LAWS ENACTED BY CONGRESS. 93 



fine of not less than two hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand 

 dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by such fine 

 and Imprisonment both, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction 

 by taking cognizance of the offence; and all vessels, their tackle, ap- 

 parel, and furniture, whose crew shall be found engaged in the violation 

 of any of the provisions of this act shall be forfeited to the United 

 States. 



Seo. 3. And be it further enacted, that for the period of twenty years 

 from and after the passing of this act the number of fur seals which 

 may be killed for their skins upon the island of Saint Paul is hereby 

 limited and restricted to seventy-five thousand per annum; and the 

 number of fur-seals which may be killed for their skins upon the island 

 of Saint George is hereby limited and restricted to twenty-five thousand 

 per annum: Frovided^ That the Secretary of the Treasury may restrict 

 and limit the right of killing if it shall beconie necessary for the preser- 

 vation of such seals with such proportionafe reduction of the rents re- 

 served to the Government as shall be right and proper, and if any per- 

 son shall knowingly violate either of the provisions of this section he 

 shall, ui)on due conviction thereof, be puuishedin the same way as j)ro- 

 vided her' in for a violation of the provisions of the first and second 

 sections of this act. 



Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, that immediately upon the passage 

 of this act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall lease for the rental men- 

 tioned in section six of this a(;t, to proper and responsible parties, to 

 the advantage of the United States having due regard to the interests 

 of the Government, the native inhabitants, the parties heretofore en- 

 gaged in trade, and the ])rotection of the seal fisheries for a term of 

 twenty years from the first day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy, 

 the right to engage in the business of taking fur seals on the islands of 

 Saint Paul and Saint George, and to send avesselorvesselsto said islands 

 for the skins of such seals, giving to the lessee or lessees of said islands 

 a lease, duly executed in duplicate not transferable, and taken from th»i 

 lessee or lessees of said islands a bond with sufficient securities in a 

 sum not less than five hundred thousand dollars conditioned for the 

 faithful observance of all the laws and requirements of Congress and 

 of the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury touching the sub- 

 ject-matter of taking fur seal, and disposing of the same, and for the 

 paymentof all taxes and dues according to the United States connected 

 therewith, and in making said lease the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

 have due regard to the preservation of the seal-fur trade of said 

 islands and the comfort, maintenance, and education of the natives 

 thereof. The said lesses shall furnish to the several masters of vessels 

 employed by them certified copies of the lease held by them respectively, 

 wliich shall be presented to the Government revenue officer for the 

 time being who may be in charge at the said islands as the authority 

 of the i)arty for landing and taking skins. 



Sec. 5. And be it further enactedj That at the expiration of said term 

 of twenty years or on surrender or forfeiture of any lease, other leases 

 may be made in manner aforesaid for other terms of twenty years; but 

 no persons other than American citizens shall be permitted by lease or 

 otherwise, to occupy said islands or either of them, for the purpose of 

 taking the skins of fur seals therefrom, nor shall any foreign vessel be 

 engaged iu taking such skins, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

 vacate and declare any lease forfeited if the same be held or operated 

 for the use, benefit, or advantage, directly or indirectly, of any person 

 or persons other than American citizens. Every lease shall contain a 



