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Statute II.March 2, 1831.
TWENTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 66. 1831.
Act of Feb.23, 1822, ch. 9.
Act ofMar. 2,1831, ch. 66.
Act ofMar. 2,1833, ch. 67,sec. 3. (a)
Any personcutting, &c. liveoak, or, &c.
Any personremoving, &c.
Any personcutting or, &c.to pay a fine,&c.
Vessels em-ployed in takingaway, &c. to beforfeited.
Captain to befined.
Penalties, howto be sued for,&c.
Mitigation ofpenalty.
Chap. LXYI .—An Act to provide for the punishment of offences committed in
cutting , destroying, or removing live oak and other timber or trees reserved for
naval purposes.
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates of America, in Congress assembled, That if any person or personsshall cut, or cause or procure to be cut, or aid, assist, or be employed incutting, or shall wantonly destroy, or cause or procure to be wantonlydestroyed, or aid, assist, or be employed in wantonly destroying any liveoak or red cedar tree or trees, or other timber standing, growing, orbeing on any lands of the United States , which, in pursuance of anylaw passed, or hereafter to be passed, shall have been reserved or pur-chased for the use of the United States , for supplying or furnishing there-from, timber for the navy of the United States ; or if any person or per-sons shall remove, or cause or procure to be removed, or aid, or assistor be employed in removing from any such lands which shall have beenreserved or purchased as aforesaid, any live oak or red cedar tree ortrees, or other timber, unless duly authorized so to do, by order, in writ-ing, of a competent officer, and for the use of the navy of the UnitedStates ; or if any person or persons shall cut, or cause or procure to becut, or aid, or assist, or be employed in cutting any live oak or red cedartree or trees, or other timber on, or shall remove, or cause or procure tobe removed, or aid, or assist, or be employed in removing any live oakor red cedar trees, or other timber, from any other lands of the UnitedStates , acquired, or hereafter to be acquired, with intent to export, dis-pose of, use, or employ the same in any manner whatsoever, other thanfor the use of the navy of the United States ; every such person or per-sons so offending, on conviction thereof before any court having compe-tent jurisdiction, shall, for every such offence, pay a fine not less thantriple the value of the tree or trees, or timber so cut, destroyed, or re-moved, and shall be imprisoned not exceeding twelve months.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if the master, owner, or con-signee of any ship or vessel shall, knowingly, take on board any timbercut on lands, which shall have been reserved or purchased as aforesaid,without proper authority, and for the use of the navy of the UnitedStates ; or shall take on board any live oak or red cedar timber cut onany other lands of the United States , with intent to transport the sameto any port or place within the United States , or to export the same toany foreign country, the ship or vessel on board of which the same shallbe taken, transported, or seized, shall, with her tackle, apparel, and fur-niture, be wholly forfeited to the United States , and the captain or mas-ter of such ship or vessel wherein the same shall have been exported toany foreign country against the provisions of this act, shall forfeit andpay to the United States a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all penalties and forfeituresincurred under the provisions of this act shall be sued for, recovered anddistributed, and accounted for, under the directions of the Secretary ofthe Navy , and shall be paid over, one half to the informer or informers,if any, or captors, where seized, and the other half to the commissionersof the navy pension fund, for the use of the said fund; and the com-missioners of the said fund are hereby authorized to mitigate, in wholeor in part, and on such terms and conditions as they shall deem proper,and order, in writing, any fine, penalty, or forfeiture incurred under thisact.
Approved, March 2, 1831.