Note 230 — Chapter XV

The Articles of this Decree were as follows:—

Article 1. From the date of the promulgation of the present Decree shall be admitted, free of import duty, conformably to Article 1 of the Law of May 19, 1866, with respect to the Mercantile Marine, all raw or manufactured objects entering into the construction, rigging, equipment, and maintenance of steam or sailing-vessels, of wood or iron, destined for commerce.

Articles such as moveable furniture, bedding, linen, plates and dishes, cutlery, table glass, and, in general, all objects intended for personal use, shall not be considered as forming part of the equipment.

Art. 2. Shipbuilders, and manufacturers of articles destined for the construction, equipment, rigging, or the maintenance of vessels, can alone enjoy the benefit of the provisions of the present Decree as far as raw materials are concerned.

To these articles they will have to prove their title at the Custom-house.

Art. 3. Declarations made at the Custom-house for the admission of articles duty free must bear, with respect to every kind of produce, the particulars required by the Custom-house Regulations for the payment of the dues.

Art. 4. Importers must engage, by an undertaking guaranteed in due form, to prove, within a period not exceeding one year, that the raw material admitted free, or the products manufactured with such material, or, finally, the machines and machinery, detached portions of machines, and other articles completely finished and temporarily admitted free, have been applied to the use of vessels.

If, at the expiration of the term of one year, the before-mentioned proofs have not been produced, the Custom-house will collect the official fees, and take steps for their recovery, conformably to the third paragraph of Article 1 of the Law of May 19, 1866.

Art. 5. All declarations relative to machines and machinery, to detached parts of the same, and to other articles completely manufactured, should contain the description of the said articles, in order to ensure identification, and this, without prejudice to the stamp which may be applied to steam or other machinery, to detached portions of machines, to boilers, to sails, and to such other articles as the Custom-house officers may think fit to apply it.

Art. 6. The incorporation into vessels of the raw material, or the placing on board of manufactured articles destined for construction, rigging, or equipment, shall be preceded by a declaration specifying—

1st. The nature and weight of the raw material, as well as of the manufactured articles to be employed or put on board;

2nd. The date, number, and office of delivery of Custom-house discharge; and,

3rd. The vessel to the construction, repair, or use of which the said raw materials or the said manufactured articles shall have been applied.

When a manufactured article, which shall have required several metals in its construction is in question, the declaration shall indicate the weight of each kind of metal.

Art. 7. The Custom-house, in order to check the declarations set out of the employment, whether as to raw material or manufactured articles, shall make use of whatever mode of proceeding it may judge necessary.

Art. 8. There shall not be applied to vessels in substitution:—

1st. For iron in bars of irregular shape, any except articles manufactured with iron of a like irregular shape.

2nd. For iron plates and rolled copper of a millimètre and less in thickness, any objects unless manufactured with sheet iron or rolled copper not exceeding that thickness.

In no case shall articles be admitted in the auditing of the importation accounts, made up with materials of a degree of manufacture less advanced than that of the articles tendered for entry.

Art. 9. Products manufactured with raw materials introduced duty free must represent those same materials weight for weight, and without any allowance for waste.

Art. 10. All infractions of the provisions of the present Decree will be followed by the application of the penalties provided under the third paragraph of Article 1 of the Law of the 19th May, 1866.

Art. 11. All articles placed on board vessels, and all material incorporated into the construction of the said vessels under the provisions of the present Decree, shall, in case of landing, or in case of the dismantling, repairing, or breaking up of the ships, be subject to the provisions of general legislation in matters of Customs’ dues.