willfully aids, abets, or encourages any other person to remove, break, injure, or deface such seal, fastening, or mark; or if any person maliciously enters any bonded warehouse or any vessel or vehicle laden with or containing bonded merchandise with intent unlawfully to remove or cause to be removed therefrom any merchandise or baggage therein, or unlawfully removes or causes to be removed any merchandise or baggage in such vessel, vehicle, or bonded warehouse or otherwise in customs custody or control, or aids or assists therein; or if any person receives or transports any merchandise or baggage unlawfully removed from any such vessel, vehicle, or warehouse, knowing the same to have been unlawfully removed, he shall be guilty of a felony and liable to the same penalties as are imposed by section 593 of this Act.

SEC. 599. INTERESTED OFFICERS.-No person employed under the authority of the United States, in the collection of duties on imports or tonnage, shall own, either in whole or in part, any vessel, or act as agent, attorney, or consignee for the owner or owners of any vessel, or of any cargo or lading on board the same; nor shall any such person import, or be concerned directly or indirectly in the importation, of any merchandise for sale into the United States. Every person who violates this section shall be liable to a penalty of $500. SEC. 600. GRATUITY.-Any officer or employee of the United States who, except in payment of the duties or exactions fixed by law, solicits, demands, exacts, or receives from any person, directly or indirectly, any gratuity, money, or thing of value, for any service performed under the customs laws, or in consideration of any official act to be performed by him, or of the omission of performance of any such act, in connection with or pertaining to the importation, entry, inspection or examination, or appraisement of merchandise or baggage, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000, or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both, and evidence, satisfactory to the court in which the trial is had, of such soliciting, demanding, exacting, or receiving shall be prima facie evidence that the same was contrary to law. (R. S. 2636.)

SEC. 601. BRIBERY.-Any person who gives, or offers to give, or promises to give, any money or thing of value, directly or indirectly, to any officer or employee of the United States in consideration of or for any act or omission contrary to law in connection with or pertaining to the importation, appraisement, entry, examination, or inspection of merchandise or baggage, or of the liquidation of the entry thereof, or by threats or demands or promises of any character attempts to improperly influence or control any such officer or employee of the United States as to the performance of his official duties, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both, and evidence of such giving, offering, or promising to give, or attempting to influence or control, satisfactory to the court in which such trial is had, shall be prima facie evidence that the same was contrary to law.

SEC. 602.-SEIZURE PROCEDURE-REPORT.-It shall be the duty of any officer, agent, or other person authorized by law to make seizures of merchandise or baggage subject to seizure for violation of the

customs laws, to report every such seizure immediately to the collector for the district in which such violation occurred, and to turn over and deliver to such collector any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized by him, and to report immediately to such collector every violation of the customs law.

SEC. 603. SAME-FACTS TO REPORT.-It shall be the duty of the collector whenever a seizure of merchandise has been made for a violation of the customs laws to report the same to the Solicitor of the Treasury, and promptly also to report any such seizure or violation of the customs laws to the United States attorney for the district in which such violation has occurred, or in which such seizure was made, including in such report a statement of all the facts and circumstances of the case within his knowledge, with the names of the witnesses, and citation of the statute or statutes believed to have been violated, and on which reliance may be had for forfeiture or conviction.

SEC. 604. SAME PROSECUTION.-It shall be the duty of every United States district attorney immediately to inquire into the facts of cases reported to him by collectors and the laws applicable thereto, and, if it appears probable that any fine, penalty, or forfeiture has been incurred by reason of such violation, for the recovery of which the institution of proceedings in the United States district court is necessary, forthwith to cause the proper proceedings to be commenced and prosecuted, without delay, for the recovery of such fine, penalty, or forfeiture in such case provided, unless, upon inquiry and examination, such district attorney decides that such proceedings can not probably be sustained or that the ends of public justice do not require that they should be instituted or prosecuted, in which case he shall report the facts to the Secretary of the Treasury for his direction in the premises. (R. S. 838 as amended by Act Feb. 27, 1877, c. 69, sec. 1.)

