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US Code, Title 47 (2005 edition)
US Code, Title 47 (2005 edition) — TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
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<title>U.S.C. Title 47 - TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
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<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:12pt;">47 U.S.C. </span><br/>
<span style="font-size:10pt">United States Code, 2005 Edition</span><br/>
<span style="font-size:10pt">Title 47 - TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS</span><br/>
<span style="font-size:10pt">From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, <a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a></span><br/><br/>
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<h1 class="usc-title-head">TITLE 47—TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS</h1>
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<div><div class="analysis-head-left">Chap.</div><div class="analysis-head-right">Sec.</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">1.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">Telegraphs</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">1</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">2.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">Submarine Cables</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">21</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">3.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center" id="wide">Radiotelegraphs [Repealed]</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">51</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">4.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center" id="wide">Radio Act of 1927 [Repealed or Omitted]</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">81</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">5.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">Wire or Radio Communication</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">151</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">6.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">Communications Satellite System</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">701</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">7.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center" id="wide">Campaign Communications [Repealed]</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">801</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">8.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">National Telecommunications and Information Administration</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">901</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">9.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">Interception of Digital and Other Communications</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">1001</div></div>
<div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-left">10.</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-center">LOCAL TV</div><div class="three-column-analysis-style-content-right">1101</div></div>
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<h3 class="chapter-head"><strong>CHAPTER 1—TELEGRAPHS</strong></h3>
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<div><div class="analysis-head-left">Sec.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">1 to 8.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right" id="wide">Repealed or Omitted.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">9.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Subsidized companies required to construct and operate lines.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">10.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Equal facilities to connecting lines; discrimination in rates.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">11.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Powers of Federal Communications Commission.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">12.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Interference with liens of United States.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">13.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Violations; punishment; action for damages.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">14.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Contracts filed with Federal Communications Commission; reports; failure to make.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">15.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Reservation of power to alter, amend, or repeal act; power to fix rates and purchase lines.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">16.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System; money transfers; portion of receipts withheld.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">17.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right" id="wide">Repealed.</div></div>
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<h3 class="section-head">§§1 to 6. Repealed. July 16, 1947, ch. 256, §1, 61 Stat. 327</h3>
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<p class="note-body">Section 1, R.S. §5263, related to use of public domain.</p>
<p class="note-body">Section 2, R.S. §5264, related to use of materials from public lands.</p>
<p class="note-body">Section 3, R.S. §5266; acts June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101; Mar. 6, 1943, ch. 10, §6, 57 Stat. 12, related to Government priority in transmission of messages.</p>
<p class="note-body">Section 4, R.S. §5267; act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101, related to purchase of lines.</p>
<p class="note-body">Section 5, R.S. §5268; act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101, related to acceptance of obligations to be filed.</p>
<p class="note-body">Section 6, R.S. §5265; act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101, provided that rights were not transferable.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Effective Date of Repeal</h4>
<p class="note-body">Section 3 of act July 16, 1947, provided that: “This Act [repealing sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title] shall take effect on the tenth day following the enactment date thereof [July 16, 1947].”</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Authority of Federal Communications Commission; Effect of Repeal</h4>
<p class="note-body">Section 2 of act July 16, 1947, provided that: “Nothing in this Act [repealing sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title] shall limit the authority of the Federal Communications Commission under the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended [chapter 5 of this title], to prescribe charges, classifications, regulations, and practices, including priorities, applicable to Government communications.”</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§7. Omitted</h3>
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<h4 class="note-head">Codification</h4>
<p class="note-body">Section, act June 23, 1879, ch. 35, §1, 21 Stat. 31, was dependent upon and incorporated by reference in sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title which were repealed by act July 16, 1947, ch. 256, §1, 61 Stat. 327.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§8. Repealed. July 16, 1947, ch. 256, §1, 61 Stat. 327</h3>
