Captives and Prize Money

CAPTIVES AND PRIZE MONEY.

ART. 1. And be it further enacted, That all pay and emoluments of such officers and men of any of the vessels of the republic of Texas taken by an enemy, who shall appear, by the sentence of a court martial, or otherwise, to have done their utmost to preserve and defend their vessel, and after the taking thereof, have behaved themselves obediently to their superiors, agreeably to the discipline of the navy, shall go on and be paid them, until their death, their exchange, or discharge.

ART. 2. And be it further enacted, That the proceeds of all the vessels, and the goods taken on board of them, which shall be.

adjudged good prize, shall, when of equal or superior force to the, vessel making the capture, be the sole property of the captors; and when of inferior force, shall be divided equally between the government of Texas, and the officers and men making the capture.

ART. 3. And be it enacted, That the prize money belonging to

the officers and men shall be distributed in the following manner:

1st. To the commanding officers of a squadron, or a single vessel, three twentieths, of which the commanding officer of the  squadron shall have one twentieth, if the prize be taken by a vessel under his command; and the commander of a single vessel two twentieths: but when a prize is taken by a vessel acting independently of such superior officer, the- three twentieths shall belong to the commander.

2d. To sea lieutenants, captains of marines, and sailing masters,

two twentieths; but when there is a captain, without a lieutenant of marines, these officers shall be entitled to two twentieths and one third of a twentieth, which third, in such cases shall be deducted from the share of the officers mentioned in article number 3 of this section.

3d. To chaplains, lieutenants of marines, surgeons, pursers,

boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and masters' mates, two twentieths.

4th. To midshipmen, surgeon's mates, captain's clerk, schoolmaster, boatswain's mates, gunner's mates, carpenter's mates, ship's stewards, sail makers, master-at-arms, armorers, cockswains and coopers, three twentieths and a half.

5th. To gunner's yeoman, boatswain's yeoman, quartermasters,

quarter gunners, sail maker's mates, sergeants and corporals of

marines, drummers, fifers, and extra petty officers, two twentieths and a half.

6th. To seamen, ordinary seamen, marines, and all other persons doing duty on board, seven twentieths.

7th. Whenever one or more public vessels are in sight, at the

time any one or more vessels are taking a prize or prizes, they shall all share equally in the prize or prizes, according to the number of men and guns on board each vessel in sight.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the house of representatives.
RICHARD ELLIS,
President pro tem. of the senate.
Approved, Dec. 15, 1836.
SAM. HOUSTON.