SEC. 605. SAME-CUSTODY.--All vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage seized under the provisions of the customs laws, or laws relating to the navigation, registering, enrolling or licensing, or entry or clearance, of vessels, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be placed and remain in the custody of the collector for the district in which the seizure was made to await disposition according to law.

SEC. 606. SAME-APPRAISEMENT.-The collector shall require the appraiser to determine the domestic value, at the time and place of appraisement, of any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized under the customs laws.

SEC. 607. SAME-VALUE $1,000 OR LESS.-If such value of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage returned by the appraiser does not exceed $1,000, the collector shall cause a notice of the seizure of such articles and the intention to forfeit and sell the same to be published for at least three successive weeks in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct. (R. S. 4379.)

SEC. 608. SAME-CLAIMS.-Any person claiming such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage may at any time within twenty days from the date of the first publication of the notice of seizure file with the collector a claim stating his interest therein. Upon the filing of such claim, and the giving of a bond to the United States in the

penal sum of $250, with sureties to be approved by the collector, conditioned that in case of condemnation of the articles so claimed the obligor shall pay all the costs and expenses of the proceedings to obtain such condemnation, the collector shall transmit such claim and bond, with a duplicate list and description of the articles seized, to the United States attorney for the district in which seizure was made, who shall proceed to a condemnation of the merchandise or other property in the manner prescribed by law.

SEC. 609. SAME-SALE-If no such claim is filed or bond given within the twenty days hereinbefore specified, the collector shall declare the vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage forfeited, and shall sell the same at public auction in the same manner as merchandise abandoned to the United States is sold, and shall deposit the proceeds of sale, after deducting the actual expenses of seizure, publication, and sale, in the Treasury of the United States.

SEC. 610. SAME-VALUE MORE THAN $1,000.-If the value returned by the appraiser of any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage so seized is greater than $1,000, the collector shall transmit a report of the case, with the names of available witnesses, to the United States attorney for the district in which the seizure was made for the institution of the proper proceedings for the condemnation of such property.

SEC. 611. SAME-CONDITIONAL SALES.-If the sale of any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage forfeited under the customs laws in the district in which seizure thereof was made be prohibited by the laws of the State in which such district is located, or if a sale may be made more advantageously in any other district, the Secretary of the Treasury may order such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage to be transferred for sale in any customs district in which the sale thereof may be permitted. And if the Secretary of the Treasury is satisfied that the proceeds of sale will not be sufficient to pay the costs thereof, he may order a destruction by the customs officers: Provided, That any merchandise forfeited under the customs laws, the sale or use of which is prohibited under any law of the United States or of any State, may be remanufactured, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, into an article that is not prohibited, the resulting article to be disposed of to the profit of the United States only.

SEC. 612. SUMMARY SALE.-Whenever it appears to the collector that any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized under the customs laws is liable to perish or to waste or to be greatly reduced in value by keeping, or that the expense of keeping the same is disproportionate to the value thereof, and the value of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage as determined by the appraiser under section 606 of this Act, does not exceed $1,000, and such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage has not been delivered under bond, the collector shall, within twenty-four hours after the receipt by him of the appraiser's return proceed forthwith to advertise and sell the same at auction under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. If such value of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage exceeds $1,000 the collector shall forthwith transmit the appraiser's return and his report of the seizure to the United States district attorney, who shall petition the court to order an immediate sale of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage, and if the ends

of justice require it the court shall order such immediate sale, the proceeds thereof to be deposited with the court to await the final determination of the condemnation proceedings. Whether such sale be made by the collector or by order of the court, the proceeds thereof shall be held subject to claims of parties in interest to the same extent as the vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage so sold would have been subject to such claim.

