City of Providence may appoint inspector, &c.

17. Owners to provide store room for pack

23.

Beef and pork inspected under former laws may be exported.

It is enacted by the General Assembly, as follows:

SECTION 1. No person shall sell, ship or export for sale from this state, any salted beef or pork, except in casks of the quality and dimensions herein after provided, nor unless the contents thereof shall be inspected and packed and the casks containing the same branded, agreeably to the directions in

this act.

SEC. 2. There shall be an inspector general of beef and pork appointed by the general assembly annually; who, before he shall enter on the duties of his office, shall give bond with sufficient surety to the general treasurer, in the penal sum of one thousand dollars, for the faithful discharge of his duties, and shall be sworn faithfully to perform the same. He shall have power when so qualified, to appoint, and shall appoint a deputy inspector in each county, who shall be removable by him at pleasure, and for whom he shall be answerable. He shall take bonds from them to himself and successor in said office, with sufficient sureties, in the penal sum not exceeding five hundred dollars. The said deputy inspectors shall also be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties; and each of the deputy inspectors, when so appointed and qualified, shall appoint in the several towns in their respective counties such a number of assistant inspectors, surveyors or packers, as shall be necessary; who shall give bonds with sureties to the deputy inspector from whom such assistant shall receive his appointment, in the penal sum of not less than one hundred dollars for the faithful discharge of his duties, and shall also be sworn faithfully to perform the same: provided, always, that in case of the vacancy of said office of inspector general by death, resignation or removal out of the state, his deputy inspectors and their assistants shall continue in their respective offices until the next annual election, unless sooner removed by the inspector general for the time being; and that the governor be, and he hereby is authorized and em

powered to appoint an inspector general to fill such vacancy until the next annual election.

SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of every deputy so appointed, to make return to the inspector general, once in every year, of the number of barrels of beef and pork inspected by them or their assistants, agreeably to the provisions of this act; and it shall be the duty of the inspector general annually to make return to the general assembly, at their May session, of the whole number of barrels of beef and pork inspected according to the directions of this act, by him or by his deputies, the year preceding, designating the different sorts of beef and pork and the places at which it was inspected.

SEC. 4. All beef put up in casks, for sale or exportation, shall be of fat cattle. It shall be cut in pieces as nearly square as may be, which shall not exceed eight pounds weight, nor be less than four pounds. All beef which the inspector, deputy inspector or assistant shall find on examination, to have been killed of a proper age, to be fat and otherwise good and merchantable, shall be sorted and divided by him into three different sorts for packing into casks, to be denominated mess, prime, and cargo. Mess beef shall consist of the choicest pieces of an ox or steer well fatted, not under three years old, and weighing six hundred pounds and upwards; the shin, shoulder clod and neck, shall be taken from the fore quarter, and the leg and leg round from the hind quarter; and each cask containing beef of this description shall be branded on one of the heads with the words "mess beef." Prime beef shall consist of choice pieces of oxen, steers, cows and heifers, not under the age of three years, nor under four hundred pounds weight, and to average five hundred pounds weight, without any necks or shanks; on one head of each cask containing beef of this description shall be branded "prime beef." All other fat cattle of two years old and upwards, and all other parts of cattle that are not above described, which shall be packed for exportation, shall be branded on one head "cargo beef." Every cask shall be well salted with seventy-five pounds of clean Št. Ubes, Isle of May, Lisbon or Turks Island salt, or eighty pounds of coarse Liverpool salt, or other salt of equal quality, exclusive of pickle made of fresh water, as strong as salt will make it, for every two hundred pounds weight of beef that each cask may contain, and two ounces of salt petre for every one hundred pounds of beef.

SEC. 5. Every cask in which mess beef shall be packed, shall be made of good seasoned white oak or white ash staves,

and heading not less than five-eighths of an inch in thickness, free from sap and every defect; to be covered three-fourths of the length with good hoops, leaving one-fourth in the centre; the hoops to be well set and drawn together; but casks containing prime beef and cargo beef may be hooped with only twelve hoops, which shall be well secured with not less than three pins on each bulge; two hundred pounds of beef shall be considered and taken as a barrel.

SEC. 6. The following part of every hog shall be deemed refuse, and shall not be put into any cask of pork inspected, to wit: nose pieces, ears, brains, tails, feet, lard and faces when separated from the cheek. There shall be three qualities of pork distinguished by the name of "clear," "mess," and "prime." Clear pork shall consist of middling pieces taken from well fatted hogs weighing not less than two hundred and fifty pounds, excluding head, neck, shoulders, legs, the chine bone, the spareribs, the lean and the blades from the back and shoulders: mess pork shall consist of hogs well fatted, weighing not less than two hundred pounds, excluding the head, neck, legs and shoulders: prime pork shall consist of hogs well fatted, of not less than one hundred pounds weight including in each barrel three shoulders and one head and a half, not weighing more than twenty-four pounds, and excluding no part of a hog not declared refuse. Each barrel of pork shall be salted and pickled with the same weight of salt and the same kind of pickle as is in this act provided for packing and inspecting beef; and each cask when so inspected and packed or repacked, shall be branded in the same manner as is in this act prescribed for branding beef, designating the different qualities or denominations herein described. Two hundred pounds of pork shall be considered and taken as a barrel.

