INFORMATION FOR SHIPMASTERS:

ENTRY OF VESSELS FROM FOREIGN PORTS.

It is necessary that the manifests (three copies) of vessels from foreign ports should be made out before arrival, in order to be presented to the boarding-officer upon arrival. They should include everything on board; and, after stating the cargo laden at the port of departure, if there should be any return cargo, it should then be added under that head. If there are any surplus stores, these should then be particularized; and, finally, the passengers' names, individually, with the numbers of packages of baggage belonging to each-the whole to be signed by the master.

Where there are passengers, a separate list, (besides the names on each manifest,) including the names, age, sex, occupation, country to which they severally belong, and of which they intend to become inhabitants, and if any have died on the passage, will also be necessary.

Another list of passengers, similar to the last, is required by the mayor of the city.

If any part of the cargo is to be landed at a different port than the first one of entry, it must be so stated in the manifest, as otherwise that privilege will be lost, and the cargo required to be landed at the first port of entry.

The captain will be particular in having his crew mustered by the boardingofficer, upon arrival, in order to the cancelling of the bond given for their safe

return.

Vessels must report at the custom-house, within twelve hours, and enter within forty-eight hours, after arrival.

If the captain is not an owner of the vessel, and there should be a resident owner at the port of entry, such owner is required to accompany the captain, in order to swear to the register.

ENTRY OF VESSELS COASTWISE.

Nothing further is required than the clearance from the custom-house at the port of departure, and the register, if she is a registered vessel,

CLEARANCE OF VESSELS FOR FOREIGN PORTS.

Every shipper must clear his goods at the custom-house before the vessel can clear. From these shippers' clearances, the vessel's manifest is to be made, after the same form, and including all the particulars therein contained. A notarial crew-list and duplicate shipping articles are also required. If there is any change of owner or master, notice thereof should be given, at least the day previous, in order that the register may be endorsed or a new one issued.

Inquiry should also be made, a day or two previous to clearing, (in case of vessels last from foreign ports,) whether the return of the inward cargo corresponds with the manifest, as delays may otherwise occur in settling discrepancies, which to adjust may and does frequently detain vessels from clearing, when the hurry is great, and consignees are anxious to get their vessels to sea.

If there is any cargo brought in the vessel, not to be landed, a permit must be obtained to retain the same on board, several days before clearing, as the officer discharging the vessel cannot make his return without it; and, without his return, the vessel cannot be cleared. When cleared, the captain will re ceive his register, crew-list, clearance, bill of health, and shipping articles; or, in case of a foreign vessel, all that he requires is a clearance and bill of health, upon presenting which to the consul of his nation, he will receive all other necessary papers.

CLEARANCE OF VESSELS COASTWISE.

Duplicate manifests, made out from the bills of lading (number of packages in each bill of lading being stated in writing,) with the shippers and consignees, and places of residence, is all that is required.

It is deemed unnecessary to state the different desks to which application must be made in entering and clearing, as these are liable to be changed and as full information on this head can easily be obtained at the time, by simply asking, when leaving one desk, where to proceed; and so on, until the entry or clearance is completed.

THE NEW PASSENGER LAW.

AN ACT

To regulate the Carriage of Passengers in Steamships and other Vessels. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That no master of any vessel owned in whole or in part by a citizen of the United States, or by a citizen of any foreign country, shall take on board such vessel, at any foreign port or place, other than foreign contiguous territory of the United States, a greater number of passengers than in proportion of one to every two tons of such vessel, not including children under the age of one year in the computation, and computing two children over one and under eight years of age as one passenger. That the spaces appropriated for the use of such passengers, and which shall not be occupied by stores or other goods not the personal baggage of such passengers, shall be in the following proportions, viz.: On the main and poop decks or platforms and in the deck-houses, if there be any, one passenger for each sixteen clear superficial feet of deck, if the height or distance between the decks or platforms shall not be less than six feet; and on the lower deck, (not being an orlop deck,) if any, one passenger for eighteen such clear superficial feet, if the height or distance between the decks or platforms shall not be less than six feet, but so as that no passenger shall be

carried on any other deck or platform, nor upon any deck where the height or distance between decks is less than six feet, with intent to bring such passenger to the United States, and shall leave such port or place and bring the same, or any number thereof, within the jurisdiction of the United States; or if any such master of any vessel shall take on board his vessel, at any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States, any greater number of pas. sengers than in the proportion aforesaid to the space aforesaid, or to the tonnage aforesaid, with intent to carry the same to any foreign port or place other than foreign contiguous territory as aforesaid, every such master shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, before any cir cuit or district court of the United States, shall for each passenger taken on board beyond the limit aforesaid, or the space aforesaid, be fined in the sum of fifty dollars, and may also be imprisoned, at the discretion of the judge before whom the penalty shall be recovered, not exceeding six months; but should it be necessary for the safety or convenience of the vessel, that any portion of her cargo, or any other articles, or article, should be placed on, or stored in, any of the decks, cabins, or other places appropriated to the use of passengers, the same may be placed in lockers or enclosures prepared for the purpose, on an exterior sarface impervious to the wave, capable of being cleansed in like manner as the decks or platforms of the vessel. In no case, however, shall the places thus provided be deemed to be a part of the space allowable for the use of passengers, but the same shall be deducted therefrom, and in all cases where prepared or used, the upper surface of said lockers on enclosed spaces shall be deemed and taken to be the deck or platform from which measurement shall be made for all the purposes of this act. It is also provided that one hospital in the spaces appropriated to passengers, and separate therefrom by an appropriate partition, and furnished as its purposes require, may be prepared, and when used, may be included in the space allowable for passengers, but the same shall not occupy more than one hundred superficial feet of deck or platform. Provided, That on board two-deck ships, where the height between the decks is seven and one-half feet or more, fourteen clear superficial feet of deck shall be the proportion required for each passenger.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That no such vessel shall have more than two tiers of berths, and the interval between the lowest part thereof and the deck or platform beneath, shall not be less than nine inches, and the berths shall be well constructed, parallel with the sides of the vessel, and separated from each other by partitions, as berths ordinarily are separated, and shall be at least six feet in length and at least two feet in width, and each berth shall be occupied by no more than one passenger; but double berths of twice the above width may be constructed, each berth to be occupied by no more, and by no other, than two women, or by one women and two children under the age of eight years, or by husband and wife, or by a man and two of his own children under the age of eight years, or by two members of the same family: and if there shall be any violation of this section in any of its provisions, then