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<p class="note-body">Section, R.S. §5269; acts Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69, §1, 19 Stat. 252; June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101, related to refusal to transmit dispatches.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Effective Date of Repeal</h4>
<p class="note-body">Repeal effective on tenth day following July 16, 1947, see section 3 of act July 16, 1947, set out as a note under sections 1 to 6 of this title.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Authority of Federal Communications Commission; Effect of Repeal</h4>
<p class="note-body">See note set out under section 1 of this title.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§9. Subsidized companies required to construct and operate lines</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">All railroad and telegraph companies to which the United States has granted any subsidy in lands or bonds or loan of credit for the construction of either railroad or telegraph lines, which, by the acts incorporating them, or by any act amendatory or supplementary thereto, are required to construct, maintain, or operate telegraph lines, and all companies engaged in operating said railroad or telegraph lines shall, by and through their own respective corporate officers and employees, maintain, and operate, for railroad, governmental, commercial, and all other purposes, telegraph lines, and exercise by themselves alone all the telegraph franchises conferred upon them and obligations assumed by them under the acts making the grants as aforesaid.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §1, 25 Stat. 382.)</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§10. Equal facilities to connecting lines; discrimination in rates</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Whenever any telegraph company which shall have accepted the provisions of sections 1 to 6 and 8 <sup><a href="#10_1_target" name="10_1">1</a></sup> of this title, prior to the effective date of <!-- PDFPage:2 -->the repeal of such sections, shall extend its line to any station or office of a telegraph line belonging to any one of said railroad or telegraph companies, referred to in section 9 of this title, said telegraph company so extending its line shall have the right and said railroad or telegraph company shall allow the line of said telegraph company so extending its line to connect with the telegraph line of said railroad or telegraph company to which it is extended at the place where their lines may meet, for the prompt and convenient interchange of telegraph business between said companies; and such railroad and telegraph companies, referred to in section 9 of this title, shall so operate their respective telegraph lines as to afford equal facilities to all, without discrimination in favor of or against any person, company, or corporation whatever, and shall receive, deliver, and exchange business with connecting telegraph lines on equal terms, and affording equal facilities, and without discrimination for or against any one of such connecting lines; and such exchange of business shall be on terms just and equitable.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §2, 25 Stat. 383; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1263, §48, 68 Stat. 1243.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">References in Text</h4>
<p class="note-body">Sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title, referred to in text, were repealed by act July 16, 1947, ch. 256, §1, 61 Stat. 327.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Amendments</h4>
<p class="note-body">1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, amended section to make it clear that the rights and obligations of companies which accepted benefits under former sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title, which have been repealed, continue irrespective of the repeal.</p>
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<p class="footnote"><a href="#10_1" name="10_1_target"><sup>1</sup> See References in Text note below.</a></p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§11. Powers of Federal Communications Commission</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">If any railroad or telegraph company referred to in section 9 of this title, or company operating such railroad or telegraph line shall refuse or fail, in whole or in part, to maintain, and operate a telegraph line as provided herein, for the use of the Government or the public, for commercial and other purposes, without discrimination, or shall refuse or fail to make or continue such arrangements for the interchange of business with any connecting telegraph company, then any person, company, corporation, or connecting telegraph company may apply for relief to the Federal Communications Commission, whose duty it shall thereupon be, under such rules and regulations as said commission may prescribe, to ascertain the facts, and determine and order what arrangement is proper to be made in the particular case, and the railroad or telegraph company concerned shall abide by and perform such order; and it shall be the duty of the Federal Communications Commission, when such determination and order are made, to notify the parties concerned, and, if necessary, enforce the same by writ of mandamus in the courts of the United States, in the name of the United States, at the relation of either of said communication commissioners. The commissioners may institute any inquiry, upon their own motion, in the same manner and to the same effect as though complaint had been made.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §3, 25 Stat. 383; June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Transfer of Functions</h4>
<p class="note-body">Duties, powers, and functions under this section relating to operation of telegraph lines by railroad and telegraph lines granted Government aid in construction of their lines imposed on and vested in Federal Communications Commission by act June 19, 1934. See section 601 of this title.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§12. Interference with liens of United States</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">In order to secure and preserve to the United States the full value and benefit of its liens upon all the telegraph lines required to be constructed by and lawfully belonging to railroad and telegraph companies referred to in section 9 of this title, and to have the same possessed, used, and operated in conformity with sections 9 to 15 of this title, it is made the duty of the Attorney General of the United States, by proper proceedings, to prevent any unlawful interference with the rights and equities of the United States under all acts of Congress relating to such railroads and telegraph lines, and to have legally ascertained and finally adjudicated all alleged rights of all persons and corporations whatever claiming in any manner any control or interest of any kind in any telegraph lines or property, or exclusive rights-of-way upon the lands of said railroad companies, or any of them, and to have all contracts and provisions of contracts set aside and annulled which have been unlawfully and beyond their powers entered into by said railroad or telegraph companies, or any of them, with any other person, company, or corporation.