SEC. 7. Every cask in which clear or mess pork shall be packed, shall be made of good seasoned white oak or white ash staves, and heading, five-eighths of an inch thick, free from sap and every defect. Each cask shall in every respect be hooped in the same manner as is in this act provided for casks for packing and repacking of mess beef. Casks containing prime pork may be hooped with twelve hoops, which shall be secured with no less than three pins on each bulge.

SEC. 8. On the head of every cask in which beef or pork is packed for exportation, shall be branded the weight it contains, which shall be only even hundreds, with the first letter of the christian name and the surname at length of the inspector who has inspected the same, with the name of the

town where it was inspected, and "Rhode-Island," in legible letters not less than three-fourths of an inch long.

SEC. 9. No deputy or assistant appointed by this act shall inspect or brand any cask of beef or pork out of the town or county for which he shall be appointed, under the penalty of fifty dollars; and if any person other than the said inspector, his deputy or assistant, shall stamp or brand any cask of beef or pork in manner directed by this act, he shall forfeit the sum of twenty dollars for each and every cask so unlawfully branded.

SEC. 10. The inspector general shall have two cents for every barrel inspected by virtue of this act, and the deputy in each county shall have two cents for each barrel of beef or pork inspected as aforesaid in the county whereof he shall be inspector; and each assistant inspector shall have for his services in cutting, weighing, packing, salting, pickling, heading and branding each barrel of beef or pork, twenty cents; and for performing the same exclusive of cutting, he shall receive for each barrel twelve and a half cents, to be paid by the owner thereof; and any deputy inspector shall on any special occasion be authorized to send an assistant inspector from the town in which such assistant resides into an adjoining town, to perform the duties of his office in said town.

SEC. 11. If the inspector general or any deputy inspector or assistant, appointed by virtue of this act, shall be guilty of any neglect or fraud in inspecting any beef or pork contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, or shall mark with their respective brands any cask containing beef or pork which has not been actually inspected, he shall forfeit and pay ten dollars for each and every offence.

SEC. 12. If any person shall intermix, take out or shift any beef or pork out of any cask inspected or branded as by this act is required, or put in any other beef or pork for sale or exportation, contrary to the intent of this act, he shall for each and every offence forfeit and pay the sum of twenty dollars.

SEC. 13. No salted beef or pork shall be exported out of this state for sale unless the master or owner of the vessel exporting the same produce to the collector, or any other officer authorized by the laws of the United States to clear vessels out, a certificate from the inspector general, his deputy or assistants, that the same has been inspected and branded according to the directions in this act; and each certificate shall express the number of barrels of beef and pork of each sort; and the master or owner of any vessel in which beef or

pork is so exported, producing said certificate, shall take and subscribe the following oath before the officer authorized as before, to wit: I of do swear, (or affirm,) that according to the best of my knowledge and belief, the certificate hereunto annexed contains the whole quantity of salted beef or pork on board the master, and that no

salted beef or pork is shipped on board said vessel, for the ship's company or freight, or as cargo, but what is inspected and branded according to law: so help me God; (or this affirmation I make on peril of the penalty of perjury.)

SEC. 14. For each and every certificate given by the inspector, deputy inspector or assistant, for beef or pork exported, he shall receive ten cents, to be paid by the shipper; and they are severally required to give such certificate whenever requested.

SEC. 15. Nothing in this act shall prevent the exportation of rounds of beef in kegs or tubs: provided, however, that the name of the owner or exporter and the town where he resides shall be branded on one head of each keg or tub, under the penalty of one dollar for each keg or tub not branded.

SEC. 16. If any person shall export or ship for exportation out of this state any salted beef or pork not inspected or branded as by this act is provided, every such exporter or shipper and the master of every vessel having on board such uninspected beef or pork shall, on conviction, respectively pay and forfeit the sum of six dollars, and the master of every vessel having the same on board, the sum of two dollars, for every cask exported or shipped for exportation.

SEC. 17. Whenever any inspector, surveyor or packer shall be requested to cut, pack or repack any beef or pork in any store, yard or place, other than his customary store or yard, the owner or owners of such beef or pork shall, without delay, furnish all materials and conveniences necessary to perform the same, excepting the tools of such inspector, surveyor or packer, who shall not be liable to any expense for the use of the store, yard or place wherein such beef or pork shall be deposited; and in case any inspector or packer shall in the discharge of his office use any steelyards or weights which shall not have been tried and sealed according to law, he shall for each offence forfeit and pay ten dollars.

SEC. 18. A certificate or certificates as is required by this act, shall accompany all beef or pork which shall be exported from this state to any of the United States: and in case the owner of any salted beef or pork shall export any beef or pork from this state into any of the United States in casks which