Organization of as national banking associations. Mode of procedure. tion so designated as receiver or depositary of the public money shall take and receive at par all of the national currency bills, by whatever association issued, which have been paid into the government for internal revenue, or for loans or stocks. (SEC. 5154.) Any bank incorporated by special law, State banks or any banking institution organized under a general law of any State, may become a national association under this Title by the name prescribed in its organization certificate; and in such case the articles of association and the organization certificate may be executed by a majority of the directors of the bank or banking institution; and the certificate shall declare that the owners of two-thirds of the capital stock have authorized the directors to make such certificate, and to change and convert the bank or banking institution into a national association. A majority of the directors, after executing the articles of association and organization certificate, shall have power to execute all other papers, and to do whatever may be required to make its organization perfect and complete as a national association. The shares of any such bank may continue to be for the same amount each as they were before the conversion, and the directors may continue to be the directors of the association until others are elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter; and any State bank which is a stockholder in any other bank, by authority of State laws, may continue to hold its stock, although either bank, or both, may be organized under and have accepted the provisions of this Title. When the Comptroller of the Currency has given to such association a certificate, under his hand and official seal, that the provisions of this Title have been complied with, and that it is authorized to commence the business of banking, the association shall have the same powers and privileges, and shall be subject to the same duties, responsibilities, and rules, in all respects, as are prescribed for other associations originally organized as national banking associations, and shall be held and regarded as such an association. But no such association shall have a less capital than the amount prescribed for associations organized under this Title. To have the same rights liabilities, etc., as other national associations. Minimum capital. Reservation of rights of associa (SEC. 5155.) It shall be lawful for any bank or bank- State banks having ing association, organized under State laws, and having branches. branches, the capital being joint and assigned to and used by the mother-bank and branches in definite proportions, to become a national banking association in conformity with existing laws, and to retain and keep in operation its branches, or such one or more of them as it may elect to retain; the amount of the circulation redeemable at the mother-bank, and each branch, to be regulated by the amount of capital assigned to and used by each. (SEC. 5156.) Nothing in this Title shall affect any appointments made, acts done, or proceedings had or commenced prior to the third day of June, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, in or toward the organization of any national banking association under the act of February twenty-five, eighteen hundred and sixty-three; but all associations which, on the third day of June, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, were organized or commenced to be organized under that act, shall enjoy all the rights and privileges granted, and be subject to all the duties, liabilities, and restrictions imposed by this Title, notwithstanding all the steps prescribed by this Title for the organization of associations were not pursued, if such associations were duly organized under that act. tions organized under act of 1863. tion of associations for issuing gold-notes. (SEC. 5185.) Associations may be organized in the Organizamanner prescribed by this Title for the purpose of issuing notes payable in gold; and upon the deposit of any United States bonds bearing interest payable in gold with the Treasurer of the United States, in the manner prescribed for other associations, it shall be lawful for the Comptroller of the Currency to issue to the association making the deposit circulating notes of different denominations, but none of them of less than five dollars, and not exceeding in amount eighty per centum of the par value of the bonds deposited, which shall express the promise of the association to pay them, upon presentation at the office at which they are issued, in gold coin of the United States, and shall be so redeemable. (SEC. 5186.) Every association organized under the preceding section shall at all times keep on hand not less than twenty-five per centum of its outstanding cir Denominations of circulating notes, and bonds deposited. ratio of to Reserve required on circulation of goldbanks. Gold-notes to be received at par by all gold-banks. "Lawful money," how con strued for gold-banks. culation, in gold or silver coin of the United States; and shall receive at par in the payment of debts the goldnotes of every other such association which at the time of such payment is redeeming its circulating notes in gold coin of the United States, and shall be subject to all the provisions of this Title: Provided, That, in applying the same to associations organized for issuing gold-notes, the terms "lawful money" and "lawful money of the United States" shall be construed to mean gold or silver coin of the United States. What asso ciations are United States bonds defined. United States deposited before commencing business. CHAPTER II. OBTAINING AND ISSUING CIRCULATING NOTES. (SEC. 5157.) The provisions of chapters