10. Licensed vessels under 20 tons.

Before any vessel, of the burden of five tons, and less R. S., 4331. than twenty tons, shall be licensed, the same measurement shall be made of such vessel, and the same provisions observed relative thereto, as are to be observed in case of measuring vessels to be registered or enrolled; but in all cases, where such vessel or any other licensed vessel shall have been once measured, it shall not be necessary to measure such vessel anew, for the purpose of obtaining another enrollment or license, unless such vessel shall have undergone some alteration as to her burden, subsequent to the time of her former license.

11. Undocumented vessels.

The act [R. S., 4311-4385] to which this is a supplement Apr. 18, 1874 shall not be so construed as to extend the provisions of the said act to canal boats or boats employed on the internal waters or canals of any State; and all such boats, excepting only such as are provided with sails or propelling machinery of their own adapted to lake or coast wise navigation, and excepting such as are employed in trade with the Canadas, shall be exempt from the provisions of the said act, and from the payment of all customs and other fees under any act of Congress.

June 19, 1886.

The provisions of title fifty [R. S., 4311-4390] of the June 30, 1879. Revised Statutes of the United States shall not be so construed as to require the payment of any fee or charge for the enrolling or licensing of vessels, built in the United States and owned by citizens thereof, not propelled by sail or by internal motive power of their own, and not in any case carrying passengers, whether navigating the internal waters of a State or the navigable waters of the United States, and not engaged in trade with contiguous foreign territory, nor shall this or any existing law be construed to require the enrolling, registering or licensing of any flat boat, barge or like craft for the carriage of freight, not propelled by sail or by internal motive power of its own, on the rivers or lakes of the United States.

Nothing in this Title [R. S., 4311-4390] shall be con- R. S., 4385. strued to extend to any boat or lighter not being masted,

or if masted and not decked, employed in the harbor of any town or city.

12. Yachts.

Feb. 14, 1903

Jan. 16, 1895

Sec. 4.
Aug. 20, 1912

The Secretary of Commerce may cause yachts used R. S., 4214. and employed exclusively as pleasure vessels or designed sec. 10. as models of naval architecture, if built and owned in Mar. 3, 1883. compliance with the provisions of section forty-one hundred and thirty-three to forty-one hundred and thirtyfive, to be licensed on terms which will authorize them to proceed from port to port of the United States, and to foreign ports, without entering or clearing at the custom-house, such license shall be in such form as the Secretary of Commerce may prescribe. Such vessels, so enrolled and licensed. shall not be allowed to trans

R. S., 4214.
Mar. 3, 1883.

Sec. 4.

Sec. 5.

port merchandise or carry passengers for pay. Such vessels shall have their name and port placed on some conspicuous portion of their hulls. Such vessels shall, in all respects, except as above, be subject to the laws of the United States, and shall be liable to seizure and forfeiture for any violation of the provisions of this title [R. S., 4131-4305].

No licensed yacht shall engage in any trade, nor in any Jan. 16, 1895. way violate the revenue laws of the United States; and every such yacht shall comply with the laws in all respects. Any master or owner violating the provisions of the preceding section [section 4] shall be liable to the penalty of two hundred dollars, in addition to any other Feb. 14, 1903. penalty imposed by law. The Secretary of Commerce shall have power to remit or mitigate any such penalty if in his opinion it was incurred without negligence or intention of fraud.

Sec. 10.

R. S., 4217.

For the identification of yachts and their owners, a commission to sail for pleasure in any designated yacht belonging to any regularly organized and incorporated yacht club, stating the exemptions and privileges enjoyed Feb. 14, 1903. under it, may be issued by the Secretary of Commerce, and shall be a token of credit to any United States official, and to the authorities of any foreign power, for privileges enjoyed under it.

Sec. 10.

R. S., 4215.

May 28, 1908.
Sec. 5.

All such licensed yachts shall use a signal of the form, size, and colors prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy; and the owners thereof shall at all times permit the naval architects in the employ of the United States to examine and copy the models of such yachts.

Whenever it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the President of the United States that yachts belonging to any regularly organized yacht club of the United States are allowed to arrive at and depart from any foreign port and to cruise in the waters of such port without entering or clearing at the custom-house thereof and without the payment of any charges for entering or clearing, dues, duty per ton, tonnage taxes or charges for cruising licenses, the Secretary of Commerce may authorize and direct the customs authorities at the various ports and subports of entry of the United States to allow yachts from such foreign port belonging to any regularly organized yacht club thereof to arrive at and depart from any port or subport of the United States and to cruise in waters of the United States without the payment of any charges for entering or clearing, dues, duty per ton, or tonnage taxes, but the Secretary of Commerce may, in his discretion, direct that such foreign yachts shall be required to obtain licenses to cruise, in a form prescribed by him, before they shall be allowed under the provisions of this Act to cruise in waters of the United States. Such licenses shall be issued without cost to such yachts and

shall prescribe such limitations as to length of time, direction, and place of cruising and action, and such other particulars as the Secretary of Commerce may deem proper: Provided, That the privileges of this sec- May 28, 1908. tion shall not extend to any yacht built outside of the United States and owned, chartered, or used by a citizen of the United States unless such ownership or charter was acquired prior to February fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven. [See also Tonnage tax, paragraph 164, page 171.j

4218.

