United States v. Twenty-Four Coils of Cordage

28 F. Cas. 276
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 15, 1832
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 28 F. Cas. 276 (United States v. Twenty-Four Coils of Cordage) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Twenty-Four Coils of Cordage, 28 F. Cas. 276 (circtedpa 1832).

Opinion

BALDWIN. Circuit Justice.

These articles were brought into this port in the ship Eliza, from Cronstadt, and not reported by the master in the manifest; they were found on board after it was made out. and seized as forfeited under the forty-fifth section of the revenue law, as “sea stores” not specified in the entry. This is the only ground of forfeiture alleged in the information. The case therefore presents the single question whether these articles are sea stores within the meaning of the section of the act of congress; not being alleged to be a part of the cargo, or merchandise belonging thereto, or consigned to the master, officers or crew. This law does not define or designate what are to be considered as sea stores, as distinguished from articles composing a part [278]*278of the tackle, apparel or furniture of the .ship, or such as may be necessary or usual to have on board, for the purpose of repairs and emergencies during the voyage, parts of which remain on hand at its termination. In directing the form of the manifest, and the articles to be returned, the law enumerates, among others “the remaining sea stores, if any;” the head under which they ate to be entered in the manifest is, “vessel and cabin stores.” 1 Story’s Laws, 593, 594, § 23 [1 Stat. 644, 645]. In the forty-fifth section prescribing the forfeiture, they are named as “sea stores” generally. . 1 Story’s •Laws, 632 [1 Stat. 661]. If we were to decide on the meaning of these words in a charter party or a policy of insurance, we might find no difficulty in ascertaining it, by the custom of merchants and the usage of trade, and should adopt the meaning and practical definition thus given to them; presuming that the parties intended to use them in the sense in which they had been and were used, received and accepted among merchants. But when the words have received a legal and settled interpretation, usage alone would n>v, overrule it So if the same words are found in a law, and they are used in a sense, denoting the intention of the legislature, to give them an application and meaning, different from that which had been adopted by mercantile usage, the court must so consider the law.

“Admitting that the words ‘sea stores,’ in a mercantile instrument, comprehend all those accompaniments of a ship that are essential in its present occupation (though not direct constituents of a ship), without which it cannot execute its mission, or perform its functions-” it by no means follows, that the words would receive the same construction m an act of parliament. 1 Hagg. Adm. 122, 124; 4 D. 206, &c.; Marsh. Ins. 626, 627; 1 D. 127, 132; 1 Dow, 32; 3 Dowl. 58, 60. They may be used in a much more restricted sense, which will be taken not merely from particular laws in which they may be found, but from other laws on similar or analogous subjects, which may serve as a key to unlock the law in question; such appears to be the law of July 20, 1790, for the government and regulation of seamen in the merchant service. 1 Story’s Laws, 102 [1 Stat. 131]. In the third section, it enumerates the several particulars. in which a ship may be defective after the voyage is begun, and before she has left the land, “in her crew, body, tackle, apparel, furniture, provisions or stores.” It directs a report to be made, of “what additions of men, provisions or stores, or what repairs or alterations in the body, tackle or apparel, may be necessary,” and again uses the words “men,” “provisions.” “stores,” “repairs or alterations.” In the sixth section, prescribing a remedy for seamen to recover their wages, it directs a summons to the master to show cause why process should not issue against “the ship, her tackle, furniture and apparel.” The eighth section directs, that every ship bound on a foreign voyage, shall be provided “with a medicine chest,” the ninth section prescribes the quantity of water, meat and bread, which shall be provided for each person on board, over and besides such other “provisions, stores and live stock, as shall by the master or passengers be put on board,” and in like manner for shorter or longer voyages. Taking these provisions of the different parts of this law together, there is an obvious discrimination, between those articles which form a part of the body, tackle, apparel or furniture of a ship, and those intended for the health and sustenance of the crew or passengers; between those necessary for the ship itself, and those who navigate, or are transported in her; between articles which, from their nature, are consumed in their use, and those which become merely deteriorated, or so injured by use, as to require their being repaired or replaced by new materials. The words of the ninth section are a definition of stores, not applicable to any articles laid in for the use of the ship itself, which are not put on board by passengers; they are something over and besides medicine, water, beef, bread or provisions, which are specified in the same clause. From the juxta-position of the word “stores” between provisions and live stock, and their being noticed as put on board by the master “or passengers,” they must be considered as intended to refer to other stores, intended for the same purpose and use, as the enumerated articles, provisions and live stock. It would be a very strained, if not a forced construction, to interpret the word “stores,” in this section, as referring to the articles on board, necessary or usually taken on board to meet the exigencies of the voyage, for the repairs of the ship, or her security while performing it; this would be to read it, “such other provisions, cordage, duck, sail-cloth or live stock, as shall by the master or passengers be put on board,” and thus exclude liquors, groceries, and other articles of comfort, luxury, or fancied necessity, as may have been provided for the officers, passengers and crew of the ship. Such is obviously not the meaning of the law, or the just and legal interpretation of the words used in this section; they clearly exclude the articles in question, they as clearly include all stores put on board, for the purpose of consumption, by the persons in the ship; and they must be taken to have been used in the same sense in the other sections of the same law, in the absence of any words or expressions denoting the intention of the legislature, to give any different meaning or application to them.

In ascertaining the legislative meaning of the term “remaining sea stores,” as used in the twenty-third section of the revenue law, it is found to be in perfect accordance with the ninth section of the act of 1790, and plain[279]*279ly, if not necessarily, refers to it. It directs a manifest of the cargo to be made out, “together with the name or names of the passengers, distinguishing whether cabin or steerage passengers, or both; their baggage and packages belonging to each, together with an account of the remaining sea stores, if. any.” To the question, what are such sea stores? a plain answer is furnished; such articles of. provision and stores, as were put on board by the captain or passengers, and not consumed on the voyage, but remaining on hand at its termination. The words “vessel and cabin stores,” in the form of the manifest, are not inserted for the purpose of introducing any distinct class or kind of sea stores, but merely as the head, under which those designated in the preceding part of the section should be entered on the manifest, as the “remaining sea stores.” These views of the law are very fully apparent in the thirtieth section, prescribing the form and requisites of the oath of the master to the manifest.

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Bluebook (online)
28 F. Cas. 276, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-twenty-four-coils-of-cordage-circtedpa-1832.