Law as written, continued;
31. Any master of arms, or other person of whom the like duty may be required, refusing to receive such prisoner or prisoners, as shall be committed to his charge, or having received them shall suffer him or them to escape, or dismiss them without orders from his captain, the commander in chief of the navy or the commander of a squadron, for so doing, shall suffer in his or their stead as a court martial shall order and direct.
32. The captains, officers and others shall use their utmost endeavours to detect, apprehend, and bring to punishment all offenders, and shall at all times readily assist all officers and others appointed for that purpose, in the discharge of such duty, when it is required, on pain of being proceeded against and punished by a court martial at discretion.
33. If any officer whatsoever, mariner, marine soldier, or other person belonging to any ship or vessel of war in the service of the United States, shall give, hold or entertain intelligence, to or with any enemy or rebel, without leave from the government, commander in chief, or in case of a single ship, from his captain, every such person so offending, and being thereof convicted by the sentence of a court martial, shall be punished with death.
34. If any letter or message from an enemy or 'a rebel be conveyed to any officer, mariner, marine or other person, belonging to any ship or vessel in the service of the United States and the person as aforesaid shall not within twelve hours, having opportunity so to do, acquaint his superior or commander in chief with it, or if any superior officer being acquainted therewith, shall not in convenient time reveal the same to the commander in chief, commander of a squadron or other proper officer, appointed to take cognizance of such offence, every such person so offending, and being convicted thereof, by the sentence of a court martial shall be punished with death, or such other punishment as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve, and according to the sentence of a court martial.
35. All spies, and all persons whatsoever who shall come or be found in the nature of spies, to bring or deliver any seducing letter or message, from an enemy or rebel, or endeavour to corrupt any captain, officer, mariner, marine, or other person in the fleet, to betray his trust, being convicted of any such offence by the sentence of a court martial, shall be punished with death, or such other punishment as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve, and the court martial shall impose.
36. No person in a fleet, or in a single ship or vessel, shall supply an enemy or rebel with stores, money, victuals, arms, ammunition, or any kind of stores, directly or indirectly, upon pain of death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
37. Every person in or belonging to any ship or vessel in the service of the United States, who shall desert or run away with any vessel or boat, to the enemy or otherwise, or with any effects of the United States, whatsoever, or yield up the same cowardly or treacherously, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall inflict.
38. The officers and seamen, &c., of all ships appointed for convoy and guard of merchantmen, shall diligently attend upon that charge without delay, according to their instructions, and whosoever shall be faulty therein, shall be punished as a court martial shall direct.
39. If any captain, commander or other officer of any ship or vessel in the service of the United States, shall receive or permit on board his vessel any goods or merchandise, other than for the sole use of his vessel, except gold, silver, or jewels, and except the goods and merchandise of vessels which may be in distress or shipwrecked, or in imminent danger of being shipwrecked, in order to preserve them for the proper owner, without legal orders from the naval department, every person so offending being convicted thereof, by the sentence of a court martial, shall be cashiered, and be for ever afterwards rendered incapable to serve in any place or office in the navy service of the United States.
40. There shall be no wasteful expense of any powder, shot, ammunition, or other stores in the vessels belonging to the United States, nor any embezzlement thereof, but the stores and provisions shall be carefully preserved, upon pain of such punishment, to be inflicted upon the offenders, abettors, buyers and receivers, as shall be by a court martial found just in that behalf.
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