forth in section 4400 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, are subject to said regulations. 30: 441. 29. Same. The "inspectors afore-exempt by reason of the conditions set said," referred to in section 30 of the act of February 28, 1871 (16 Stat. 440), from which section 4496, Revised Statutes, is taken, were local inspectors of steam vessels, and therefore the words "all inspectors," in section 4496, refer to such inspectors, being the only ones included in Title LII of the Revised Statutes, and not to inspectors of customs. 26: 272. 30. Steamship "Europa" carrying passengers into the port of New York without certificate of inspection.-The steamship "Europa," a private vessel of Italian nationality, which was engaged in carrying passengers upon a regularly established line between the ports of the United States and European ports, sailed from the port of New York with a certificate of inspection but arrived back at New York more than 30 days after the expiration of such certificate, did not thereby violate any of the provisions of title 52, Revised Statutes, for the reason that foreign vessels are subject to inspection only when carrying passengers from the United States. 29:19. 31. Transportation of passengers into foreign waters and back to port of departure. The transportation of passengers by foreign vessels from a port in the United States through domestic and foreign waters, sometimes touching at a foreign port, and returning them to the port of departure, is not in violation of section 8 of the act of June 19, 1886 (24 Stat. 81), as amended by section 2 of the act of February 17, 1898 (30 Stat. 248). 29: 318. 32. Vessels subject to section 14 of seamen's bill.-When not actually carrying passengers, neither foreign cargo nor foreign passenger steam vessels leaving ports of the United States are subject to the regulations prescribed by section 14 of the so-called Seamen's bill" of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1170). 30: 441. 33. Same.-Only foreign private steam vessels carrying passengers from any port of the United States to any other place or country, which are not STEAMSHIP COMPANIES TRANSPORTING III. Owners and masters a. Rights and liabilities of owners 34. Liability of owners of vessel for hospital charges and transportation of disabled seaman.-An American seaman, disabled in the service of the vessel and who was left in a hospital at a foreign port, is entitled to medical expenses incident to a recovery from the injury and transportation back to the United States, and where these expenses are paid out of funds belonging to the United States, after notice to the owners of the vessel that they were liable for the same and demand made for payment, the owners of the vessel may be held liable therefor. 29:54. b. Restrictions on masters 35. Violation of Canadian boundary treaty. Section 3109 of the Revised Statutes, in imposing restrictions upon masters of foreign vessels which are not imposed upon masters of domestic vessels, is in conflict with the provisions of article 1 of the convention concerning the boundary waters between the United States and Canada, concluded January 11, 1909, between the United States and Great Britain. 30: 351. IV. Construction of vessels 36. Construction of vessels by Shipping Board for use of Coast and Geodetic Survey.-Under the provisions of the act of June 15, 1917 (40 Stat. 182), the President is empowered to order the construction of two vessels by the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and their operation by the Coast and 284 SHIPPING, IV, V-SKINNER SHIP BLDG. & DRY DOCK CO. 87. Crew space on vessels.-The words "this act" in section 6 of the seamen's act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1164), which amends section 2 of the shipping act of March 3, 1897 (29 Stat. 687), refer to the said act of 1897. 30: 558. 38. Same. The requirements as to crew space on vessels, prescribed by section 6 of the act of March 4, 1915, apply to all vessels constructed after the passage of the act of March 3, 1897. 30: 558. 39. Life saving regulations.-Date effective. Section 14 of the seamen's act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1170), relating to life-saving regulations, becomes effective on November 4, 1915, as to United States vessels and on March 4, 1916, as to all other vessels. 30: 334. 40. Same. The steam vessel "Taurus," used in transporting persons for hire from New York City to and from the fishing banks in the Atlantic Ocean from 8 to 10 miles outside the lower bay of New York Harbor, is subject to certain provisions of section 14 of the seamen's act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1170), relating to lifesaving appliances and equipment. 537. SHIPPING BOARD EMERGENCY FLEET CORPORATION See SHIPPING IV, 36. SIEBT PATENT See PATENTS, 5, 6, 15. 30: SIGNATURE 1. Stamped facsimile signature.— Validity. The affixing of the stamped facsimile signature of the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation to orders, vouchers, etc., properly initialed by officers duly authorized to affix the same thereto, under the direction and control of the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation is a sufficient approval thereof by the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. 31: 349. 