# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 14/39th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 184

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CHAP. CLXXXIV. — An Act to reduce Internal Taxation and to amend an Act entitled "An Act to provide Internal Revenue to support the Government, to pay Interest on the Public Debt, and for other Purposes," approved June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and Acts amendatory thereof.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That on and after the first day of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, in lieu of the taxes on unmanufactured cotton,Unmanufactured cotton to pay a tax of three cents a pound. as provided in "An act to provide internal revenue to support the government, to pay interest on the public debt, and for other purposes," approved June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, as amended by the act of March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, there shall be paid by the producer, owner, or holder,By whom to be paid. upon all cotton produced within the United States, and upon which no tax has been levied, paid, or collected, a tax of three cents per pound, as hereinafter provided; and the weight of such cottonWeight, how ascertained. shall be ascertained by deducting four per centum for tare from the gross weight of each bale or package; and such tax shall be and remain a lien thereon,Tax a lien. in the possession of any person whomsoever from the time when this law takes effect, or such cotton is produced as aforesaid, until the same shall have been paid; and no drawback shall, in any case, be allowedNo drawback when, &c. on raw or unmanufactured cotton of any tax paid thereon when exported in the raw or unmanufactured condition. But no tax shall be imposed upon any cottonNo tax upon cotton imported. imported from other countries, and on which an import duty shall have been paid.
Tax, how levied and paid. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the aforesaid tax upon cotton shall be levied by the assessor on the producer, owner, or holder thereof. And said tax shall be paid to the collector of internal revenue within and for the collection district in which said cotton shall have been produced, and before the same shall have been removed therefrom, except where otherwise provided in this act;Collector to mark bales on which tax is paid, and give permit for removal. Permit to state what. and every collector to whom any tax upon cotton shall be paid shall mark the bales or other packages upon which the tax shall have been paid, in such manner as may clearly indicate the payment thereof, and shall give to the owner or other person having charge of such cotton a permit For the removal of the same, stating therein the amount and payment of the tax, the time and place of payment, and the weight and marks upon the bales and packages, so that the same may be fully identified; and it shall be the duty of every such collectorCollector to keep records of inspections and permits, and to make returns monthly. to keep clear and sufficient records of all such cotton inspected or marked, and of all marks and identifications thereof, and of all permits for the removal of the same, and of all his transactions relating thereto, and he shall make full returns thereof, monthly, to the commissioner of internal revenue.
Place to be designated where cotton may be brought to be weighed and marked. Revenue officers may go to mark cotton, if expenses are paid. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the commissioner of internal revenue is hereby authorized to designate one or more places in each collection district where an assessor or an assistant assessor and a collector or deputy collector shall be located, and where cotton may be brought for the purpose of being weighed and appropriately marked: Provided, That it shall be the duty of the assessor or assistant assessor and the collector or deputy collector to assess and cause to be properly marked the cotton, wherever it may be, in said district, provided their necessary travelling expenses to and from said designated place, for that purpose, be paid by the owners thereof.
Cotton weighed and marked, &c. may be removed to another district upon execution of transportation bonds, &c. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all cotton having been weighed and marked as herein provided, and for which permits shall have been duly obtained of the assessor, may be removed from the district in which it has been produced to any one other district, without prepayment of the tax due thereon, upon the execution of such transportation bonds or other security, and in accordance with such regulations as shall be prescribed by the commissioner of internal revenue, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. The said cotton so removed shall be ​deliveredCotton to be delivered to collector on arrival and kept until tax is paid, which must be in ninety days. to the collector of internal revenue or his deputy forthwith upon its arrival at its point of destination, and shall remain subject to his control until the taxes thereon, and any necessary charges of custody thereof, shall have been paid, but nothing herein contained shall authorize any delay of the payment of said taxes for more than ninety days from the date of the permits; and when cotton shall have been weighed and marked for which a permit shall have been granted without prepayment of the tax, it shall be the duty of the assessorAssessor to notify collector of permits granted when tax is not paid, &c. granting such permit to give immediate notice of such permit to the collector of internal revenue for the district to which said cotton is to be transported, and he shall also transmit therewith a statement of the taxes due thereon, and of the bonds or other securities for the payment thereof, and he shall make full returns and statements of the same to the commissioner of internal revenue.
