1-0 LEGISLATIVE ACTS, PROCLAMATIONS, ETC., 



be lawful for the officers of his Majesty's customs, the officers of 

 impost and excise, the sheriffs and magistrates throughout the 

 province, and any poison holding a commission for that purpose from 

 nis excellency the Lieutenant Governor, for the time being, to go on 

 board any ship, vessel or boat, within any port, bay, creek or harbor 

 in this province; and also, to go on board of any ship, vessel or boat, 

 hovering within throe marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks 

 or harbors thereof, and in either case freely to stay on board such 

 ship, vessel or boat, as long as she shall remain within such port or 

 distance; and if any such ship, vessel or boat be bound elsewhere, and 

 shall continue so hovering for the space of twenty-four hours after 

 the master shall have been required to depart, it shall be lawful for 

 any of the above enumerated officers or persons to bring such ship, 

 \ essel or boat into port, and to search and examine her cargo, and to 

 examine the master on oath touching the cargo and voyage, and if 

 there be any goods on board prohibited to be imported into the 

 province, such ship, vessel or boat, and the cargo laden on board 

 thereof, shall be forfeited; and if the said ship, vessel or boat shall bo 

 foreign, and not navigated according to the laws of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, and shall have been found fishing or preparing to fish, or to 

 have been fishing within such distance of such coasts, bays, creeks or 

 harbors of this province, such ship, vessel or boat, and their respective 

 cargoes, shall be forfeited; and if the master, or person in command 

 thereof, shall not truly answer the questions which shall be demanded 

 of him in such examination, he shall forfeit the sum of one hundred 

 pounds. 



II. And be it further enacted, That all goods, ships, vessels and 

 boats liable to forfeiture under this act, shall and may be seized and 

 secured by any such officer of his Majesty's customs, officer of impost 

 and excise, sheriffs, magistrates or other person holding such com- 

 mission, as aforesaid; and every person who shall in any way oppose, 

 molest or obstruct any officer of the customs, officers of impost and 

 excise, sheriff, magistrate, or other person so commissioned and em- 

 ployed as aforesaid, in the exercise of his office, or shall in any way 

 oppose, molest or obstruct any person acting in aid or assistance of 

 such officer of the customs, officers of impost and excise, sheriff, 

 magistrate, or other person so commissioned and employed as afore- 

 said, shall, for every such offence, forfeit the sum of two hundred 

 pounds. 



III. And be it further enacted, That all goods, ships, vessels and 

 boats which shall be seized as being liable to forfeiture under this 

 act, shall be taken forthwith and delivered into the custody of the 

 collector and comptroller of the customs, at the custom-house next 

 to the place where the same were seized, who shall secure and keep 

 the same in such manner as other vessels and goods seized are directed 

 to be secured by the commissioners of his Majesty's customs. 



IV. And be it further enacted, That all goods, ships, vessels, boats 

 or other thing, which shall have been condemned as forfeited under 

 this act, shall, under the direction of the principal officer of the cus- 

 toms or excise where such seizures shall have been secured, be sold 

 by public auction to the best bidder, and the produce of such sale 

 shall be applied as follows, that is to say: the amount chargeable for 

 the custody of said goods, ship, vessel, boat or any other thing so 

 seized as aforesaid, shall be first deducted and paid, and the residue 



