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Management.

Officers.

Executive committee.

Powers.

Additional bank circulation,

Securities for, to be deposited with association.

Application to Comptroller of the Currency.

Secretary of the Treasury may direct issue.

Provisos.
Amount on
State, etc.,
bonds.

Limit as to commercial paper.

ration with respect to the assertion of all rights in favor of or against such association. The affairs of the association shall be managed by a board consisting of one representative from each bank. By-laws for the government of the association shall be made by the board, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. A president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and an executive committee of not less than five members, shall be elected by the board. The powers of such board, except in the election of officers and making of by-laws, may be exercised through its executive committee.

The national currency association herein provided for shall have and exercise any and all powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, namely, to render available, under the direction and control of the Secretary of the Treasury, as a basis for additional circulation any securities, including commercial paper, held by a national banking association. For the purpose of obtaining such additional circulation, any bank belonging to any national currency association, having circulating notes outstanding secured by the deposit of bonds of the United States to an amount not less than forty per centum of its capital stock, and which has its capital unimpaired and a surplus of not less than twenty per centum, may deposit with and transfer to the association, in trust for the United States, for the purpose hereinafter provided, such of the securities above mentioned as may be satisfactory to the board of the association. The officers of the association may thereupon, in behalf of such bank, make application to the Comptroller of the Currency for an issue of additional circulating notes to an amount not exceeding seventy-five per centum of the cash value of the securities or commercial paper so deposited. The Comptroller of the Currency shall immediately transmit such application to the Secretary of the Treasury with such recommendation as he thinks proper, and if, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, business conditions in the locality demand additional circulation, and if he be satisfied with the character and value of the securities proposed and that a lien in favor of the United States on the securities so deposited and on the assets of the banks composing the association will be amply sufficient for the protection of the United States, he may direct an issue of additional circulating notes to the association, on behalf of such bank, to an amount in his discretion, not, however, exceeding seventy-five per centum of the cash value of the securities so deposited: Provided, That upon the deposit of any of the State, city, town, county, or other municipal bonds, of a character described in section three of this Act, circulating notes may be issued to the extent of not exceeding ninety per centum of the market value of such bonds so deposited: And provided further, That no national banking association shall be authorized in any event to

issue circulating notes based on commercial paper in excess of thirty per centum of its unimpaired capital and surplus. The term "commercial paper" shall be held to include only notes representing actual commercial transactions, which when accepted by the association shall bear the names of at least two responsible parties and have not exceeding four months to run.

"Commercial designated.

paper"

Liability of redemption.

association for

Lien created.

tween members.

Additional, or securities.

exchange of

The banks and the assets of all banks belonging to the association shall be jointly and severally liable to the United States for the redemption of such additional circulation; and to secure such liability the lien created by section fifty-two hundred and thirty of the Revised Statutes shall extend to and cover the assets of all banks belonging to the association, and to the securities deposited by the banks with the association pursuant to the provisions of this Act; but as between the several banks composing such association each bank shall be liable Liability be only in the proportion that its capital and surplus bears to the aggregate capital and surplus of all such banks. The association may, at any time, require of any of its constituent banks a deposit of additional securities or commercial paper, or an exchange of the securities already on deposit, to secure such additional circulation; and in case of the failure of such bank to make such deposit or exchange the association may, after ten days' notice to the bank, sell the securities and paper already in its hands at public sale, and deposit the proceeds with the Treasurer of the United States as a fund for the redemption of such additional circulation. If such fund be insufficient for that purpose the association may recover from the bank the amount of the deficiency by suit in the circuit court of the United States, and shall have the benefit of the lien hereinbefore provided for in favor of the United States upon the assets of such bank. The association or the Secretary of the Treasury may permit or require the withdrawal of any such securities or commercial paper and the substitution of other securities or commercial paper of equal value therefor.

Sale of

securities held,

on failure.

proposed

Suit if sum redeem notes.

insufficient to

Withdrawal

and substitution permitted.

Action if

members fail

to maintain redemption fund.

SEC. 2. That whenever any bank belonging to a national currency association shall fail to preserve or make good its redemption fund in the Treasury of the United States, required by section three of the Act of June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, chapter three hundred and forty-three, and the provisions of this Act, the Treasurer of the United States shall notify such national currency association to make good such redemption fund, and upon the failure of such national currency Use of fund of association to make good such fund, the Treasurer of the United States may, in his discretion, apply so much of the redemption fund belonging to the other banks composing such national currency association as may be

other members.

Association to sell securities of defaulting bank.

Deposits of proceeds for redemption of notes.

Additional circulation by banks, on other than United States bonds.

Application to
Comptroller.

Approval by Secretary of the Treasury.

necessary for that purpose; and such national currency association may, after five days' notice to such bank, proceed to sell at public sale the securities deposited by such bank with the association pursuant to the provisions of section one of this Act, and deposit the proceeds with the Treasurer of the United States as a fund for the redemption of the additional circulation taken out by such bank under this Act.

SEC. 3. That any national banking association which has circulating notes outstanding, secured by the deposit of United States bonds to an amount of not less than forty per centum of its capital stock, and which has a surplus of not less than twenty per centum, may make application to the Comptroller of the Currency for authority to issue additional circulating notes to be secured by the deposit of bonds other than bonds of the United States. The Comptroller of the Currency shall transmit immediately the application, with his recommendation, to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall, if in his judgment business conditions in the locality demand additional circulation, approve the same, and shall determine the time of issue and fix the amount, within the limitations herein imposed, of the additional circulating notes to be issued. Whenever after receiving notice of such with Treasurer. approval any such association shall deposit with the Treasurer or any assistant treasurer of the United States such of the bonds described in this section as shall be approved in character and amount by the Treasurer of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury, it shall be entitled to receive, upon the order of the Comptroller of the Currency, circulating notes in blank, registered and countersigned as provided by law, not exceeding in amount ninety per centum of the market value, but not in excess of the par value of any bonds so deposited, such market value to be ascertained and determined under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury.

