An Act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen was passed by the 5th Congress

5th United States Congress

The Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...

. It was signed by President John Adams

John Adams

John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...

 on July 16, 1798. The Act authorized the deduction of twenty cents per month from the wages of seamen, for the sole purpose of funding medical care for sick and disabled seamen, as well as building additional hospitals for the treatment of seamen.

Legislative history

The bill was introduced into the House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 by a committee appointed for the purpose on February 28, 1798 and read the first and second time that day. After some consideration, the bill was referred back to committee and on April 6, 1798 an amended bill was reported to the House of Representatives and read the first and second time that day. On April 9, 1798 the bill was amended, engrossed and read the third time and on April 12, 1798 the bill was passed and sent to the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

for concurrence.

The bill was received in the Senate on April 12, 1798 and read the first time. The bill received its second reading the following day and was referred to committee. The bill was reported from committee with amendments on June 19, 1798. The bill was amended, read the third time and passed by the Senate on July 14, 1798 and sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence in the amendments.

The bill was received in the House of Representatives on July 14, 1798 and the Senate amendments were approved the same day. On July 16, 1798 the bill was duly enrolled and transmitted to President John Adams, who signed it into law the same day.

Description and purpose of the legislation

Section one of the Act directed each master of a vessel arriving in the United States from any foreign port to pay to the Collector at the arrival port twenty cents per month from each seaman on board the vessel, which sum he was authorized to withhold from the wages of said seamen. Section two of the Act forbid Collectors from renewing the license of vessels in the coasting trade unless the master of said vessel complied with the provisions of the Act and provided a penalty of a one hundred dollar fine for a masters failure to comply. Section three of the Act directed Collectors to deliver funds collected under the Act to the Secretary of the Treasury on a quarterly basis. It further authorized the President of the United States to use the funds for the treatment of sick and disabled seamen in existing hospitals and facilities. Section four of the Act authorized and directed the President of the United States to use surplus funds collected under the Act to build additional hospitals at the ports of the United States. Section five of the Act authorized the President to appoint directors for each port, to direct the spending of funds at each port and to account for the use of said funds. The directors were appointed solely by the President and served at his pleasure.

External links

• Link to full text of the Act at the Library of Congress