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An Act for the Government of the Navy of the United States PG-3

Law as written, continued;

21. All papers, charter-parties, bills of lading, passports, and other writings whatsoever, found on board any ship or ships which shall be taken, shall be carefully preserved and the originals sent to the court of justice for maritime affairs, appointed or to be appointed for judging concerning such prize or prizes, and if any person or persons shall wilfully or negligently destroy or suffer to be destroyed any such paper or papers, he or they so offending shall forfeit his or their share of such prize or prizes, and suffer such other punishment as they shall be judged by a court martial to deserve; and if any person or persons shall embezzle or steal, or take away any cables, anchors, sails or any of the ship's furniture, or any of the powder, arms, ammunition, or provisions of any ship belonging to the United States, or of any prize taken by a ship or ships, aforesaid, or maltreat or steal the effects of any prisoner, he or they so offending shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall order.

22. When in sight of any ship, ships, or other vessels of the enemy, or at such other times as may appear necessary to prepare for an engagement, the captain shall order all things in his ship in a proper posture for fight, and shall, in his own person, and according to his duty, heart on, and encourage the inferior officers and men to fight courageously, and not to behave themselves faintly or cry for quarters, on pain of such punishment as the offence shall appear to deserve for his neglect.

23. Any captain, officer or other person who shall not exert himself, or who shall basely desert his duty or station in the ship, and run away while the enemy is in sight, or in time of action, or shall entice others to do so, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall inflict.

24. Any officer, seaman, mariner or other person who shall disobey the orders of his superior, or begin, excite, cause or join in any mutiny or sedition in the ship to which he belongs, or in any other ship or vessel in the service of the United States, on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall direct; and further, any person in any ship or vessel belonging to the service aforesaid, who shall utter any words of sedition and mutiny, or endeavour to make any mutinous assembly on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall inflict.

25. None shall presume to quarrel with or strike his superior officer, on pain of such punishment as a court martial shall order to be inflicted.

26. If any person shall apprehend he has just cause of complaint, he shall quietly and decently make the same known to his superior officer, or to the captain, as the case may require, who shall take care that justice be done him.

27. There shall be no quarreling or fighting between ship mates on board any ship belonging to the United States, nor shall there be used any reproachful or provoking speeches, tending to make quarrels and disturbances, on pain of imprisonment, or of such punishment as the captain, or a court martial shall judge proper to inflict.

28. If any person shall sleep upon his watch, or negligently perform the duty which shall be enjoined him to do, he shall suffer such punishment as the captain, or a court martial shall inflict.

29. All murder shall be punished with death.

30. All robbery and theft, not exceeding twenty dollars, shall be punished at the discretion of the captain, and above that sum as a court martial shall inflict.


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[1]United States Statutes at Large, Volume 01, pg. 709-717, Government Printing Office.

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