act to prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes,” approved February ninth, nineteen hundred and nine, is hereby amended so as to read as follows:
" “That after the first day of April, nineteen hundred and nine, it Importation prohibited.shall be unlawful to import into the United States opium in any form or any preparation or derivative thereof: *Provided*, That opium and *Proviso*.276Opium, etc., for medicinal purposes excepted.*Ante*, p. 118. preparations and derivatives thereof, other than smoking opium or opium prepared for smoking, may be imported for medicinal purposes only, under regulations which the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to prescribe, and when so imported shall be subject to the duties which are now or may hereafter be imposed by law.
“Sec. 2. Punishment for violations. That if any person shall fraudulently or knowingly import or bring into the United States, or assist in so doing, any opium or any preparation or derivative thereof contrary to law, or shall receive, conceal, buy, sell, or in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment, or sale of such opium or preparation or derivative thereof after importation, knowing the same to have been imported contrary to law, such opium or preparation or derivative thereof shall be forfeited and shall be destroyed, and the offender shall be fined in any Possession prima facie evidence.sum not exceeding $5,000 nor less than S50 or by imprisonment for any time not exceeding two years, or both.
Whenever, on trial for a violation of this section, the defendant is shown to have, or to have had, possession of such opium or preparation or derivative thereof, such possession shall be deemed sufficient evidence to authorize conviction unless the defendant shall explain the possession to the satisfaction of the jury. “Sec. 3. Smoking opium.Presumption of illegal importation. That on and after July first, nineteen hundred and thirteen, all smoking opium or opium prepared for smoking found within the United States shall be presumed to have been imported after the first day of April, nineteen hundred and nine, and the burden of proof shall be on the claimant or the accused to rebut such presumption.
“Sec. 4. Punishment for transporting, etc. That any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States who shall, either as principal or as accessory, receive or have in his possession, or conceal on board of or transport on any foreign or domestic vessel or other water craft or railroad car or other vehicle destined to or bound from the United States or any possession thereof, any smoking opium or opium prepared for smoking, or who, having knowledge of the presence in or on any such vessel, water craft, or vehicle of such article, shall not report the same to the principal officer thereof, shall be subject to the penalty provided in Possession prima facie evidence.section two of this Act.
Whenever on trial for violation of this section the defendant is shown to have or to have had possession of such opium, such possession shall be deemed sufficient evidence to authorize conviction, unless the defendant shall explain the possession *Proviso*.Innocent carriers excepted.to the satisfaction of the jury: *Provided, however*, That any master of a vessel or other water craft, or person in charge of a railroad car or other vehicle, shall not be liable under this section if he shall satisfy the jury that he had no knowledge and used due diligence to prevent the presence of such article in or on such vessel, water craft, car, or other vessel, and any such article shall be forfeited and shall be destroyed.
“Sec. 5. Admission for trans-shipment forbidden. That no smoking opium or opium prepared for smoking shall be admitted into the United States, or into any territory under the control or jurisdiction thereof, for transportation to another country, nor shall such opium be transferred or transshipped from one vessel to another vessel within any waters of the United States for immediate exportation or any other purpose. “Sec. 6. Exporting opium, cocaine, etc., unlawful. That hereafter it shall be unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to export or cause to be exported from the United States, or from territory under its control or jurisdiction, or from countries in which the United States exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction, any opium or cocaine, or any salt, derivative, or preparation of opium or cocaine, to any other country: *Proviso*.Countries regulating entry.*Provided*, That opium or cocaine, and salts, derivatives, or preparations thereof, except smoking opium or opium prepared for smoking, the exportation of which is hereby absolutely prohibited, may be 277exported to countries regulating their entry under such regulations Smoking opium prohibited.as are prescribed by such country for the importation thereof into such country, such regulations to be promulgated from time to time by the Secretary of State of the United States.
“The Secretary of State shall request all foreign Governments to Laws, etc., of foreign countries.communicate through the diplomatic channels copies of laws and regulations promulgated in their respective countries which prohibit or regulate the importation of the aforesaid drugs, and when received advise the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce thereof; whereupon the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Regulations.Treasury, and the Secretary of Commerce shall make and publish all proper regulations for carrying the provisions of this section into effect.
“Sec. 7. That any person who exports or causes to be exported Punishment for illegal exportation.any of the aforesaid drugs in violation of the preceding section shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $5,000 nor less than S50 or by imprisonment for any time not exceeding two years, or both. And Informer’s fee.one-half of any fine recovered from any person or persons convicted of an offense under any section of this Act may be paid to the person or persons giving information leading to such recovery, and one-half of any bail forfeited and collected in any proceedings brought under this Act may be paid to the person or persons giving the information which led to the institution of such proceedings, if so directed by the court exercising jurisdiction in the case: *Provided*, That no payment *Proviso*.Officials excepted.for giving information shall be made to any officer or employee of the United States.
“Sec. 8. That whenever opium or cocaine or any preparations or Forfeiture of vessel if opium, etc., not on manifest.derivatives thereof shall be found upon any vessel arriving at any port of the United States which is not shown upon the vessel’s manifest, as is provided by sections twenty-eight hundred and six and [R. S., secs. 2806, 2807, 2809, p. 543](/us/rs/s2806/2807/2809/p543).twenty-eight hundred and seven of the Revised Statutes, such vessel shall be liable for the penalty and forfeiture prescribed in section twenty-eight hundred and nine of the Revised Statutes.”" Approved, January 17, 1914.