Every yacht, except those of fifteen gross tons or under, R., 1912. visiting a foreign country under the provisions of sections forty-two hundred and fourteen, forty-two hundred and fifteen, and forty-two hundred and seventeen of the Revised Statutes shall, on her return to the United States, make due entry at the customhouse of the port at which, on such return, she shall arrive: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to exempt the master or person in charge of a yacht or vessel arriving from a foreign port or place with dutiable articles on board from reporting to the customs officer of the United States at the port or place at which said yacht or vessel shall arrive, and deliver in to said officer a manifest of all dutiable articles brought from a foreign country in such yachts or vessels.

13. Official number.

R. S., 4177.

The Commissioner of Navigation shall have power, 1884. under such regulations as he shall prescribe, to establish and provide a system of numbering vessels so registered, enrolled, and licensed; and each vessel so numbered shall have her number deeply carved or otherwise permanently marked on her main beam; and if at any time she shall June 19, 1886. cease to be so marked, such vessel shall be liable to a fine of thirty dollars on every arrival in a port of the United States if she have not her proper official number legally carved or permanently marked.

14. Name of vessel.

Sec. 6.

Feb. 21, 1891.

The name of every documented vessel of the United R. S., 4178. States shall be marked upon each bow and upon the stern, Jan. 20, 1897. and the home port shall also be marked upon the stern. These names shall be painted or gilded, or consist of cut or carved or cast roman letters in light color, on a dark ground, or in a dark color on a light ground, secured in place, and to be distinctly visible. The smallest letters used shall not be less in size than four inches. If any such vessel shall be found without these names being so marked the owner or owners shall be liable to a penalty of ten dollars for each name omitted. The word "port," as used in June 26, 1884. section forty-one hundred and seventy-eight shall be construed to mean either the port where the vessel is registered or enrolled, or the place in the same district where the vessel was built or where one or more of the owners reside.

Sec. 21.

R. S., 4495.

R. S., 4179.

July 5, 1884.
Secs. 1, 2.
Sec. 5.

Feb. 14, 1903.
Sec. 10.

Mar. 2, 1881.

Secs. 1, 2.

Sec. 10.

Every steam vessel of the United States, in addition to having her name painted on her stern, shall have the same conspicuously placed in distinct, plain letters, of not less than six inches in length on each outer side of the pilothouse, if it has such, and in case the vessel has side wheels, also on the outer side of each wheel-house; and if any such steamboat be found without having her name placed as required, she shall be subject to the same penalty as provided by law in the case of a vessel of the United States found without having her name, and the name of the port to which she belongs, painted on her stern. 15. Change of name.

No master, owner, or agent of any vessel of the United States shall in any way change the name of such vessel, or by any device, advertisement, or contrivance deceive or attempt to deceive the public, or any officer or agent of the United States, or of any State, or any corporation or agent thereof, or any person or persons, as to the true name or character of such vessel, on pain of the forfeiture of such vessel.

The Commissioner of Navigation shall, under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce, be empowered to change the names of vessels of the United States, under such restrictions as may have been or shall be prescribed by act of Congress.

The Secretary of Commerce be, and hereby is, authorFeb. 14, 1903. ized to permit the owner or owners of any vessel duly enrolled and found seaworthy and free from debt to change the name of the same, when, in his opinion, there shall be sufficient cause for so doing. The Secretary of Commerce shall establish such rules and regulations and Mar. 2, 1881. procure such evidence as to the age, condition, where

Sec. 2.

Feb. 21, 1891.
Sec. 2.

Sec. 2.

built, and pecuniary liability of the vessel as he may deem necessary to prevent injury to public or private interests; and when permission is granted by the Secretary, he shall cause the order for the change of name to be published at least in four issues in some daily or weekly paper at the place of register; and the cost of procuring evidence and advertising the change of name to be paid by the person or persons desiring such change of name. 16. Draught.

The draught of every registered vessel shall be marked Jan. 20, 1897. upon the stem and stern post, in English feet or decimeters, in either Arabic or Roman numerals. The bottom of each numeral shall indicate the draught to that line. 16 (a). Authority to take over vessels of enemy nations.

S. J. Res., May 12, 1917.

The President be, and he is hereby, authorized to take over to the United States the immediate possession and title of any vessel within the jurisdiction thereof, including the Canal Zone and all territories and insular possessions of the United States except the

American Virgin Islands, which at the time of coming into such jurisdiction was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war when such vessel shall be taken, or was flying the flag of or was under register of any such nation or any political subdivision or municipality thereof; and, through the United States Shipping Board, or any department or agency of the Government, to operate, lease, charter, and equip such vessel in any service of the United States, or in any commerce, foreign or coastwise.

That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, Sec. 2. authorized and directed to appoint, subject to the approval of the President, a board of survey, whose duty it shall be to ascertain the actual value of the vessel, its equipment, appurtenances, and all property contained therein, at the time of its taking, and to make a written report of their findings to the Secretary of the Navy, who shall preserve such report with the records of his department. These findings shall be considered as competent evidence in all proceedings on any claim for compensation.