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Vessel’s name not to be altered,
to be painted on the stern,
and name of the port,
not to be altered, &c. except square rigged in time of war,
penalty 100l.
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XXII. And whereas many frauds are committed by the frequent change of names given to ships and vessels, and the difficulty of comparing the entry in the book of registers herein directed to be kept by all such person or persons as are authorized to register ships and vessels and to grant certificates of the same with the registers of which they claim the benefit, is thereby greatly increased: be it therefore enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any owner or owners of any ship or vessel, to give any name to such ship or vessel, other than that by which the was first registered in pursuance of this act; and that the owner or owners of all and every ship or vessel which shall be so registered, shall, within one month from the time of such registry, paint, or cause to be painted in white or yellow Roman letters, of length not less than four inches, upon a black ground, on some conspicuous part of the stern, provided there shall he sufficient space for that purpose; but if not then in letters as large as such space will admit, the name by which such ship or vessel shall have been registered pursuant to this act, and the port to which the belongs, in a distinct and legible manner, and shall so keep and preserve the same; and that if such owner or owners, or master, or other person having or taking the charge or command of such ship or vessel, shall wilfully alter, erase, obliterate, or in any wise hide or conceal, or cause or procure, or permit the same to be altered, erased, obliterated, or in any wise hidden or concealed, unless in the case of square rigged vessels, in time of war, or shall in any written or printed paper, or other document, describe such ship or vessel by any name, other than that by which the was first registered pursuant to this act, or shall verbally describe, or cause or procure, or permit such ship or vessel to be described by any other name to any officer or officers of his Majesty’s revenue in the execution of his or their deputy, then, and in every such case, such owner or owners, master, or other person having or taking the charge or command of such ship or vessel shall forfeit the sum of one hundred pounds.
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