CHAPTER 65.
BOARD OF PILOT COMMISSIONERS.
AN ACT to Amend Chapter 35 of the Revised Code of the State of Delaware, relating to the Board of Pilot Commissioners.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
That Chapter 35 of the Revised Code of the State of Delaware be, and the same is hereby amended by the repeal of 958, Section 6, and 971, Section 19, and the insertion in lieu thereof of the following, which shall be styled as 958, Section 6 and 971, Section 19, respectively.
958, Section 6. That the pilot who shall first offer himself to any inward-bound ships or vessels shall be entitled to take charge thereof; Provided, his license shall authorize him to pilot ships or vessels of such draught of water, and it shall be the duty of such pilot, if required, to exhibit his license to the master or commander of such ship or vessel, and in case the draught of water of such ships or vessels shall be greater than such pilot shall be licensed to carry, he may, nevertheless, with the consent of the master, take charge of such ship or vessel until a pilot duly qualified shall offer, and if such qualified pilot shall offer before such ship or vessel shall have passed Brandywine Shoals, bearing east, he shall be received, and the former pilot entitled to pilotage according to the distance he may have conducted such ship or vessel, and the latter to the residue of the pilotage which shall be ascertained by the President of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the time being. No vessel employed in and licensed for the coasting trade shall be obliged to receive a pilot or be subjected to the payment of pilotage in case of refusal to receive such pilot, except ships or vessels bound to the States, Territories or possessions of the United States on the Pacific Ocean, but a coastwise vessel voluntarily taking a pilot, shall pay him the same fees for pilotage as prescribed in the case of a vessel bound to or from a foreign port. Any pilot bringing in any inward-bound ship or vessel shall, by himself or one of his boat's company, be entitled to pilot said ship or vessel to sea when she next leaves the port; and if the master of such ship or vessel shall refuse or neglect to take such pilot, the master, owner or consignee of such ship or vessel shall forfeit and pay to such pilot, suing for the same, a sum equal to the pilotage of such ship or vessel, to be recovered by a suit in our State Courts, or before a Justice of the Peace; or such pilot may pursue his remedy therefor by a libel in admiralty in any United States Court, either in personam or by proceed*[proceeding] in rem, to enforce the lien hereby given him on such ship or vessel.
971, Section 19. The rates of pilotage for conducting a vessel from the Capes of the Delaware to the City of Philadelphia or other place on the River Delaware, and from the City of Philadelphia or other place on the River Delaware, to the Capes of the Delaware, in either case shall be for every half foot of water which a vessel shall draw under up to and including twelve feet, the sum of two dollars per half foot and for every vessel drawing over twelve feet, the sum of two dollars and seventy-five cents per half foot of water. A deduction of ten per centum from the said rates shall be made when an inward-bound vessel is first spoken by the pilot inside of a straight line drawn from Cape Henlopen Light to Cape May Light. Every such vessel bound to the Breakwater for orders shall pay pilotage fees as follows: a sum equal to one-half of the inward rates of pilotage to the Port of Philadelphia, and the same fees when outward bound from the Breakwater.
Approved February 3, A. D. 1915.