competent to take cognisance thereof, and try the same, and that all forfeitures and penalties so recovered by virtue of this act, shall, after deducting all proper costs and charges, be disposed of as follows: one moiety shall be for the use of the United States, and be paid into the treasury thereof, by the collector recovering the same; the other moiety shall be divided between, and paid in equal proportions to the collector and naval officer of the district, and surveyor of the port, wherein the same shall have been incurred, or to such of the said officers as there may be in the said district; and in districts where only one of the aforesaid offices shall have been established, the said moiety shall be given to such officer: Provided,Proviso. That where the seizure shall have been made by any inspector or inspectors, out of the presence of the collector, naval officer, of surveyor, such inspector or inspectors shall be entitled, in addition to such other compensation as may be allowed by them, to twenty-five per cent. on the moiety herein given to the collector, naval officer, and surveyor, as aforesaid, or to either of them: And provided also,Proviso. That in all cases where such penalties and forfeitures shall be recovered, in pursuance of information given to such collector, naval officer, or surveyor, by any private informer, the one half of such moiety shall be given to such informer, and the remainder thereof shall be disposed of between the collector, naval officer, and surveyor, in manner aforesaid, and the same allowance of twenty-five per cent. to inspectors, when the seizure is made by them as aforesaid: And provided likewise,Proviso. That whenever the value of the property seized, condemned, and sold, under this act, shall be less than two hundred and fifty dollars, that part of the forfeiture which accrues to the United States, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be applied to the payment of the costs of prosecution: And it is further provided,Proviso. That if any officer or other person, entitled to a part or share of any of the penalties or forfeitures incurred in virtue of this act, shall be necessary as a witness, on the trial for such penalty or forfeiture, such officer or other person may be a witness, on the trial for such penalty or forfeiture, such officer or other person may be a witness upon the said trial, but in such case, he shall not receive, or be entitled to, any part or share of the said penalty or forfeiture, and the part or share to which he otherwise would be entitled, shall revert to the United States.
Prosecutions or suits against officers for their acts under this act, or colour of it, may be removed to circuit court in certain cases.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That if any suit or prosecution be commenced in any state court, against any collector, naval officer, surveyor, inspector, or any other officer, civil or military, or any other person aiding or assisting, agreeable to the provisions of this act, or under colour thereof, for any thing done, or omitted to be done, as an officer of the customs, or for any thing done by virtue of this act or under colour thereof, and the defendant shall, at the time of entering his appearance in such court, file a petition for the removal of the cause for trial at the next circuit court of the United States to be holden in the district where the suit is pending, and offer good and sufficient surety for his entering in such court, on the first day of its session, copies of said process against him, and also for his there appearing at the court and entering special bail in the cause, if special bail was originally required therein, it shall then be the duty of the state court to accept the surety, and proceed no further in the cause, and the bail that shall have been originally taken, shall be discharged; and such copies being entered as aforesaid in such court of the United States, the cause shall there proceed in the same manner as if it had been brought there by original process, whatever may be the amount of the sum in dispute or damages claimed, or whatever the citizenship of the parties, any former law to the contrary notwithstanding; and any attachment of the goods or estate of the defendant, by the original process, shall hold the goods or estate so attached to answer the final judgment, in the same manner as by the laws of such state, they would have been holden to answer final judgment, had it been rendered by the court in which the suit was commenced. And it shall be lawful