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §4, 25 Stat. 383.)</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§13. Violations; punishment; action for damages</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Any officer or agent of said railroad or telegraph companies, or of any company operating the railroads and telegraph lines of said companies, who shall refuse or fail to operate the telegraph lines of said railroad or telegraph companies under his control, or which he is engaged in operating, in the manner herein directed, or who shall refuse or fail, in such operation and use, to afford and secure to the Government and the public equal facilities, or to secure to each of said connecting telegraph lines equal advantages and facilities in the interchange of business, as herein provided for, without any discrimination whatever for or adverse to the telegraph line of any or either of said connecting companies, or shall refuse to abide by or perform and carry out within a reasonable time the order or orders of the Federal Communications Commission, shall in every such case of refusal or failure be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall in every such case be fined in a sum of not exceeding $1,000, and may be imprisoned not less than six months; and in every such case of refusal or failure the party aggrieved may not only cause the officer or agent guilty thereof to be prosecuted under the provisions of this section, but may also bring an action for the damages sustained thereby against the company whose officer or agent may be guilty thereof, in the district court of the United States in any State or Territory in which <!-- PDFPage:3 -->any portion of the road or telegraph line of said company may be situated; and in case of suit process may be served upon any agent of the company found in such State or Territory, and such service shall be held by the court good and sufficient.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §5, 25 Stat. 384; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §289, 36 Stat. 1167; June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Codification</h4>
<p class="note-body">Words “circuit or” which preceded “district court” were omitted in view of the abolition of the circuit courts and the transfer of their jurisdiction to the district courts by act Mar. 3, 1911.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Transfer of Functions</h4>
<p class="note-body">Duties, powers, and functions under this section relating to operation of telegraph lines by railroad and telegraph lines granted Government aid in construction of their lines imposed on and vested in Federal Communications Commission by act June 19, 1934. See section 601 of this title.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§14. Contracts filed with Federal Communications Commission; reports; failure to make</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">It shall be the duty of each and every one of the aforesaid railroad and telegraph companies annually to report to the Federal Communications Commission, with reasonable fullness and certainty, the nature, extent, value, and condition of the telegraph lines and property then belonging to it, the gross earnings, and all expenses of maintenance, use, and operation thereof, and its relation and business with all connecting telegraph companies during the preceding year, at such time and in such manner as may be required by a system of reports which said commission shall prescribe; and if any of said railroad or telegraph companies shall refuse or fail to make such reports or any report as may be called for by said commission, or refuse to submit its books and records for inspection, such neglect or refusal shall operate as a forfeiture, in each case of such neglect or refusal, of a sum not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, to be recovered by the Attorney General of the United States, in the name and for the use and benefit of the United States; and it shall be the duty of the Federal Communications Commission to inform the Attorney General of all such cases of neglect or refusal, whose duty it shall be to proceed at once to judicially enforce the forfeitures herein before provided.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §6, 25 Stat. 384; June 19, 1934, ch. 652, §601, 48 Stat. 1101.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Codification</h4>
<p class="note-body">A provision in the original enactment of this section requiring filing of copies of contracts, agreements, etc., within 60 days from passage of act Aug. 7, 1888 was omitted.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Transfer of Functions</h4>
<p class="note-body">Duties, powers, and functions under this section relating to operation of telegraph lines by railroad and telegraph lines granted Government aid in construction of their lines imposed on and vested in Federal Communications Commission by act June 19, 1934. See section 601 of this title.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§15. Reservation of power to alter, amend, or repeal act; power to fix rates and purchase lines</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Nothing in sections 9 to 15 of this title shall be construed to affect or impair the right of Congress, at any time hereafter, to alter, amend, or repeal sections 1 to 6 and 8 <sup><a href="#15_1_target" name="15_1">1</a></sup> of this title; and sections 9 to 15 of this title shall be subject to alteration, amendment, or repeal as, in the opinion of Congress, justice or the public welfare may require; and nothing herein contained shall be held to deny, exclude, or impair any right or remedy in the premises now or hereafter existing in the United States, or the authority of the Federal Communications Commission under the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended [47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.], to prescribe charges, classifications, regulations, and practices, including priorities, applicable to Government communications.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Aug. 7, 1888, ch. 772, §7, 25 Stat. 385; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1263, §49, 68 Stat. 1244.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">References in Text</h4>
<p class="note-body">Sections 1 to 6 and 8 of this title, referred to in text, were repealed by act July 16, 1947, ch. 256, §1, 61 Stat. 327.</p>
<p class="note-body">The Communications Act of 1934, as amended, referred to in text, is act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 5 (§151 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 609 of this title and Tables.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Amendments</h4>
<p class="note-body">1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, corrected references and struck out obsolete material.</p>
