United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/25th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 2
Chap. II.—An Act to authorize the issue of Treasury Notes.[1]
The President to cause Treasury notes to be issued, for not exceeding $10,000,000, and not of less denomination than $50.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized to cause Treasury notes for such sum or sums as the exigencies of the Government may require, but not exceeding in the whole amount of notes issued, the sum of ten millions of dollars, and of denominations not less than fifty dollars for any one note, to be prepared, signed, and issued in the manner hereinafter provided.
Notes to be reimbursed and redeemed after the expiration of one year.Notes to bear such interest as is expressed on their face.
Interest in no case to exceed the rate of six per cent.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said Treasury notes, authorized to be issued by the first section of this act, shall be reimbursed and redeemed by the United States, at the Treasury thereof, after the expiration of one year from the dates of the said notes respectively; from which said dates, for the term of one year, and no longer, they shall bear such interest as shall be expressed upon the face of the said notes; which rate of interest upon each several issue of the said notes shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury, by and with the advice and approbation of the President; but shall in no case exceed the rate of interest of six per centum per annum. The reimbursement herein provided for shall be made at the Treasury of the United States to the holders of the said notes respectively, upon presentment, and shall include the principal of each note, and the interest which may be due thereon at the time of payment. For this reimbursement, at the time and times herein specified, the faith of the United States is hereby solemnly pledged.
The Treasury notes to be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the Register of the Treasury.
Those officers to act as checks upon each other.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said Treasury notes shall be prepared under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, and shall be signed, on behalf of the United States, by the Treasurer thereof, and countersigned by the Register of the Treasury; and that those officers respectively shall, as checks upon each other, and to secure the public safety, keep separate, full, and accurate accounts of the number, date, denomination, and amount of all the notes signed and countersigned by them respectively; which said accounts shall be carefully preserved and placed on file in the Treasury Department; and, also, similar accounts, kept and preserved in the same manner of all the said notes redeemed, as the same shall be returned and cancelled; and the TreasurerThe Treasurer to account quarterly.
The Treasurer and Register authorized to employ additional clerks. shall further account quarterly for all such notes delivered to him for signature or issue by the Register. The Treasurer and Register of the Treasury are hereby authorized, by and with the consent and approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury, to employ such additional temporary clerks as the duties enjoined upon them by this section may render necessary: Provided, Said number shall not exceed four, and with a salary of not more than at the rate of twelve hundred dollars to each per annum.
The Secretary of the Treasury to cause a portion of said notes to be issued in payment of debts to such as choose to receive them, &c.
The Secretary of the Treasury authorized, &c. to borrow on the credit of the notes, &c.
The notes transferable by delivery and assignment, &c.
The Treasury notes to be received in payment of duties, taxes, public lands, &c.
On every payment of Treasury notes, credit to be given for principal and interest, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to cause to be issued such portion of the said Treasury notes as the President may think expedient, in payment of debts due by the United States to such public creditors of other persons as may choose to receive such notes in payment, as aforesaid, at par. And the Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to borrow, from time to time, not under par, such sums as the President may think expedient, on the credit of such notes.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the said Treasury notes shall be transferable by delivery and assignment endorsed thereon, by the person to whose order the same shall, on the face thereof, have been made payable.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the said Treasury notes shall be received in payment of all duties and taxes laid by the authority of the United States, of all public lands sold by the said authority, and of all debts to the United States, of any character whatsoever, which may be due and payable at the time when said Treasury notes may be so offered in payment. And on every such payment, credit shall be given for the amount of the principal and interest which, on the day of such payment, may be due on the note or notes thus given in payment.
Persons making payment to the United States in Treasury notes, into the hands of a collector, &c. to give duplicate certificates, &c.
The collector, on payment, &c. to receive credit, &c.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That any person making payment to the United States in such Treasury notes, into the hands of any collector, receiver of public moneys, or other public officer or agent, shall, on books kept according to such forms as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, give duplicate certificates of the number and respective amount of principal and interest of each and every Treasury note thus paid by such person; and every collector, receiver of public moneys, or other public officer or agent, who shall thus receive any of the said Treasury notes in payment, shall, on payment of the same, receive credit both for principal and interest computed as aforesaid, which on the day of such last mentioned payment shall appear due on the note or notes thus paid in, and he shall be charged for the interest accrued on such note or notes from the day on which the same shall have been received by him in payment as aforesaid, to the day on which the same shall be paid by him as aforesaid.
