cordance with the provisions of this act; by discounting bills, notes, and other evidences of debt; by receiving deposits; by buying and selling gold and silver bullion, foreign coins, and bills of exchange; by loaning money on real and personal security, in the manner specified in their articles of association, for the purposes authorized by this act, and by exercising such incidental powers as shall be necessary to carry on such business; to choose one of their number as president of such association, and to appoint a cashier and such other oficers and agents as Business, where their business may require; and to remove such president, to be transcashier, officers, and agents at pleasure, and appoint others in their place; and their usual business shall be transacted in banking offices located at the places specified respectively in its certificate of association, and not elsewhere. Shares to be personal prop erty. able. Shareholder liable to twice the amount of personally his shares. SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the shares of associations formed under this act shall be deemed personal property, and shall be transferable on the books of the association in such manner as may be prescribed in the by-laws or articles of association; and every person becoming a shareholder by such transfer shall, in pro- How transfer portion to his shares, succeed to all the rights and liabilities of the prior holder of such shares; and no change shall be made in the articles of association by which the rights, remedies, or security of the existing creditors of the association shall be impaired. For all debts, contracted by such association for circulation, deposits, or otherwise, each shareholder shall be liable to the amount, at their par value, of the shares held by him in addition to the amount invested in such shares. SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That it shall be Capital stock, lawful for any association formed under this act, by its articles of association, to provide for an increase of its capital from time to time as may be deemed expedient, subject to the limitations of this act; but no such increase shall be valid until the increased capital shall be paid in, and notice thereof shall have been transmitted to the comptroller of the currency, and his certificate obtained, specifying the amount of such increase of capital stock, and that the same has been duly paid to such association. SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That it shall be Real estate of lawful for any such association to purchase, hold, and convey real estate as follows: First. Such as shall be necessary for its immediate accommodation in the transaction of its business. Second. Such as shall be mortgaged to it in good faith by way of security for loans made by such association, or for moneys due thereto. Third. Such as shall be conveyed to it in satisfaction of debts previously contracted in the course of its dealings. how may be increased. such association. Associations, before com mencing banking business, to transfer to treasurer United States and shall be Issue of circu- How to be apportioned Circulating notes, how to be prepared. Fourth. Such as it shall purchase at sales under judgments, decrees, or mortgages held by such association. Such association shall not purchase or hold real estate in any other case or for any other purpose than as specified in this section. SEC. 15. And be it further enacted, That every association, after having complied with the provisions of this act preliminary to the commencement of banking business under its provisions, shall transfer and deliver to the treasurer of the United States any United States bonds bearing interest to an amount not less than one third of the capital stock paid in; which bonds shall be deposited with the treasurer of the United States, and by him safely kept in his office until the same shall be otherwise disposed of, in pursuance of the provisions of this act. SEC. 16. And be it further enacted, That upon the making of any such transfer and delivery, the association making the same shall be entitled to receive from the comptroller of the currency circulating notes of different denominations, in blank, registered and countersigned as hereinafter provided, equal in amount to ninety per centum of the current market value of the United States bonds so transferred and delivered, but not exceeding the par value thereof, if bearing interest at the rate of six per centum, or of equivalent United States bonds bearing a less rate of interest; and at no time shall the total amount of such notes, issued to any such association, exceed the amount at such time actually paid in of its capital stock. SEC. 17. And be it further enacted, That the entire amount of circulating notes to be issued under this act shall not exceed three hundred millions of dollars. One hundred and fifty millions of which sum shall be apportioned to associations in the States, in the District of Columbia, and in the Territories, according to representative population, and the remainder shall be apportioned by the Secretary of the Treasury among associations formed in the several States, in the District of Columbia, and in the Territories, having due regard to the existing banking capital, resources, and business, of such States, district, and Territories. SEC. 18. And be it further enacted, That, in order to furnish suitable notes for circulation, the comptroller of the currency is hereby authorized and required, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, to cause plates to be engraved in the best manner to guard against counterfeiting and fraudulent alterations, and to have printed therefrom, and numbered, such quantity of circulating notes, in blank, of the denominations of five dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars, fifty dollars, one hundred dollars, five hundred dollars, and one thousand dollars, as may be required to supply, under this act, the press what. associations entitled to receive the same; which notes shall express upon their face that they are secured by Notes to exUnited States bonds, deposited with the treasurer of the United States, and issued under the provisions of this act, which statement shall be attested by the written or engraved signatures of the treasurer and register, and by the imprint of the seal of the treasury; and shall also express upon their face the promise of the association receiving the same, to pay on demand, attested by the signatures of the president, or vice-president, and cashier; and the said notes shall bear such devices and such other statements, and shall be in such form, as the Secretary of the Treasury shall, by regulation, direct. to be under Plates and dies control of comptroller. Expense of pro curing notes. Each associa circulation. case of default. SEC. 19. And be it further enacted, That the plates and special dies to be procured by the comptroller of the currency for the printing of such circulating notes shall remain under his control and direction, and the expenses necessarily incurred in executing the provisions of this act respecting the procuring of such notes, shall be audited and paid as contingent expenses of the Treasury Department; and for the purpose of reimbursing the same, and all other expenses incurred under this act, and in lieu of all taxes upon the circulation authorized by this act, or upon the bonds deposited for the security of the same, on to pay such association organized under this act shall semi-annually one annually, on the first days of January and July, after ratiofits its organization, pay to the comptroller of the currency, in lawful money of the United States, one per centum on the amount of circulating notes received