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<p class="footnote"><a href="#15_1" name="15_1_target"><sup>1</sup> See References in Text note below.</a></p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§16. Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System; money transfers; portion of receipts withheld</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">On and after May 20, 1926, such amount of money as may be authorized by the Secretary of the Army may be withheld temporarily from the receipts of the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System by the auditor of said system as a working balance from which to make payments of money transfers from and to Alaska and between points within Alaska, to be accounted for accordingly.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(May 20, 1926, ch. 345, 44 Stat. 576; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, §205(a), 61 Stat. 501; Pub. L. 92–310, title III, §233, June 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 214.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Amendments</h4>
<p class="note-body">1972—Pub. L. 92–310 struck out provisions which permitted the expenses of procuring necessary official bonds of certain enlisted men to be paid from the receipts of the system.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Change of Name</h4>
<p class="note-body">Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted Title 10, Armed Forces, which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§17. Repealed. Pub. L. 105–119, title VI, §620, Nov. 26, 1997, 111 Stat. 2519</h3>
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<p class="note-body">Section, act May 26, 1900, ch. 586, 31 Stat. 206, related to prohibition of establishment of telegraph or cable lines by foreigners.</p>
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<h3 class="chapter-head"><strong>CHAPTER 2—SUBMARINE CABLES</strong></h3>
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<div class="analysis">
<div><div class="analysis-head-left">Sec.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">21.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Submarine cables; willful injury to; punishment.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">22.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Negligent injury to submarine cables; punishment.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">23.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Injury to submarine cables in efforts to save life excepted.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">24.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Vessels laying cables; signals; avoidance of buoys.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">25.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Fishing vessels; duty to keep nets from cables.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">26.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Duties of commanders of warships.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">27.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Offending vessels to show nationality.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">28.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Penalties not to bar suits for damages.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">29.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Master of offending vessel punishable.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">30.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Definitions.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">31.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Summary trials.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">32.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Application.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">33.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Jurisdiction and venue of actions and offenses.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">34.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Licenses for landing or operating cables connecting United States with foreign country; necessity for.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">35.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Withholding or revoking of licenses by President; terms and conditions of licenses.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">36.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Preventing landing or operating of cables; injunction.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">37.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Violations; punishment.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">38.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">“United States” defined.</div></div>
<div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-left">39.</div><div class="two-column-analysis-style-content-right">Amendment, modification, etc., of rights granted.</div></div>
</div>
<p> </p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§21. Submarine cables; willful injury to; punishment</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Any person who shall willfully and wrongfully break or injure, or attempt to break or injure, or who shall in any manner procure, counsel, aid, abet, or be accessory to such breaking or injury, or attempt to break or injure, a submarine cable in such manner as to interrupt or embarrass, in whole or in part, telegraphic communication, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine not exceeding $5,000, or to both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §1, 25 Stat. 41.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Short Title</h4>
<p class="note-body">Act Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, 25 Stat. 41, which enacted sections 21 to 33 of this title, is popularly known as the “Submarine Cable Act”.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">International Convention</h4>
<p class="note-body">The protection of submarine cables was made the subject of an international convention between the United States and Germany, Argentine Confederation, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Spain, United States of Columbia, France, Great Britain, Guatemala, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Salvador, Servia, Sweden and Norway, Uruguay, and the British Colonies. It was concluded Mar. 14, 1884, ratified Jan. 26, 1885, ratifications exchanged Apr. 16, 1885, proclaimed May 22, 1885, and entered into force for the United States May 1, 1888. Its provisions were set forth in 24 Stat. 989 to 1000.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§22. Negligent injury to submarine cables; punishment</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Any person who by culpable negligence shall break or injure a submarine cable in such manner as to interrupt or embarrass, in whole or in part, telegraphic communication, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to a fine not exceeding $500, or to both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §2, 25 Stat. 41.)</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§23. Injury to submarine cables in efforts to save life excepted</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">The provisions of sections 21 and 22 of this title shall not apply to a person who breaks or injures a cable in an effort to save the life or limb of himself or of any other person, or to save his own or any other vessel: <em>Provided</em>, That he takes reasonable precautions to avoid such breaking or injury.