Issue on de

posit of bonds

Not to exceed 90 per cent of market value.

Bonds of

States, cities,

Conditions as to city, etc., bonds.

The Treasurer of the United States, with the approval etc., acceptable. of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall accept as security for the additional circulating notes provided for in this section, bonds or other interest-bearing obligations of any State of the United States, or any legally authorized bonds issued by any city, town, county, or other legally constituted municipality or district in the United States which has been in existence for a period of ten years, and which for a period of ten years previous to such deposit has not defaulted in the payment of any part of either principal or interest of any funded debt authorized to be contracted by it, and whose net funded indebtedness does not exceed ten per centum of the valuation of its taxable property, to be ascertained by the last preceding valuation of property for the assessment of taxes. The Treasurer of the United States, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall accept, for the purposes

Discretion of
Treasurer.

of this section, securities herein enumerated in such proportions as he may from time to time determine, and he may with such approval at any time require the deposit of additional securities, or require any association to change the character of the securities already on deposit.

title in trust.

Treasurer.

SEC. 4. That the legal title of all bonds, whether coupon Transfer of or registered, deposited to secure circulating notes issued in accordance with the terms of section three of this Act shall be transferred to the Treasurer of the United States in trust for the association depositing them, under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. A receipt shall be given to the association by the Treas- Receipts from urer or any assistant treasurer of the United States, stating that such bond is held in trust for the association on whose behalf the transfer is made, and as security for the redemption and payment of any circulating notes that have been or may be delivered to such association. No assignment or transfer of any such bond by the Treasurer shall be deemed valid unless countersigned by the Comptroller of the Currency. The provisions of sections fiftyone hundred and sixty-three, fifty-one hundred and sixtyfour, fifty-one hundred and sixty-five, fifty-one hundred and sixty-six, and fifty-one hundred and sixty-seven and sections fifty-two hundred and twenty-four to fifty-two hundred and thirty-four, inclusive, of the Revised Statutes respecting United States bonds deposited to secure circulating notes shall, except as herein modified, be applicable to all bonds deposited under the terms of section three of this Act.

SEC. 5. That the additional circulating notes issued under this Act shall be used, held, and treated in the same way as circulating notes of national banking associations heretofore issued and secured by a deposit of United States bonds, and shall be subject to all the provisions of law affecting such notes except as herein expressly modified: Provided, That the total amount of circulating notes outstanding of any national banking association, including notes secured by United States bonds as now provided by law, and notes secured otherwise than by deposit of such bonds, shall not at any time exceed the amount of its unimpaired capital and surplus: And provided further, That there shall not be outstanding at any time circulating notes issued under the provisions of this Act to an amount of more than five hundred millions of dollars.

SEC. 6. That whenever and so long as any national banking association has outstanding any of the additional circulating notes authorized to be issued by the provisions of this Act it shall keep on deposit in the Treasury of the United States, in addition to the redemption fund required by section three of the Act of June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, an additional sum equal to five per centum of such additional circula

Assignments.
Custody, etc.,

of bonds.

Status of culating notes.

additional cir

Provisos.

Limit of issue

of notes by

banks.

Maximum of notes.

additional

fund.

Redemption Special readditional circulation.

quirement for

Proportional assignment of additional circulation to States.

Proviso. Emergency assignments.

Information, etc., as to acceptable securities.

Tax on circulation.

Secured by two per cent bonds.

By bonds of higher interest.

tion at any time outstanding, such additional five per centum to be treated, held, and used in all respects in the same manner as the original redemption fund provided for by said section three of the Act of June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four.

SEC. 7. In order that the distribution of notes to be issued under the provisions of this act shall be made as equitable as practicable between the various sections of the country, the Secretary of the Treasury shall not approve applications from associations in any State in excess of the amount to which such State would be entitled if the additional notes herein authorized on the basis of the proportion which the unimpaired capital and surplus of the national banking associations in such State bears to the total amount of unimpaired capital and surplus of the national banking associations of the United States: Provided, however, That in case the applications from associations in any State shall not be equal to the amount which the associations of such State would be entitled to under this method of distribution, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, to meet an emergency, assign the amount not thus applied for to any applying association or associations in States in the same section of the country.

SEC. 8. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to obtain information with reference to the value and character of the securities authorized to be accepted under the provisions of this act, and he shall from time to time furnish information to national banking associations as to such securities as would be acceptable under the provisions of this act.

SEC. 9. That section fifty-two hundred and fourteen of the Revised Statutes, as amended, be further amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 5214. National banking associations having on deposit bonds of the United States, bearing interest at the rate of two per centum per annum, including the bonds issued for the construction of the Panama Canal, under the provisions of section eight of 'An Act to provide for the construction of a canal connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,' approved June twentyeighth, nineteen hundred and two, to secure its circulating notes, shall pay to the Treasurer of the United States, in the months of January and July, a tax of onefourth of one per centum each half year upon the average amount of such of its notes in circulation as are based upon the deposit of such bonds; and such associations having on deposit bonds of the United States bearing interest at a rate higher than two per centum per annum shall pay a tax of one-half of one per centum each half year upon the average amount of such of its notes in circulation as are based upon the deposit of such bonds.

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