Secretary of the Treasury authorized to cause to be reimbursed and paid, the principal and interest of the Treasury notes.
Appropriation to pay Treasury notes.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to cause to be reimbursed and paid the principal and interest of the Treasury notes which may be issued by virtue of this act, at the several time and times when the same, according to the provisions of this act, should be thus reimbursed and paid. And the said Secretary is further authorized to make purchases of the said notes, at par, for the amount of the principal and interest due at the time of purchase on such notes. And so much of any unappropriated money in the Treasury as may be necessary for that purpose, is hereby appropriated, for paying the principal and interest of said notes.
Appropriation.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That a sum not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, to be paid out of any unappropriated money in the Treasury, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, for defraying the expense of preparing, printing, engraving, signing, and otherwise incident to the issuing of the Treasury notes authorized by this act.
Punishment for forging of notes.Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged, or counterfeited, or willingly aid or assist in falsely making, forging, or counterfeiting, any note, in imitation of, or purporting to be, a Treasury note aforesaid; or shall falsely alter, or cause or procure to be falsely altered, or willingly aid or assist in falsely altering any Treasury note issued as aforesaid; or shall pass, utter, or publish, or attempt to pass, utter, or publish, as true, any false, forged, or counterfeited note, purporting to be a Treasury note as aforesaid, knowing the same to be falsely forged or counterfeited, or shall pass, utter, or publish, or attempt to pass, utter, or publish, as true, any falsely altered Treasury note, issued as aforesaid, knowing the same to be falsely altered, every such person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and being thereof convicted by due course of law, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned, and kept to hard labour, for a period not less than three years, not more than ten years, and be fined in a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars.
Punishment for engraving notes.Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall make or engrave, or cause or procure to be made or engraved, or shall have in his custody or possession any metallic plate, engraved after the similitude of any plate from which any notes issued as aforesaid shall have been printed, with intent to use such plate, or to cause or suffer the same to be used in forging or counterfeiting any of the notes issued as aforesaid; or shall have in his custody or possession any blank note or notes engraved and printed after the similitude of any notes issued as aforesaid, with intent to use such blanks, or cause or suffer the same to be used in forging or counterfeiting any of the notes issued as aforesaid; or shall have in his custody or possession any paper adapted to the making of notes, and similar to the paper upon which any such notes shall have been issued, with intent to use such paper, or cause or suffer the same to be used in forging or counterfeiting any of the notes issued as aforesaid; every such person, being thereof convicted by due course of law, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned, and kept to hard labour, for a term not less than three nor more than ten years, and be fined in a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars.
The Secretary of the Treasury authorized to make and issue such rules and regulations as he may deem proper to all persons authorized to receive Treasury notes on behalf of the United States.
Proviso.Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to make and issue, from time to time, such instructions, rules, and regulations to the several collectors, receivers of public money, depositories, and all others who may be authorized to receive the said Treasury notes on behalf of and as agents in any capacity for the United States, as to the safe keeping, disposition, return, and cancelling of the said notes so paid to and received by them respectively, and as to their accounts and returns to the Department of all such receipts as may seem to him best calculated to promote the public interests and convenience, and secure the United States and the holders of the said notes against fraud and losses. Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to reissue any of said notes, but upon the return of the said notes or any of them to the Treasury, the same shall be cancelled.
Secretary of the Treasury to cause a monthly statement to be published.
Power conferred by this act to determine on the 31st December, 1838.Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That it shall be, and hereby is, made the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to cause a statement to be published monthly, of the amount of all Treasury notes issued or redeemed, in pursuance of the provisions of this act; and that the power to issue Treasury notes conferred on the President of the United States by this act, shall cease and determine on the thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight.
Approved, October 12, 1837.
- ↑ Notes of the acts which have been passed relative to the issuing of Treasury notes, vol. 2, 766.