two, three and four* of this Title, which are expressed without restrictive words, as applying to "national banking associations," or to "associations," apply to all associations organized to carry on the business of banking under any act of Congress. as (SEC. 5158.) The term "United States bonds,' used throughout this chapter, shall be construed to mean registered bonds of the United States. (SEC. 5159.) Every association, after having combonds to be plied with the provisions of this Title, preliminary to the commencement of the banking business, and before it shall be authorized to commence banking business under this Title, shall transfer and deliver to the Treasurer of the United States any United States registered bonds, bearing interest, to an amount not less than thirty thousand dollars and not less than one third of the capital stock paid in. Such bonds shall be received by the Treasurer upon deposit, and shall be by him safely kept in his office, until they shall be otherwise disposed of, in pursuance of the provisions of this Title. Bonds to be increased проп (SEC. 5160.) The deposits of bonds made by each association shall be increased as its capital may be paid * Chapters II, III and IV of this compilation and of the Revised increase of capital. May be diminished upon reduction up or increased, so that every association shall at all times have on deposit with the Treasurer registered United States bonds to the amount of at least one third of its capital stock actually paid in. And any association that may desire to reduce its capital or to close up its business and dissolve its organization, may take up its of capital. bonds upon returning to the Comptroller its circulating notes in the proportion hereinafter required, or may take up any excess of bonds beyond one third of its capital stock, and upon which no circulating notes have been delivered. June 20, 1874. Provisions for retiring circulation and withdrawing bonds. That any association organized under this act, or any of the acts of which this is an amendment, desiring to withdraw its circulating notes, in whole or in part, may, upon the deposit of lawful money with the Treasurer of the United States in sums of not less than nine thousand dollars, take up the bonds which said association has on deposit with the Treasurer for the security of such circulating notes, which bonds shall be assigned to the bank in the manner specified in sections 5162 and 5163 of the Revised Statutes; and the outstanding notes of said association, to an amount equal to the legal tender notes deposited, shall be redeemed at the Treasury of the United States, and destroyed as now provided by law: Provided, that the amount of the bonds on deposit for Limit of circulation shall not be reduced below fifty thousand dollars. (SEC. 5161.) To facilitate a compliance with the two preceding sections, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to receive from any association, and cancel, any United States coupon bonds, and to issue in lieu thereof registered bonds of like amount, bearing a like rate of interest, and having the same time to run. withdrawal of bonds. Exchange of coupon for regis tered bonds. bonds to Treasurer. (SEC. 5162.) All transfers of United States bonds, Transfer of made by any association under the provisions of this Title, shall be made to the Treasurer of the United States in trust for the association, with a memorandum written or printed on each bond, and signed by the cashier, or some other officer of the association making the deposit. A receipt shall be given to the association by the Comptroller of the Currency, or by a clerk appointed by him Registry of transfers. Notice of transfer to be given to for that purpose, stating that the 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. (SEC. 5163.) The Comptroller of the Currency shall keep in his office a book in which he shall cause to be entered. immediately upon countersigning it, every transfer or assignment by the Treasurer, of any bonds belonging to a national banking association, presented for his signature. He shall state in such entry the name of the association from whose accounts the transfer is made, the name of the party to whom it is made, and the par value of the bonds transferred. (SEC. 5164.) The Comptroller of the Currency shall, immediately upon countersigning and entering any transassociation. fer or assignment by the Treasurer, of any bonds belonging to a national banking association, advise by mail the association from whose accounts the transfer is made, of the kind and numerical designation of the bonds, and the amount thereof so transferred. Comptroller to have access to bonds, and to books of Treasurer. Treasurer to have access to books of Comptroller. Annual examination of bonds by associations. (SEC. 5165.) The Comptroller of the Currency shall have at all times, during office hours, access to the books of the Treasurer of the United States for the purpose of ascertaining the correctness of any transfer or assignment of the bonds deposited by an association, presented to the Comptroller to countersign; and the Treasurer shall have the like access to the book mentioned in section fifty-one hundred and sixty-three, during office hours, to ascertain the correctness of the entries in the same; and the Comptroller shall also at all times have access to the bonds on deposit with the Treasurer, to ascertain their amount and condition. (SEC. 5166.) Every association having bonds deposited in the office of the Treasurer of the United States shall, once or oftener in each fiscal year, examine and compare the bonds pledged by the association with the books of the Comptroller of the Currency and with the accounts of the association, and, if they are found correct, to execute |