2. Same. The Chief of the Bureau of Navigation can not transfer to others any duty which the law imposes upon him in connection with the approval of orders, vouchers, etc., but after he has in some appropriate way passed judgment in such cases, the manual act of affixing his signature in evidence of his approval may be done by others thereunto duly authorized by him. 31:349 3. Signing certificate attached to farm loan bonds.-Under the provision in section 21 of the Federal farm loan act of July 17, 1916 (39 Stat. 377), which requires every farm loan bond to contain a certificate signed by the farm loan commissioner, the certificate may be signed by an engraved facsimile signature of the farm loan commissioner. 31: 146. SIRUP EXPORTATION. See CUSTOMS Law, V, b, 60. PREPARED SIRUP. See INTERNAL REVENUE, III, d, 52–53. SITES FOR MINE RESCUE STATIONS See MINE RESCUE, 3. SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOR See CIVIL SERVICE, III, h, 126; EIGHT-HOUR Law, 33. SKINNER SHIP BUILDING & DRY DOCK CO. See CONTRACTS, II, 42. STATUTES PRINTING. See PRINTING, III, 22. STATUTES AFFECTING NAVY See NAVY, I, a, 1-4. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION 1. Appropriation acts.-The general rule of law is that when Congress makes a specific appropriation for any particular purpose, this is construed as meaning that no more shall be expended for that purpose than is thus appropriated; and if a general appropriation applicable to the same purpose, together with other purposes of the like class, would otherwise be available to meet the same expenditure, the specific appropriation operates pro tanto as a repeal or suppression of the general appropriation, and renders its use for the specific purpose illegal. 27:30. 2. Same.-Ordinarily, however, appropriations for particular purposes included within the powers of the former commissioners of Navy hospitals would constitute legislation in pari materia with the laws defining those powers and transferring them to the Secretary of the Navy and both would, if possible, be construed together. 27:30. 3. Same. No clause, phrase, or section of an appropriation act ought to be construed as permanent legislation unless such words are used therein as make that purpose clear. 27: 108. 4. Contract labor laws.-Courts are inclined to construe statutes against contract alien laborers strictly, and not seek to enforce the spirit rather than the letter of such acts. 27: 479. 5. Conflicting enactments and discrepancies. The language of a later statute will be harmonized, if possible, with that of an earlier, and will be held to have modified the earlier only in so far as they are plainly in conflict; but if there is an evident conflict between the terms of the two enactments, those of the later must prevail. 26: 475. 6. Same. Where there is a discrepancy between the printed statutes and the enrolled act the latter will control. 29:499. 7. Departmental construction.When the meaning of a statute is doubtful, great weight should be given to the construction placed upon it by the department charged with its execution, and where such construction has been uniform and long continued it should not be disregarded without the most cogent reasons, and still greater weight should be given where the statute has been subsequently reenacted by Congress. 26: 311. 8. Same. When the meaning of a statute is doubtful or ambiguous, the practical construction placed upon it by the department of the Government charged with its administration, if contemporaneous, uniform, and long continued, although not deemed controlling on the courts, is to be treated with respect and will ordinarily be followed. 26: 390; 27: 446. 9. Same. While contemporaneous and long-continued departmental construction of an ambiguous statute is entitled to very great weight, it is quite otherwise where the statute is clear and there is no need for the assistance derived from that source. 29: 298. 10. Same.—Departmental construction is, however, without weight where the statute is clear and explicit and free from ambiguity or doubt. 26: 390. 11. Effect of new government upon existing laws.-Laws governing a territory which has passed from one sovereign power to another continue in force after the authority which enacted them has ceased to exist, only by consent of the succeeding authority to their continued validity, implied from its failure to modify or repeal them. 26: 113. 12. Same.-As soon as the new government considers existing laws no longer appropriate to attain the ends of government, it has the inherent right to change or annul them, unless its authority in this respect has been curtailed. 26: 113. 13. Legislative intent.-Debates.— Although debates in Congress are not appropriate sources of information from which to discover the meaning of an act of Congress, yet the Supreme Court has, on occasion, examined the reports of committees of either House with a view to determining the scope of statutes passed on the strength of such reports. (United States v. Binns, 194 U. S., 486, 495.) 26: 254. 14. Same. While debates in Congress are not ordinarily appropriate sources of information from which to discover the meaning of a statute, yet the statements of those who had charge of an act prior to its passage, made to the legislative body who afterwards passed it, as to its meaning and purpose, are always competent. 27: 68. 15. Same.-Preexisting law. The preexisting law, and the reason and purpose of a new enactment, are considerations of great weight in determining the proper construction to be placed upon a statute. 27: 68. 16. Same. Reasonableness.-Laws should be given a reasonable con |