Thirtieth Congress,
thi Second Session,
BE IT ENACTED
By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress Assembled.

That no bill of sale, mortgage, or other conveyance, of any vessel, or part of any vessel, of the United States shall be valid against any person other than the grantor of mortgagor, his heirs, and devisees, and persons having actual notice thereof; unless such bill of sale, mortgage, or other conveyance, be Recorded in the office of the collector of the customs where such vessel is Registered or enrolled; Provided, That the lien by bottomry on any vessel created during her voyage, by a loan of money or materials, necessary to repair or enable such vessel to prosecute a voyage, shall not lose its priority or be in any way affected by the provisions of this act.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the collectors of the customs shall Record all such bills of sale, mortgages, or other Conveyances, in a book to be kept for that purpose, in the order of their Reception, noting in said book, and also on the bill of sale, mortgage, or other conveyance, the time when the same was Received; and shall certify on the bill of sale, mortgage, or other conveyance, the number of the book and page where Recorded, and shall Receive for Recording such instrument of conveyance, fifty cents.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the collectors of the customs shall keep an index of such Records, inserting alphabetically the names of the vendor or mortgagor and of the vendee or mortgagee, and shall permit said index and books of Records to be inspected during office hours under such Reasonable Regulations as they way establish.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the collector of the customs shall furnish certified copes of such Records on the Receipt of fifty cents for each bill of sale, mortgage or other conveyance.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the owner or agent of the owner of any vessel of the United States, applying to a collector of the customs for a Register or enrolement of a vessel, shall, in addition to the oath now prescribed by law, set forth, in the oath of ownership, the part or proportion of such vessel belonging to each owner, and the same shall be inserted in the Register or enrolment; and that all bills of sale of vessels Registered or enrolled shall set forth the part of the vessel owned by each person selling, and the part conveyer to each person purchasing.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect on and after the first day of July next.