Transportation of cotton from place of production, unless marked, &c., forbidden; Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be unlawful, from and after the first day of September, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, for the owner, master, supercargo, agent, or other person having charge of any vessel, or for any railroad company, or other transportation company, or for any common carrier, or other person, to convey, or attempt to convey, or transport any cotton, the growth or produce of the United States, from any point in the district in which it shallfrom any State in which cotton is produced to any other place without certificate, &c. have been produced, unless each bale or package thereof shall have attached to or accompanying it the proper marks or evidence of the payment of the revenue tax and a permit of the collector for such removal, or the permit of the assessor, as hereinbefore provided, under regulations of the commissioner of internal revenue, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, or to convey or transport any cotton from any State in which cotton is produced to any port or place in the United States without a certificate from the collector of internal revenue of the district from which it was brought, and such other evidence as the commissioner of internal revenue, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, may prescribe, that the tax has been paid thereon, or the permit of the assessor as hereinbefore provided, and such certificate and evidence as aforesaid shall be furnished to the collector of the district to which it is transported, and his permit obtained before landing, discharging, or delivering such cotton at the place to which it is transported as aforesaid. And any person or persons who shall violate the provisionsPenalty. of this act in this respect, or who shall convey or attempt to convey from any State in which cotton is produced to any port or place without the United States any cotton upon which the tax has not been paid,Fine. shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars for each bale of cotton so conveyed or transported, or attempted to be conveyed or transported,Imprisonment. or to imprisonment for not more than one year, or both; and all vessels and vehicles employed in suchVessels and vehicles and cotton forfeited. conveyance or transportation shall be liable to seizure and forfeiture, by proceedings in any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction. And all cotton so shipped or attempted to be shipped or transported without payment of the tax, or the execution of such transportation bonds or other security, as provided in this act, shall be forfeited to the United States, and the proceeds thereof distributed according to the statute in like cases provided.
Drawback upon manufactures exclusively of cotton. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That upon articles manufactured exclusively from cotton, when exported, there shall be allowed as a drawback an amount equal to the internal tax which shall have been assessed and paid upon such articles in their finished condition, and in addition thereto a drawback or allowanceAmount of drawback; of as many cents per pound upon the pound of cotton cloth, yarn, thread, or knit fabrics, manufactured exclusively from cotton and exported, as shall have been assessed and paid in the form of an internal tax upon the raw cotton entering into the manufacture of said cloth or other article,how to be ascertained. the amount of such allowance or drawback to be ascertained in such manner as may be prescribed by the ​commissioner of internal revenue, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury; and so much of section one hundred and seventy-one of the act of June thirty,Repeal of part of 1864, ch. 173, § 171. Vol. xii. p. 302. eighteen hundred and sixty-four, "To provide internal revenue to support the government, to pay interest on the public debt, and for other purposes," as now provides for a drawback on manufactured cotton, is hereby repealed.
Manufacturers of cotton in district of production to make monthly statements to assessor under oath. Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of every person, firm, or corporation, manufacturing cotton for any purpose whatever, in any district where cotton is produced, to return to the assessor or assistant assessor of the district in which such manufacture is carried on, a true statement in writing, signed by him, and verified by his oath or affirmation, on or before the tenth day of each month; and the first statement so rendered shall be on or beforeFirst statement when to be made and what to state. Subsequent statements. the tenth day of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and shall state the quantity of cotton which such manufacturer had on hand and unmanufactured, or in process of manufacture, on the first day of said month; and each subsequent statement shall show the whole quantity in pounds, gross weight, of cotton purchased or obtained, and the whole quantity consumed by him in any business or process of manufacture during the last preceding calendar month, and the quantity and character of the goods manufactured therefrom; and every such manufacturer or consumer shall keep a book,Books to be kept and entries made therein; in which he shall enter the quantity, in pounds, of cotton which he has on hand on the first day of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and each quantity or lot purchased or obtained by him thereafter; the time when and the party or parties from whom the same was obtained; the quantity of said cotton, if any, which is the growth of the collection district where the same is manufactured; the quantity, if any, which has not been weighed and marked by any officer herein authorized to weigh and mark the same; the quantity, if any, upon which the tax had not been paid, so far as can be ascertained, before the manufacture thereof; and also the quantities used or disposed of by him from time to time in any process of manufacture or otherwise, and the quantity and character of the product thereof, which book shall, at all times during business hours,to be open to the inspection of revenue officers. be open to the inspection of the assessor, assistant assessors, collector or deputy collectors of the district, inspectors, or of revenue agents; and such manufacturer shall pay monthly to the collector,Tax to be paid monthly. within the time prescribed by law, the tax herein specified, subject to no deductions, on all cotton so consumed by him in any manufacture, and on which no excise tax has previously been paid; and every such manufacturer or person whose duty it is so to do,Penalty for neglecting to make returns or keep books, or making false returns, &c.; cotton, &c. to be forfeited; fine, or imprisonment. who shall neglect or refuse to make such returns to the assessor, or to keep such book, or who shall make false or fraudulent returns, or make false entries in such book, or procure the same to be so done, in addition to the payment of the tax to be assessed thereon, shall forfeit to the United States all cotton and all products of cotton in his possession, and shall be liable to a penalty of not less than one thousand nor more than five thousand dollars, to be recovered with costs of suit, or to imprisonment not exceeding two years, in the discretion of the court; and any person or persons who shall make any false oath or affirmationFalse oath, &c., in this matter to be perjury. in relation to any matter or thing herein required shall be guilty of perjury, and shall be subject to the punishment prescribed by existing statutes for that offence: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construedTax on manufactured goods not affected. in any manner to affect the liability of any person for any tax imposed by law on the goods manufactured from such cotton.
