but proof of the identity of such articles shall be made under general regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

SEC. 27. That the produce of the forests of the State of Maine upon the Saint John River and its tributaries, owned by American citizens, and sawed or hewed in the Province of New Brunswick by American citizens,

the same being otherwise unmanufactured in whole or in part, which is now admitted into the ports of the United States, free of duty,

shall continue for two years after the date of the passage of this Act and no longer to be so admitted,

under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall from time to time prescribe.

That the produce of the forests of the State of Maine upon the Saint Croix River and its tributaries

owned by American citizens, and sawed or hewed in the Province of New Brunswick by American citizens,

the same being otherwise unmanufactured in whole or in part, shall be admitted for two years after the date of the passage of this Act and no longer

into the ports of the United States free of duty,

under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall from time to time prescribe.

SEC. 28. That the Act entitled "An Act to simplify the laws in relation to the collection of the revenues," approved June tenth, eighteen hundred and ninety, as amended,

be further amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 1. That all merchandise imported into the United States shall, for the purpose of this Act,

be deemed and held to be the property of the person to whom the same is consigned;

and the holder of a bill of lading duly endorsed by the consignee therein named,

or, if consigned to order, by the consignor,

shall be deemed the consignee thereof; and

in case of the abandonment of any merchandise to the underwriters the latter may be recognized as the consignee.

"SEC. 2. That all invoices of imported merchandise shall be made out in the currency of the place or country from whence the importations shall be made,

or, if purchased, in the currency actually paid therefor,

shall contain a correct, complete and detailed description of such merchandise, and

of the packages, wrappings or other coverings containing it, and shall be made in triplicate

or in quadruplicate in case of merchandise intended for immediate transportation without appraisement, and

signed by the person owning or shipping the same, if the merchandise has been actually purchased,

or by the manufacturer or owner thereof, if the same has been procured otherwise than by purchase,

or by the duly authorized agent of such purchaser, seller,. manufacturer or owner.

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SEC. 3. That all such invoices shall, at or before the ship-ment of the merchandise,

be produced to the consular officer of the United States of the consular district in which the merchandise was manufactured! or purchased, as the case may be, for export to the United! States, and

shall have indorsed thereon, when so produced,

a declaration signed by the purchaser, seller, manufacturer,. owner, or agent,

setting forth that the invoice is in all respects correct and true, and

was made at the place from which the merchandise is to be exported to the United States;

that it contains, if the merchandise was obtained by purchase,

a true and full statement of the time when, the place where,. the person from whom the same was purchased, and

the actual cost thereof, and of all charges thereon, as provide by this Act; and

that no discounts, bounties, or drawbacks are contained in the invoice

but such as have been actually allowed thereon; and when obtained in any other manner than by purchase, the actual market value or wholesale price thereof,

at the time of exportation to the United States.

in the principal markets of the country from whence exported:

that such actual market value is the price at which the merchandise described in the invoice is freely offered for sale to all purchasers in said markets, and

that it is the price which the manufacturer or owner making the declaration would have received, and was willing to receive, for such merchandise

sold in the ordinary course of trade in the usual wholesale quantities, and

that it includes all charges thereon as provided by this Act, and the actual quantity thereof; and

that no different invoice of the merchandise mentioned in the invoice so produced

has been or will be furnished to anyone.

If the merchandise was actually purchased, the declaration shall also contain a statement that the currency in which such invoice is made out is that which was actually paid for the merchandise by the purchaser.

SEC. 4. That, except in case of personal effects accompanying the passenger,

no importation of any merchandise exceeding one hundred dollars in value shall be admitted to entry without the production of a duly certified invoice thereof as required by law, or of an affidavit made by the owner, importer or consignee, before the collector or his deputy,

showing why it is impracticable to produce such invoice; and no entry shall be made in the absence of a certified invoice, upon affidavit as aforesaid,

unless such affidavit be accompanied by a statement in the form of an invoice, or otherwise,

showing the actual cost of such merchandise, if purchased, or if obtained otherwise than by purchase, the actual market value or wholesale price thereof

at the time of exportation to the United States

in the principal markets of the country from which the same has been imported;

which statement shall be verified by the oath of the owner, importer, consignee or agent desiring to make entry of the merchandise,

to be administered by the collector or his deputy, and

it shall be lawful for the collector or his deputy to examine the deponent under oath,

touching the sources of his knowledge, information or belief, in the premises, and

to require him to produce any letter, paper or statement of account in his possession, or under his control,

which may assist the officers of customs in ascertaining the actual value of the importation or any part thereof, and in default of such production, when so requested,

such owner, importer, consignee or agent shall be thereafter debarred from producing any such letter, paper or statement for the purpose of avoiding any additional duty, penalty or forfeiture incurred under this Act,

unless he shall show to the satisfaction of the court or the officers of the customs, as the case may be,

that it was not in his power to produce the same when so demanded; and

no merchandise shall be admitted to entry under the provisions of this section

unless the collector shall be satisfied that the failure to produce a duly certified invoice is due to causes beyond the control of the owner, consignee or agent thereof:

Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury may make regulations by which

books, magazines and other periodicals

published and imported in successive parts, numbers, or volumes, and entitled to be imported free of duty,

shall require but one declaration for the entire series.

And when entry of merchandise exceeding one hundred dollars in value is made by a statement in the form of an invoice, the collector shall require a bond for the production of a duly certified invoice.

"SEC. 5. That whenever merchandise imported into the United States is entered by invoice,

one of the following declarations, according to the nature of the case, shall be filed with the collector of the port

at the time of entry

by the owner, importer, consignee, or agent,

which declaration so filed shall be duly signed by the owner, importer, consignee, or agent

before the collector, or before a notary public or other officer duly authorized by law to administer oaths and take acknowledgements,

who may be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury to receive such declarations and to certify to the identity of the persons making them,

under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury; and

every officer so designated shall file with the collector of the port a copy of his official signature and seal:

Provided, That if any of the invoices or bills of lading of any merchandise imported in any one vessel which should otherwise be embraced in said entry,

have not been received at the date of the entry,

the declaration may state the fact, and

thereupon such merchandise, of which the invoices or bills of lading are not produced,

shall not be included in such entry, but may be entered subsequently.

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DECLARATION OF CONSIGNEE, IMPORTER, OR AGENT, WHERE MERCHANDISE HAS BEEN ACTUALLY PURCHASED.

"I,

do solemnly and truly declare that I am the consignee, importer, or agent of the merchandise described in the annexed entry and invoice;

that the invoice and bill of lading now presented by me to the collector of

are

the true and only invoice and bill of lading by me received of all the goods, wares, and merchandise imported in the

for account of any person whomsoever for whom I am authorized to enter the same;

that the said invoice and bill of lading are in the state in which they were actually received by me, and

that I do not know or believe in the existence of any other invoice or bill of lading of the said goods, wares, and merchandise;

that the entry now delivered to the collector contains a just and true account of the said goods, wares and merchandise, according to the said invoice and bill of lading;