Year: 1863

An act to provide national currency, Sc


cured by pledge of United States Stocks,


and to provide for the Circulation and Re-


dcmption thereof.


Be ii enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives. ofHe UMied States ot liner
ira in C0ngress assembled, That there shall
be established in the Treasury Department a
separate bureau, which shall be charged with
the execution of this and all other laws that
may be passed by Congress respecting the
issue and regulation of national currency
secured by United States bonds. The chief
officer of said bureau shall be dcnomnated
the comptroller of the currency. and shall be
under the general direction of the Secretary
of the Treasury. He shall be appointed by
the President. on the nomination Of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, by and with the adj
vice and consent of the Senate, and shall
hold his Office for the term of five years un-
less sooner removed by the President, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate !;
he shall receive an annual salary of five
tho sand dollars: he shall have competent
deputy, appointed by the Secretary, whose
sal,ry shall be two thousand five hundred
dollars, and who shall! possess the power and
perform the duties attached by law to the Of
fec of comptroller during a vacancy in such
Office, and during his absence or inability ::
he shall employ, from time to time. the nee
cssary clerks to discharge such duties as he
shall direct, which clerks shall be appointed
and classified by the Secretary of the Treas-
ury in the manner now provided by law.
Within fifteen days from the time of notice
of his appointment, the comptroller shall
take and subscribe the oath of office pre-
scribed by the Constitution and laws of the
United States: and he shall give to the Uni
ted States bond in the penalty of ono hun
drcd thousand dollars, with not less than two
responsible frccholdcrs as surctics, to be ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Treasury,
conditioned for the faithful discharge of the
duties of his Office. The deputy comptroller
so appointed shall also take the oath of office
prescribed by the Constitution and laws of
the United States, and shall give like bond
in the penalty of fifty thousand dollars. The
comptroller and deputy comptroller shall not,
either directly or indirectly, be interested in
any association issuing national currency un-
der the provisions of this act.


Sec. 2. ind bc 1t .farthcr cuacted, That
the comptroller of the currency, with the
approval of the Secretary Of the Treasury.
shall devise seal, with suitable, inscriptions,
for his Office, description of which, with a
certificate of approval by the Secretary of
the Treasury, shall be fled in the Office of
the Secretary of State with an impression
thereof, which shall thcrcupon become the
seal of Office of the comptroller of the cur
rency, and the same may be renewed when
necessary. Every certificate, assignment,
and conveyance executed by the comptroller,
in pursuance of any authority conferred on
him by law, and sealed with his seal of Office,
shall be received in evidence in all places
and courts whatsoever and all copies of
papers in the office of the comptrollrr, ccrti-
fed by him and authenticated by the said
seal, shall in all cases be evidence equally
and in like manner as the original. An i'm
preston of such seal directly on the paper
shall be as valid as if made on wax or wa
fcrs


Sec. 3. Ind Lr IL further enacted, That
there shall be assigned to the comptroller of
the currency by the Secretary of the Treas
ury suitable rooms in the treasury building
tor conducting the business of the currency
bureau, in which shall be safe and secure
iirc-proof vaults, in which it shall be the
duty of the comptroller to deposit and safely
Keep all the plates and other valuable things
belonging to his department; and the comp
troller shall from time to time furnish the
necessary furniture, stationery, fuel, lights,
and other proper conve nienccs for the trans
action Of the said business.


Sec. 4. Amd he 1t further enacted, That
the term &C United States bonds," as used in
this act, shall be construed to mean all cou-
pom and registered bonds now issued or that