The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-27
Interna, Reyerne neciaions.

The following decisions were made by
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue du-
ring last week:
Carriages, when not specially exempted,
are taxable at the rate Of five per cent. on
their entire value. No deduction is al.
lowed for the cost of springs or other ar
ticles used in their manufacture. Springs,
bolts, and nearly all the other articles that
enter into the construction of a carriage
are exempt, except as part Of the finish
ed carriage. Looking glass frames are
liable to tax Of five per cent. on their
entire value. If the manufacturer puts
the looking glass into the frame, and sells
the frame and glass together, he is allowed
to deduct from his gross sales the cost of
the glass, provided tax or duty has been
previously paid on it. Sheet copper,
zinc, and iron, are exempt. Bath-tubs
lined with sheet copper, &c., are taxable on
their entire value without deduction for
costof materials used in their manufacture.
Castings of iron are to be taxed by the
ton, but bells for churches, &C., are taxed
at the rate of five per cent. on their value.
The act of July Is, 1865, exempts from
tax, books, maps, charts, and all other
printed matter, and book binding. Under
this provision diaries and memorandum
books are exempt, but pocket-books in.
tended as receptacles for money and valu-
able papers are not regarded as books
within the meaning of the law, and are
liable to an ad ualorem tax Of five per
cent. A power Of attorney or proxy for
voting at any election for officers in any
incorporated company or society, except
religious, charitable, or literary societies,
is subject to a stamp tax of ten cents.
When several stockholders who are the
owners Of distinct shares sign q power Of
attorney, each authorizing person to act
for him, the instrument is to be regarded
as the separate power of each, and should
be stamped accordingly. If the power re-
lates to general business, and not merely
to the election Of officers, it should be
stamped at the rate Of fifty cents
for each signer, whether it is to be used
at the elections Of the societies, &c., above
named, or not. The payment of a penalty
for the purpose of having an instrument
properly stamped by collector relieves
no one from his liability to indictment or
other legal proceedings for issuing it with
out the necessary stamp with intent to de-
fraud the revenue. Neither does the pay
ment of penalty imposed by the court
for wilful neglect to stamp an instrument
make the instrument valid. The two pc
nalties are entirely distinct. The pay
ment Of the one is voluntary, that of the
other compulsory and the payment of one
does not relieve from the necessity or liza
bility of the payment of the other. The
Commissioner of Internal Revenue has no
authority to remit a penalty for failure to
stamp an instrument. This power is vested
only in the collector, or in the deputy
acting as collector, under sections 80 or
40. The collectors authority to make the
remission ceases at the expiration Of twelve
calendar months from the issue Of the in
strument, and the payment of the penalty
then becomes an absolute condition prece-
dent to the affixing Of the stamp, and is
as essential to the validity of the instru-
ment as is the stamp itself. The latter
part of section 81 so far modifies the
former part of the same section as to vest
in the collector Of the district discretion
to require tobacconist to give new bond
in an increased amount, and when a new
bond is required, the number of machines
used is not conclusive as to the amount for
which the new bond is to be given.