The Passenger Act of 1882 is a
United States federal statute
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both house ...
establishing occupancy control regulations for
seafaring
Seamanship is the Art (skill), art, knowledge and Competence (human resources), competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques ...
passenger ships completing
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
transoceanic crossings to America during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The
Act of Congress sanctioned vessel
compartment
Compartment may refer to:
Biology
* Compartment (anatomy), a space of connective tissue between muscles
* Compartment (chemistry), in which different parts of the same protein serves different functions
* Compartment (development), fields of cells ...
dimensions in cubic feet comparable to the level within a
ship's deck. The
public law authorized the
numerical serialization of
berths which were subject to compartment occupancy inspections of
emigrants
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
and
ocean liner passengers. The
Law of the United States
The law of the United States comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the nation's Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the federal government of the United States, as well as v ...
accentuated and endorsed a regulatory clause stating ''no person, on arrival of a vessel in a port, will be allowed to go aboard a passenger ship necessitating a
bow to
stern inspection''.
The
Immigration Act of 1882
The Immigration Act of 1882 was a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on August 3, 1882. It imposed a head tax on non-citizens of the United States who came to American ports and restricted certain classes of people f ...
was simultaneously presented during the 47th United States congressional session which was enacted into law on August 3, 1882. The H.R. 6722
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
was passed by the 47th congressional session and enacted into law by the
21st President of the United States Chester Arthur on August 2, 1882.
Provisions of the Act
The
United States federal law
The law of the United States comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the nation's Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the federal government of the United States, as well as ...
was penned as fourteen sections with an emphasis concerning passenger quarters' allocations,
hygiene
Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...
requirements, furnished
sick bay
A sick bay is a compartment in a ship, or a section of another organisation, such as a school or college, used for medical purposes.
The sick bay contains the ship's medicine chest, which may be divided into separate cabinets, such as a refrigera ...
,
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
awareness
Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some infor ...
by imposed
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...
, and personal verification of emigrants and seafaring passengers occupancy during an oceanic voyage to an
American port.
:Carriage of Passengers by Sea – ''22 Stat. 186 § 1''
::Emigrants and passengers, other than cabin passengers, from foreign ports to be provided compartments
::Sailing vessel restrictions and requirements
::Space per passenger
::Computation of children boarded on vessel
::Violation of Act penalties
:Proper Accommodations on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 186–187 § 2''
::Berths for passengers
::Regulations and rules for occupancy
::Children
::Females
::Husband and wife
::Males
::Unmarried females
::Families
::Serial numbers for berths
::Inspections of berths
::Violation of Act penalties
:Sanitation and Ventilation of Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 187–188 § 3''
::Light and air to passenger decks and compartments
::
Hatchways
::
Companionway
In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...
::
Caboose
A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in railway switch, switching and Shunting (rail), shunting, keeping a l ...
with sufficient cooking capacity
::
Water closet
A flush toilet (also known as a flushing toilet, water closet (WC) – see also Toilet#Names, toilet names) is a toilet that disposes of human waste (principally urine and feces) by using the force of water to ''flush'' it through a drainpipe to ...
::
Privy
Privy is an old-fashioned term for an outdoor toilet, often known as an outhouse and by many other names. Privy may also refer to:
* Privy council, a body that advises the head of state
* Privy mark, a small mark in the design of a coin
* Privy Pur ...
location to be separated from passengers' spaces with constructed partitions
::Violation of Act penalties
:Nutrition on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 188 § 4''
::Wholesome food as fresh provisions
::Meals per day
::Short allowance and monetary penalty paid by the deck
master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
::Mothers with infants
::Tables and seats
::Violation of Act penalties
:Hospital on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 188 § 5''
::Hospital accommodations of two compartments
::Qualified and competent surgeon or medical practitioner
::Medicines and
surgical appliances for
diseases and accidents during sea voyages
::Violation of Act penalties
:Hygiene on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 188–189 § 6''
::Cleanliness and discipline to be maintained during voyage
::Space on main deck for exercise of passengers
::Violation of Act penalties
:Navigational Crew on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 189 § 7''
::Officers and seamen prohibited from visiting passengers' compartments
::Violation of section penalties
::Section of Act posted on decks concerning fraternizing with navigational crew
::Violation of Act penalties
:Prohibited Articles on Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 189 § 8''
::
Dynamite
::
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
::
Nitroglycerin
::
Vitriol
Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compound comprising sulfates of certain metalsoriginally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron( ...
::Other
explosive compounds
::Violation of Act penalties
:Boarding Arriving Vessels Before Inspection – ''22 Stat. 189–190 § 9''
::No person, on arrival of vessel in port, allowed to go aboard
::Correct list of passengers, with deaths if any, to be delivered to first officer of customs on board
::Duplicate of list to be delivered to collector of customs
::Violation of Act penalties
:Death on the High Seas – ''22 Stat. 190 § 10''
::In case of death of passengers at sea,
master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
of vessel to pay, money paid into the U.S. Treasury
::Violation of Act penalties
:Occupancy Integrity of Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 190 § 11''
::Examination and inspection of vessel by collector of customs
::Report made to the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury
:Applicability of Act for Vessels Carrying Emigrants and Passengers – ''22 Stat. 191 § 12''
::Provisions of this act apply to vessels carrying emigrants from United States to foreign countries
::Clearance of vessels withheld until compliance with provisions of this Act
::Violation of Act penalties
:Violations of Act Provisions for Steamships or Other Vessels – ''22 Stat. 191 § 13''
::
Fines and penalties to be
lien
A lien ( or ) is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation. The owner of the property, who grants the lien, is referred to as the ''lienee'' and the per ...
upon vessel
:Effective Date of Act Provisions – ''22 Stat. 191 § 14''
::Act shall come into effect ninety days after passage of Act
::Act may be cited for all purposes as "The Passenger Act, eighteen hundred and eighty-two"
Associated United States Federal Statutes
United States
legislation
Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...
relative to the Passenger Act of 1882.
See also
:
1847 North American typhus epidemic
:
Carriage of Passengers Act of 1855
:
Coffin ship
A coffin ship () was any of the ships that carried Irish immigrants escaping the Great Irish Famine and Highlanders displaced by the Highland Clearances.
Coffin ships carrying emigrants, crowded and disease-ridden, with poor access to food a ...
:
Diseases and epidemics of the 19th century
:
Quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...
:
Steerage Act of 1819
Reading Bibliography
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External links
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{{Portal bar, Countries, Society, Transport
1882 in American law
47th United States Congress
United States federal immigration and nationality legislation