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §3, 25 Stat. 41.)</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§24. Vessels laying cables; signals; avoidance of buoys</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">The master of any vessel which, while engaged in laying or repairing submarine cables, shall fail to observe the rules concerning signals that have been or shall be adopted by the parties to the convention described in section 30 of this title with a view to preventing collisions at sea; or the master of any vessel that, perceiving, or being able to perceive the said signals displayed upon a telegraph ship engaged in repairing a cable, shall not withdraw to or keep at distance of at least one nautical mile; or the master of any vessel that seeing or being able to see buoys intended to mark the position of a cable when being laid or when out of order or broken, shall not keep at a distance of at least a quarter of a nautical mile, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or to a fine of not exceeding $500.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §4, 25 Stat. 41.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972</h4>
<p class="note-body">For the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, see International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, set out as a note under section 1602 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§25. Fishing vessels; duty to keep nets from cables</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">The master of any fishing vessel who shall not keep his implements or nets at a distance of at least one nautical mile from a vessel engaged in laying or repairing a cable; or the master of any fishing vessel who shall not keep his implements or nets at a distance of at least a quarter of a nautical mile from a buoy or buoys intended to mark the position of a cable when being laid or when out of order or broken, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten days, or to a fine not exceeding $250, or <!-- PDFPage:5 -->to both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court. Fishing vessels, on perceiving or being able to perceive the said signals displayed on a telegraph ship, shall be allowed such time as may be necessary to obey the notice thus given, not exceeding twenty-four hours, during which period no obstacle shall be placed in the way of their operations.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §5, 25 Stat. 42.)</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§26. Duties of commanders of warships</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">For the purpose of carrying into effect the convention described in section 30 of this title a person commanding a ship of war of the United States or of any foreign state for the time being bound by the convention, or a ship specially commissioned by the Government of the United States or by the government of such foreign state, may exercise and perform the duties with respect to requiring exhibition of documents evidencing the nationality of offending vessels and making reports of infractions vested in and imposed on such officer by the convention.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §6, 25 Stat. 42.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Codification</h4>
<p class="note-body">The original enactment of this section did not contain the words, “with respect to requiring exhibition of documents evidencing the nationality of offending vessels and making reports of infractions,” which are inserted in view of the powers conferred on commanders of vessels of war contained in article 10 of the Convention, 24 Stat. 996, set out as a note under section 27 of this title.</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§27. Offending vessels to show nationality</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">Any person having the custody of the papers necessary for the preparation of the statements provided for in article 10 of the said convention with respect to reports of infractions, by officers commanding vessels of war or vessels especially commissioned, who shall refuse to exhibit them or shall violently resist persons having authority according to article 10 of said convention to draw up statements of facts in the exercise of their functions, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding two years, or to a fine not exceeding $5,000, or to both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §7, 25 Stat. 42.)</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Codification</h4>
<p class="note-body">The original enactment of this section did not contain the words, “with respect to reports of infractions, by officers commanding vessels of war or vessels especially commissioned,” which have been inserted in view of article 10 of the Convention, referred to in text, and set out as a note below.</p>
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<h4 class="note-head">Provision of International Convention</h4>
<p class="note-body">Article 10 of the International Convention for the Protection of Submarine Cables, made at Paris on May (March) 14, 1884, and proclaimed by the President of the United States on May 22, 1885, 24 Stat. 996, referred to in this section, read as follows:</p>
<p class="note-body">“Evidence of violations of this convention may be obtained by all methods of securing proof that are allowed by the laws of the country of the court before which a case has been brought.</p>
<p class="note-body">“When the officers commanding the vessels of war or the vessels specially commissioned for that purpose, of one of the High Contracting Parties, shall have reason to believe that an infraction of the measures provided for by this Convention has been committed by a vessel other than a vessel of war, they may require the captain or master to exhibit the official documents furnishing evidence of the nationality of the said vessel. Summary mention of such exhibition shall at once be made on the documents exhibited.</p>
<p class="note-body">“Reports may, moreover, be prepared by the said officers, whatever may be the nationality of the inculpated vessel. These reports shall be drawn up in the form and in the language in use in the country to which the officer drawing them up belongs; they may be used as evidence in the country in which they shall be invoked, and according to the laws of such country. The accused parties and the witnesses shall have the right to add or to cause to be added thereto, in their own language, any explanations that they may deem proper; these declarations shall be duly signed.”</p>
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<h3 class="section-head">§28. Penalties not to bar suits for damages</h3>
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<p class="statutory-body">The penalties provided in this chapter for the breaking or injury of a submarine cable shall not be a bar to a suit for damages on account of such breaking or injury.</p>
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<p class="source-credit">(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, §8, 25 Stat. 42.)</p>
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