United States Statutes at Large/Volume 1/4th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 45
Chap. ⅩⅬⅤ.—An Act providing Passports for the ships and vessels of the United States.
Act of March 22, 1803, ch. 16.
Passport formed by Secretary of State to be approved by the President.Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, to prepare a form, which, when approved by the President, shall be deemed the form of a passport for ships and vessels of the United States.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That every ship and vessel of the United States, going to any foreign country, shall, before she departs from the United States, at the request of the master, be furnished by Vessels to be furnished therewith.the collector for the district, where such ship or vessel may be, with a passport of the form prescribed and established, pursuant to the foregoing section; for which passport, the master of such ship or vessel, shall pay to the said collector, ten dollars, to be accounted for by him; and in order to be entitled to such passport, the master of every such ship or vessel shall be bound with sufficient sureties, to the Treasurer of the United States, in the penalty of two thousand dollars, conditioned, that the said passport shall not be applied to the use or protection of any other ship or vessel, than the one described in the same; On sale or loss of the ship, passport to be delivered up.and that, in case of the loss or sale of any ship or vessel having such passport, the same shall, within three months, be delivered up to the collector from whom it was received, if the loss or sale take place within the United States; or within six months, if the same shall happen at any place nearer than the Cape of Good Hope; and within eighteen months, if at a more distant place.
Vessels to pay collectors certain sums every voyage.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be paid on every ship and vessel of the United States sailing or trading to any foreign country, other than some port or place in America, for each and every voyage, the sum of four dollars, to be received and accounted for, by the collector, at the time of clearing outward, if such vessel be bound direct to such foreign country, from any port of the United States, or at the time of entry in the United States, if such ship or vessel shall have sailed to such foreign country, from any port or place in America, other than of the United States.
Penalty on sailing without passport after first September.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That if any ship or vessel of the United States, shall depart therefrom, after the first day of September next, and shall be bound to any foreign country, other than to some port or place in America, without such passport, the master of such ship or vessel shall forfeit and pay the sum of two hundred dollars for every such offence.
Approved, June 1, 1796.