165 



formal or incomplete; or, whose masters proceeded upon fishing voy- 

 ages under licences to follow the coasting trade, have been rejected. 



Much has been said, from time to tim3, about the extent of frauds in 

 procuring the allowances authorized under the system of bounties. As 

 late as 1840, the Senate of the United States caused an investigation, 

 in order to ascertain the truth of special and of general allegations. 

 The proper officers of the treasury communicated to that body several 

 documents containing all the information in their possession, which 

 show that there had been instances of mistaken construction of the 

 law, of ncn-corapliance with the prescribed rules and forms, and of 

 actual fraud. But the number, of all descriptions, was limited, and of 

 the latter, especially, very small. Still, it cannot be doubted that, as 

 in every other business, so7ne dishonest men are concerned in this 

 branch of industry, and defraud both the government and the persons 

 whom they employ, whenever opportunity to do so occurs. It would 

 seem that, under this circular, Iraudulent owners and masters must 

 soon disappear, since the most daring and expert, in the past, will 

 hardly adventure upon making the false records and representations, 

 upon committing the forgeries and perjuries, which will be necessary 

 to evade its provisions. In a word, the officers of the customs, if faith 

 ful to their duty, can put an end to corruption, and of consequence to 

 the demands to repeal the "fishing bounty allowances," often made on 

 the ground that our fishermen, whether honest or dishonest, claim and 

 receive almost at pleasure the money of the government. 



Circular instructions to certain collectors of the citstoms relative to fishing 



houniy allowances. 



Treasury Department, 



Fehruary 20, 1852. 



For the purpose of producing unif jrmit}^ in the requirements of proofs 

 by collectors who are charged with the allowance of bounty on the 

 tonnage of vessels employed in tlie bank or other cod-fisheries, it has 

 been deemed advisable to embody the existing regulations, prescribed 

 during a series of years past for the execution of the laws on that sub- 

 ject, in the present instructions. 



To entitle fishing vessels to the allowance of bounty, the laws require 

 that they shall have been exclusively employed in the cod-fishery at 

 sea a specified period between the last day of February and the last 

 day of Novemb(^r, under certain restrictions and conditions. No allow- 

 ance can be made unless the proofs herein pointed out are duly made 

 in good faith, and presented to the collector at the custom house where 

 the cod-fishing license was issued, for his decision. These indispen- 

 sable proofs are set forth, with the necessary explanations, as follows : 



1. In the case of a vessel of twenty tons burden or upwards, the 

 original agreement made previous to the fishing voyage or voyages of 

 the vessel between the master or skipper thereof, and every fisherman 

 employed therein, not being an apprentice or servant of the master 

 skipper or owner, which original agreement must be endorsed or coun- 

 tersigned by the owner of the vessel or his agent, and must express 



