An Act to amend the Law relating to Bills of Lading.
[14th August 1855]
WHEREAS by the Custom of Merchants a Bill of Lading of Goods being transferable by Endorsement the Property in the Goods may thereby .pass,- to the Endorsee, but nevertheless all Rights in respect of the Contract contained in the Bill of Lading continue in the original Shipper or Owner, and it is expedient that such Rights should pass with the Property: And whereas it frequently happens that the Goods in respect of which Bills of Lading purport to be signed have not been laden on board, and it is proper that such Bills of Lading in the Hands of a bonâ fide Holder for Value should not. be questioned by the Master or other Person signing the same on the Ground of the Goods not haying been laden as aforesaid:
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows:
Every Consignee of Goods named in a Bill of Lading, and every Endorsee of a. Bill of Lading to whom the Property in the Goods therein mentioned shall pass, upon or by reason of such Consignment or Endorsement, shall have transferred to and vested in him all Rights of Suit, and be subject to the same Liabilities in respect of such Goods as if the Contract contained in the Bill of Lading had been made with himself.
Nothing herein contained shall prejudice or affect any Right, of-Stoppage in transitu, or any Right to claim Freight against the original Shipper or Owner, or any Liability of the Consignee or Endorsee by reason or in consequence of Ms being such Consignee or Endorsee, or of his Receipt of the Goods by reason or in consequence of such Consignment or Endorsement,
Every Bill of Lading in the Hands of a Consignee or Endorsee, for valuable Consideration representing Goods to have been shipped on board a Vessel shall be conclusive Evidence of such Shipment, as against the Master or other Person signing the same, notwithstanding that such Goods or some Part thereof may not have been so shipped, unless such Holder of the Bill of Lading shall .have had actual .Notice at the Time of receiving the same that the Goods had not been in fact laden on board : Provided, that the Master or other Person so signing may exonerate himself in respect of such Misrepresentation by showing that it was caused without any Default on his Part, and wholly by the Fraud of the Shipper, or of the Holder, or some Person under whom the Holder claims.