court of competent jurisdiction, forfeit and pay a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, at the discretion of the court, and be imprisoned for any term not exceeding three years.
If for false passports, &c. subject to fines.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That if any consul, vice-consul, commercial agent or vice-commercial agent, shall grant a passport or other paper certifying that any alien, knowing him or her to be such, is a citizen of the United States, he shall, on conviction thereof, in any court of competent jurisdiction, forfeit and pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.
Powers of attorney, &c. executed in foreign countries to be verified by consuls, &c. who may receive fifty cents on each.
Repealed March 27, 1804.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That all powers of attorney executed after the thirtieth day of June next in a foreign country for the transfer of any stock of the United States, or for the receipt of interest thereon, shall be verified by the certificate and seal of a consul, vice-consul, commercial agent or vice-commercial agent, if any there be at the place where the same shall be executed, for which the person giving the certificate shall receive fifty cents.
Approved, February 28, 1803.
Statute ⅠⅠ.
Chap. X.—An Act to prevent the importation of certain persons into certain states, where, by the laws thereof, their admission is prohibited.[1]
Prohibited importation of persons of colour subject to a fine of one thousand dollars for each, after April 1, 1803.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the first day of April next, no master or captain of any ship or vessel, or any other person, shall import or bring, or cause to be imported or brought, any negro, mulatto, or other person of colour, not being a native, a citizen, or registered seaman of the United States, or seamen natives of countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope, into any port or place of the United States, which port or place shall be situated in any state which by law has prohibited or shall prohibit the admission or importation of such negro, mulatto, or other person of colour, and if any captain or master aforesaid, or any other person, shall import or bring, or cause to be imported or brought into any of the ports or places aforesaid, any of the persons whose admission or importation is prohibited, as aforesaid, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of one thousand dollarsPenalties. for each and every negro, mulatto, or other person of colour aforesaid, brought or imported as aforesaid, to be sued for and recovered by action of debt, in any court of the United States; one half thereofPersons may be held to bail against whom suits are brought for penalties. to the use of the United States, the other half to any person or persons prosecuting for the penalty; and in any action instituted for the recovery of the penalty aforesaid, the person or persons sued may be held to special bail: Provided always, that nothing contained in this act shall be construed to prohibit the admission of Indians.
No vessel containing prohibited persons of colour admitted to an entry.
Vessel, &c. to be forfeited if any prohibited person of colour be landed therefrom.
A moiety of the forfeiture to the informer.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That no ship or vessel arriving in any of the said ports or places of the United States, and having on board any negro, mulatto, or other person of colour, not being a native, a citizen, or registered seaman of the United States, or seamen natives of countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope as aforesaid, shall be admitted to an entry. And if any such negro, mulatto, or other person of colour, shall be landed from on board any ship or vessel, in any of the ports or places aforesaid, or on the coast of any state prohibiting the admission or importation, as aforesaid, the said ship or vessel, together with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, shall be forfeited to the United States, and one half of the nett proceeds of the sales on such forfeiture shall inure and be paid over to such person or persons on whose information the seizure on such forfeiture shall be made.
- ↑ See notes to act of March 22, 1794, chap. 11, vol. i. p. 347; see also, act of May 10, 1800, chap. 51; act of February 28, 1803, chap. 10; act of March 2, 1807, chap. 22; act of April 20, 1818, chap. 83; act of May 15, 1820, chap. 112, sec. 4, 5.