the master of the vessel and the owners thereof shall severally forfeit and pay the sum of five dollars for each passenger on board of said vessel on such voyage, to be recovered by the United States in any port where such vessel may arrive or depart.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all vessels, whether of the United States or any foreign country, having sufficient capacity or space according to law for fifty or more passengers (other than cabin passengers) shall, when employed in transporting such passengers between the United States and Europe, have, on the upper deck, for the use of such passengers, a house over the passage-way leading to the apartments allotted to such passengers, below deck, firmly secured to the deck or combings of the hatch, with two doors, the sills of which shall be at least one foot above the deck, so constructed that one door or window in such house may at all times be left open for ventilation; and all vessels so employed, and having the capacity to carry one hundred and fifty such passengers, or more, shall have two such houses; and the stairs or ladder leading down to the aforesaid apartment shall be furnished with a hand-rail of wood or strong rope; but booby hatches may be substituted for such houses.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That every such vessel so employed, and having the legal capacity for more than one hundred such passengers, shall have at least two ventilators to purify the apartment or apartments occupied by such passengers; one of which shall be inserted in the after part of the apartment or apartments, and the other shall be placed in the forward portion of the apartment or apartments, and one of them shall have an exhausting cap to carry off the foul air, and the other a receiving cap to carry down the fresh air; which said ventilators shall have a capacity proportioned to the size of the apartment or apartments to be purified; namely, if the apartment or apartments will lawfully authorize the reception of two hundred such passengers, the capacity of such ventilators shall each be equal to a tube of twelve inches diameter in the clear, and in proportion for larger or smaller apartments; and all said ventilators shall rise at least four feet six inches above the upper deck of any such vessel, and be of the most approved form and construction ; but if it shall appear, from the report to be made and approved, as hereinafter provided, that such vessel is equally well ventilated by any other means, such other means of ventilation shall be deemed and held to be a compliance with the provisions of this section.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That every vessel carrying more than fifty such passengers, shall have for their use on deck, housed and conveniently arranged, at least one caboose or cooking range, the dimensions of which shall be equal to four feet long and one foot six inches wide for every two hundred passengers; and provision shall be made in the manner aforesaid, in this ratio, for a greater or less number of passengers; but nothing herein contained shall take away the right to make such arrangements for cooking between decks, if that shall be deemed desirable.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That all vessels employed as aforesaid shall have on board, for the use of such passengers, at the time of leaving the

last port whence such vessel shall sail, well secured under deck, for each passenger, at least twenty pounds of good navy bread, fifteen pounds of rice, fifteen pounds of oatmeal, ten pounds of wheat flour, fifteen pounds of peas and beans, twenty pounds of potatoes, one pint of vinegar, sixty-gallons of fresh water, ten pounds of salt beef, free of bone, all to be of good quality; but at places where either rice, oatmeal, wheat flour, or peas and beans cannot be procured, of good quality and on reasonable terms, the quantity of either or any of the other last named articles may be increased and substituted therefor; and, in case potatoes cannot be procured on reasonable terms, one pound of either of said articles may be substituted in lieu of five pounds of potatoes; and the captains of such vessels shall deliver to each passenger at least one-tenth part of the aforesaid provisions weekly, commencing on the day of sailing, and at least three quarts of water, daily; and if the passengers on board of any such vessel in which the provisions and water herein required shall not have been provided as aforesaid shall at any time be put on short allowance during any voyage, the master or owner of any such vessel shall pay to each and every passenger who shall have been put on short allowance, the sum of three dollars for each and every day they may have been put on short allowance, to be recovered in the Circuit or District Court of the United States; and it shall be the duty of the captain or master of every such ship or vessel to cause the food and provisions of all the passengers to be well and properly cooked, daily, and to be served out and distributed to them, at regular and stated hours, by messes, or in such other manner as shall be deemed best and most conducive to the health and comfort of such passengers, of which hours and manner of distribution due and sufficient notice shall be given. If the captain or master of any such ship or vessel shall wilfully fail to furnish and distribute such provisions, cooked as aforesaid, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, before any Circuit or District Court of the United States, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, and snall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year: Provided, That the enforcement of this penalty shall not affect the civil responsibility of the captain or master and owners, to such passengers as may have suffered from said default.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the captain of any such vessel so employed is hereby authorized to maintain good discipline, and such habits of cleanliness among such passengers as will tend to the preservation and promotion of health; and to that end he shall cause such regulations as he may adopt for this purpose to be posted up, before sailing, on board such vessel, in a place accessible to such passengers, and shall keep the same so posted up during the voyage; and it is hereby made the duty of said captain to cause the apartments occupied by such passengers to be kept at all times in a clean, healthy state; and the owners of every such vessel so employed are required to construct the decks, and all parts of said apartment, so that it can be thoroughly cleansed; and they shall also provide a safe, convenient privy or water closet for the exclusive use of every one hundred such passengers. And when the weather is such that said passengers cannot be mustered on deck with their bedding, it shall be the duty of the captain of every such vessel to cause the deck occupied