Provisions of law concerning the collection, &c., of taxes, &c., applicable to the tax on cotton, &c Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of the act of June thirty, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, as amended by the act of March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, relating to the assessment of taxes and enforcing the collection of the same, and all proceedings and remedies relating thereto, shall apply to the assessment and collection of the tax, fines, and penalties imposed by, and not inconsistent with, the provi​sions of the preceding sections of this act; and the commissioner of internal revenue, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall make all necessary rules and regulationsRules and regulations. for ascertaining the weight of all cotton to be assessed, and for appropriately marking the same, and generally for carrying into effect the foregoing provisions. And the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to appoint allAppointment of inspectors, weighers, and markers, &c. necessary inspectors, weighers, and markers of cotton, whose compensation shall be determined by the commissioner of internal revenue, and paid in the same manner as inspectors of tobacco are paid.
Amendments to act of 1864, ch. 173. Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the act entitled "An act to provide internal revenue to support the government, to pay interest on the public debt, and for other purposes," approved June thirty, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, as amended by the act of March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, be, and the same is hereby, amended as follows, viz:
Section 5. Penalty upon inspectors, &c. for extortion or oppression. That section five be amended by adding thereto the following: And any inspector, or revenue agent, or any special agent appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall demand or receive any compensation, fee, or reward, other than such as are provided by law for, or in regard to, the performance of his official duties, or shall be guilty of any extortion or wilful oppression in the discharge of such duties, shall, upon conviction thereof in any circuit or district court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, be subject to a fineFine; imprisonment; dismissal from office; disqualification, &c. of not exceeding one thousand dollars, or to imprisonment for not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court, and shall be dismissed from office, and shall be forever disqualified from holding any office under the government of the United States. And one half of the fine so imposedOne half of fine to the United States and one half to informer. shall be for the use of the United States, and the other half for the use of the person, to be ascertained by the judgment of the court, who shall first give the information whereby any such fine may be imposed.
Section 8. That section eight be amended by striking out of said section all after the words "until an appointment filling the vacancy shall be made."
Section 14. That section fourteen be amended by striking out all after the enacting clause, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: That in case any person shall be absent from his or her residence or place of business at the time an assistant assessor shall call for the annual list or return, and no annual list or return has been renderedAssistant assessors when to notify persons to render lists. by such person to the assistant assessor as required by law, it shall be the duty of such assistant assessor to leave at such place of residence or business, with some one of suitable age and discretion, if such be present, otherwise to deposit in the nearest post office, a note or memorandum, addressed to such person, requiring him or her to render to such assistant assessor the list or return required by law within ten days from the date of such note or memorandum, verified by oath or affirmation. AndIf persons neglect to render lists, or render false lists, assessor may summon them to appear, produce books, &c. if any person, on being notified or required as aforesaid, shall refuse or neglect to render such list or return within the time required as aforesaid, or if any person without notice, as aforesaid, shall not deliver a monthly or other list or return at the time required by law, or if any person shall deliver or disclose to any assessor or assistant assessor any list, statement, or return which, in the opinion of the assessor, is false or fraudulent, or contains any understatement or undervaluation, it shall be lawful for the assessor to summon such person, his agent, or other person having possession, custody, or care of books of account containing entries relating to the trade or business of such person, or any other person he may deem proper, to appear before such assessor and produce such book, at a time and place therein named, and to give testimony or answer interrogatories under oath or affirmation respecting any objects liable to tax as aforesaid, or the lists, statements, or returns thereof, or any trade, business, or profession liable to any tax as aforesaid. AndAssessor may summon witnesses. the assessor may summon, as aforesaid, any person residing or found within the State in which his district is situated. And when the person in​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​