Ship's Papers

The papers or documents required for the manifestation of the ownership and national character of a vessel and her cargo, and to show her compliance with the revenue and navigation laws of the country to which she belongs. The want of these papers or any of them renders the character of a vessel suspicious (2 Boul. P. Dr. Com. 14); and the use of false or simulated papers frequently subjects the vessel to confiscation (15 East, 46, 70, 364; Molloy, bk. 2, c. 2, § 9), or avoids an insurance unless the insurer has stipulated that she may carry such papers (Id.) A ship's papers are of two sorts: First, those required by the law of the particular country to which the ship belongs; as, the certificate of registry or of enrollment, the license, the crew list, the shipping articles, clearance, etc.; and, second, such as are required by the law of nations to be on board of neutral ships as evidence of their title to that character; as the sea brief or letter, or passport, the proofs of property in the ship, as bills of sale, etc., the charter party, the bills of lading, the invoices, the crew list or muster roll, the log book, and the bill of health. Mc Culloch, Comm. Diet. "Ship's Papers." See Glenn, Int. Law, Append, p. 365, for a list of ship's papers required by the laws of various nations.