appoint the appraisers for the ports provided for in this section, which appointments shall continue in force until the end of the session of Congress thereafter.
Appraisers’ salaries.Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That each of the appraisers, who may be appointed under the sixteenth section of this act, for the ports of New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston, shall each receive, as a compensation for his services, fifteen hundred dollars per annum, and the appraisers for the port of New York shall each receive two thousand dollars per annum; and the merchants who may be appointed to act as appraisers under this act, shall receive for their services, while actually employed on that duty, each, a compensation of five dollars per diem; and whenever the appraisers, appointed under the sixteenth section of this act, attend in any district, other than that in which they reside, for the purpose of appraising any goods, wares, or merchandise, they shall respectively receive at the rate of five dollars for every twenty-five miles in going to, or returning from, such district, in addition to the salary or pay provided for in this section.
Owner, &c., dissatisfied with the appraisement, may employ two merchants to examine the goods with the appraisers.
Owners, &c., dissatisfied with second appraisement may refer the case to the Secretary of the Treasury.Sec. 18. And be it further enacted, That, in all cases where the owner, consignee, importer, or agent, shall be dissatisfied with the appraisement of any goods, wares, or merchandise, made by the appraisers appointed under the sixteenth section of this act, it shall be lawful for him to employ, at his own expense, two respectable resident merchants, who, after being duly qualified, according to the sixteenth section of this act, shall, together with the two appraisers appointed on the part of the United States, under this act, examine and inspect the goods, wares, or merchandise, in question; and, after such examination and inspection, they shall report the value thereof, if they agree therein, and, if not, the circumstances of their disagreement, to the collector; and in case such owner, consignee, importer, or agent, shall be dissatisfied with such report and second appraisement, it shall be lawful for him to refer the case to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall be, and is hereby, authorized and empowered to decide thereon, or to require further testimony in the case, in such manner as he may deem proper, and to order the said goods, wares, or merchandise, to be entered accordingly.
Merchants chosen and declining to assist subject to a penalty.Sec. 19. And be it further enacted, That any merchant, who shall be chosen by the collector, or by the party in interest, to make any appraisement required under this or any other act respecting imports and tonnage, and who shall, after due notice of such choice has been given to him in writing, decline or neglect to assist at such appraisement, shall be subject to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars, and to the costs of prosecution therefor.
One half the excess of duty from 50 per cent. to be divided among the custom-house officers.
1799, ch. 22.
Proviso.Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, That one half of the excess of duty accruing in consequence of the fifty per cent. added to the value of any goods, wares, or merchandise, under the thirteenth section of this act, shall be divided among the custom-house officers of the port in which such goods, wares, or merchandise, may be, in the manner prescribed by the act, entitled “An act to regulate the duties on imports and tonnage,” passed on the second day of March, seventeen hundred and ninety-nine: Provided, That, in no case, shall the appraisers of the said goods, wares, or merchandise, be entitled to or receive any part of the said duty.
Goods, &c. taken from a wreck to be appraised.Sec. 21. And be it further enacted, That, before any goods, wares, or merchandise, which may be taken from any wreck, shall be admitted to an entry, the same shall be appraised, in the manner prescribed in the sixteenth section of this act; and the same proceedings shall be ordered and executed in all cases where a reduction of duties shall be claimed on account of damage which any goods, wares, or merchandise, shall have sustained in the course of the voyage; and in all cases where the owner, importer, consignee, or agent, shall be dissatisfied with such appraisement, he shall be entitled to the privileges provided in the eighteenth section of this act.
