rested in such vessel, or in the enterprise
or voyage in which such vessel shall be employed at the time of such
capture, shall be precluded from all right or claim to the slaves
found on board such vessels as afore said, and from all damages or
retribution on account thereof, and it shall moreover be the duty of
the commanders of such commissioned vessels to apprehend and take into
custody every person found on board of such vessel so seized and
taken, being of the officers or crew thereof, and him or them convey
as soon as conveniently may be, to the civil, authority of the United
States in some one of the Districts thereof, to be proceeded against
in due course of law.

Section V. _And be it further enacted_, That the District and Circuit
Courts of the United States shall have cognizance of all acts and
offences against the prohibitions herein contained.

Section VI. _Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted_, That
nothing in this act contained, shall be construed to authorize the
bringing into either of the United States any person or persons, the
importation of whom is by the existing laws of such state prohibited.

Section VII. _And be it further enacted_, That the forfeitures which
shall hereafter be incurred under this or the said act to which this
is in addition not otherwise disposed of, shall accrue and be one
moiety thereof to the use of the informer, and the other moiety to the
use of the United States, except where the prosecution shall be first
instituted on behalf of the United States, in which case, the whole
shall be to their use.

THEODORE SEDGWICK, _Speaker of the House
of Representatives_.
THOMAS JEFFERSON, _Vice President of the
United States, and President of
the Senate_.

Approved--May 10th A. D. 1800,

John Adams, _President of the United States_.[7]

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE CARRYING ON THE SLAVE TRADE, FROM THE UNITED
STATES TO ANY FOREIGN PLACE OR COUNTRY.

Section I. _Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America, in Congress assembled_, That no
citizen or citizens of the United States, or foreigner, or any other
person coming into, or residing within the same, shall, for himself,
or any other person whatsoever, either as master, factor or owner,
build, fit, eq