SEC. 613. DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.-Any person claiming any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage, or any interest therein, which has been forfeited and sold under the provisions of this Act, may at any time within three months after the date of sale apply to the Secretary of the Treasury if the forfeiture and sale was under the customs laws, or to the Secretary of Commerce if the forfeiture and sale was under the navigation laws, for a remission of the forfeiture and restoration of the proceeds of such sale, or such part thereof as may be claimed by him. Upon the production of satisfactory proof that the applicant did not know of the seizure prior to the declaration or condemnation of forfeiture, and was in such circumstances as prevented him from knowing of the same, and that such forfeiture was incurred without any willful negligence or intention to defraud on the part of the applicant, the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Commerce may order the proceeds of the sale, or any part thereof, restored to the applicant, after deducting the cost of seizure and of sale, the duties, if any, accruing on the merchandise or baggage, and any sum due on a lien for freight, charges, or contribution in general average that may have been filed. If no application for such remission or restoration is made within three months after such sale, or if the application be denied by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Commerce, the proceeds of sale shall be disposed of as follows:

(1) For the payment of all proper expenses of the proceedings of forfeiture and sale, including expenses of seizure, maintaining the custody of the property, advertising and sale, and if condemned by a decree of a district court and a bond for such costs was not given, the costs as taxed by the court;

(2) For the satisfaction of liens for freight, charges, and contributions in general average, notice of which has been filed with the collector according to law;

(3) For the payment of the duties accruing on such merchandise or baggage, if the same is subject to duty; and

(4) The residue shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States as a customs or navigation fine. (R. S. 3087, 3089.) SEC. 614. RELEASE. If any person claiming an interest in any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized under the provisions of this Act offers to pay the value of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage, as determined under section 606 of this Act, and it appears that such person has in fact a substantial interest therein, the collector may, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury if under the customs laws, or the Secretary of Commerce if under the navigation laws, accept such offer and release the vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized upon the payment of such value thereof, which shall be distributed in the order provided in section 613 of this Act.

SEC. 615. BURDEN OF PROOF.—In all suits or actions brought for the forfeiture of any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized under the provisions of any law relating to the collection of duties on imports or tonnage, where the property is claimed by any person, the burden of proof shall lie upon such claimant; and in all suits or actions brought for the recovery of the value of any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized for violation of any such law, the burden of proof shall be upon the defendant: Provided, That probable cause shall be first shown for the institution of such suit or action, to be judged of by the court.

SEC. 616. COMPROMISE OF CLAIMS.-It shall not be lawful for any officer of the United States to compromise or abate any claim of the United States arising under the customs laws for any fine, penalty, or forfeiture, and any such officer who compromises or abates any such claim or attempts to make such compromise or abatement, or in any manner relieves or attempts to relieve any person, vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage from any such fine, penalty, or forfeiture shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for a term of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to remit or mitigate any such fine, penalty, or forfeiture, or to compromise the same in the manner provided by law.

SEC. 617. SAME.-Upon a report by a collector, district attorney, or any special attorney or agent, having charge of any claim arising under the customs laws, showing the facts upon which such claim is based, the probabilities of a recovery and the terms upon which the same may be compromised, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to compromise such claim, if such action shall be recommended by the Solicitor of the Treasury. (R. S. 3469.)

SEC. 618. REMISSION OR MITIGATION OF PENALTIES.-Whenever any person interested in any vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage seized under the provisions of this Act, or who has incurred, or is alleged to have incurred, any fine or penalty thereunder, files with the Secretary of the Treasury if under the customs laws, and with the Secretary of Commerce if under the navigation laws, before the sale of such vessel, vehicle, merchandise, or baggage a petition for the remission or mitigation of such fine, penalty, or forfeiture, the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Secretary of Commerce, if he finds that such fine, penalty, or forfeiture was incurred without willful negligence or without any intention on the part of the petitioner to defraud the revenue or to violate the law, or finds the existence of such mitigating circumstances as to justify the remission or mitigation of such fine, penalty, or forfeiture, may remit or mitigate the same upon such terms and conditions as he deems reasonable and just, or order discontinuance of any prosecution relating thereto. In order to enable him to ascertain the facts, the Secretary of the Treasury may issue a commission to any special agent, collector, member of the Board of United States General Appraisers, or United States commissioner, to take testimony upon such petition: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to deprive any person of an award of compensation made before the filing of such petition. SEC. 619. AWARD OF COMPENSATION. Any person not an officer of the United States who detects and seizes any vessels, vehicle.