by such asso- Provision in ciation, and in default thereof, the treasurer of the United States is hereby authorized to reserve and retain one per centum on the amount of said bonds so deposited, at each semi-annual payment of interest thereon; and all sums so reserved and retained shall be paid into the treasury under the direction of the Secretary, and every bank, banking association, or corporation, not organized under the provisions of this act, issuing notes calculated or intended to circulate as money, shall, on the first day of July next, and regularly on the first days of January and July thereafter, make and deliver to the comptroller of the currency a true and accurate return of the gross amount of notes issued by it, whether in circulation, or in its vaults, or on deposit elsewhere, and in default of any such return, the bank, banking association, or corporation so failing to make return, shall pay to the United States a penalty of two per centum upon its entire capital stock, to be recovered, for the use of the United States, in any court of competent jurisdiction. SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That after any such association shall have caused its promise to pay such notes on demand to be signed by the president or vice-president and cashier thereof in such manner as to make them obligatory promissory notes, payable on demand, at its Banks, &c., not this act, to make returns organized under semi-annually. Penalty for default, and how recovered. When associa tion may issue the currency circulation as money; to be received at par for all except duties, and to be paid for all except interest on public debt. Other issues prohibited. Bonds transferred, as security for circulation, to have the fact stated thereon. How transferred. Record of transfers to contain what. Duty of comptroller. Duty of comptroller. Comptroller and treasurer may examine each others books. place of business, such association is hereby authorized to issue and circulate the same as money; and the same shall be received as par in all parts of the United States in payment of taxes, excises, public lands, and all other dues to the United States, except for duties on imports, and also for all salaries and other debts and demands owing by the United States to individuals, corporations, and associations within the United States, except interest on public debt; and no such association shall issue post notes, or any other notes to circulate as money, than such as are authorized by the foregoing provisions of this act. SEC. 21. And be it further enacted, That all transfers of United States bonds which shall be made by any association as security for circulating notes under the provisions of this act, shall be made to the treasurer of the United States, with a memorandum written or printed on the certificate of such bonds, and signed by the cashier, or some other officer of the association making the deposit, stating that it is held in trust for the association on whose behalf such transfer is made, and as security for the redemption and payment of the circulating notes delivered to such association; and no transfer of any such bonds by the treasurer shall be deemed valid, or of binding force and effect, unless sanctioned by the order or request of the comptroller of the currency upon the treasurer. It shall be the duty of the comptroller of the currency to keep in his office a book in which shall be entered the name of every association from whose account such transfer of bonds is made by the treasurer, and the name of the party to whom such transfer is made, unless such transfer is made in blank, in which case the fact shall be stated in said book, and in either case the par value of the bonds so transferred shall be entered therein; and it shall be the duty of the comptroller, immediately upon countersigning and entering the same, to advise by mail the association from whose account such transfer was made, the kind of bonds and the amount thereof so transferred. SEC. 22. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the comptroller of the currency to countersign and enter in the book, in the manner aforesaid, every transfer or assignment of any bonds held by the treasurer presented for his signature; and the comptroller shall have at all times during office hours access to the books of the treasurer, for the purpose of ascertaining the correctness of the transfer or assignment presented to him to countersign; and the treasurer shall have the like access to the book above mentioned, kept by the comptroller, during office hours to ascertain the correctness of the entries in the same. SEC. 23. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of either the president or cashier of every banking association having stocks deposited in the office of the treasurer of the United States, once or more in each fiscal year, and at such time or times during the ordinary business hours as said officer or officers may select, to examine and compare the bonds so pledged with the books of said Department, and, if found correct, to execute to the said treasurer a certificate setting forth the different kinds and the amounts thereof, and that the same are in the possession and custody of the treasurer at the date of such certificate. Such examination may be made by an agent of such association, duly appointed in writing for that purpose, whose certificate before mentioned shall be of like force and validity as if executed by such president or cashier. Associations to report quarterly to comptroller under oath. report. SEC. 24. And be it further enacted, That every association issuing circulating notes under the provisions of this act, shall make a quarterly report to the comptroller of the currency commencing on the first day of the quarter of the year next succeeding the organization of such association, and continuing on the first days of each succeeding quarter in every year thereafter, which report shall Contents of be verified by the oath or affirmation of the president and cashier, and all wilful false swearing in respect to such report shall be perjury, and subject to the punishment prescribed by law for such offence. The report hereby required shall be in the form prescribed by the comptroller, and shall contain a true statement of the condition of the association making such report, before the transaction of any business on the morning of the day specified, next preceding the date of such report, in respect of the following items and particulars, to wit: Loans and discounts, overdrafts due from banks, amount due from the directors of the association, real estate, specie, cash items, stocks, bonds, and promissory notes, bills of solvent banks, bills of suspended banks, loss and expense account, capital, circulation, profits, amount due to banks, amount due to individuals and corporations other than banks, amount due the treasurer of the United States, amount due to depositors on demand, amount due, not included under either of the above heads. And it shall be the duty of the comptroller to publish full abstracts of such reports together in two newspapers to be designated by him for that purpose, one in the city of Washington and the other in the city of New York, exhibiting the items of capital, circulation, and deposits, specie and cash items, public securities and private securities; and the separate report of each association shall be published in a newspaper published in the place where such association is established, or, if there be no newspaper at such place, then in a newspaper published at the capital of the State, at the expense of the association 92180 0-63-21 Abstracts of published. reports to be Separate re association to in local newspaper. ports of each be published |