the circulation and redemption thereof," approved February 25, 1863, the following information is given:

1. The corporate name of these associations will be National Banks, and they will be designated as the First, Second, Third, etc., etc., National Bank of the place in which they may be located. Even where there is but one in a particular town, and no prospect of another, it will still be designated as the First National Bank.

2. Before a certificate is given by the controller authorizing an association organized under this law to commence the business of banking, according to the provisions of the 10th section of the act, such association will be required to transfer and deliver to the Treasurer of the United States interest-bearing bonds to an amount equal to not less than onethird of its capital stock paid in. Neither Certificates of Indebtedness, 7% Treasury Notes, nor any other evidence of temporary loan, are regarded as the "bonds" contemplated by the 4th section of the act.

3. On the certificate of each bond to be deposited with the Treasurer, as the basis of the National Currency to be issued thereon, there must be written or printed (to be signed by the president or cashier of the association deposting the same) substantially the following words:

"This bond is deposited with the Treasurer of the United States by the [here insert the No.] National Bank at [here insert the name of the place] in trust for said bank, and to secure the redemption and payment of the notes delivered to said bank, under the act of Congress entitled An act to provide a National Currency, secured by a pledge of United States stocks, and to provide for the circulation and redemption thereof,' approved February 25, 1863."

A description of the bonds just deposited will be entered upon the books of the Treasurer and on the books of the Controller, and the bonds will be kept in the fire-proof vaults of the Treasury.

With these precautions on the part of the National Banks and the proper officers of the government, it is difficult to conceive of any con tingency by which any loss or injury can result to the owners of bonds by reason of their having been deposited with the Treasurer.

4. The United States bonds held by the National Banks, and that part of their capital invested in these bonds, are, it is understood, exempt from National and State taxation. For the amount of National tax to which they will be subject on their circulation, and on their profits, and for license, reference is made to the laws of Congress relating to the internal revenue. The 19th section of the act is superseded by the 7th section of an act to provide ways and means for the support of the government, approved March 3, 1863.

5. Circulating notes of the highest style of engraving, and printed on the best quality of paper, will be furnished to the National Banks at the expense of the government, under the provisions of the act, at the earliest day practicable, and in the order in which the banks are organized. The notes will first be supplied to the associations organized under the act; and inasmuch as serious doubts seem to be entertained in regard to the power of Congress to enlarge or in any way to affect the privileges of corporations created by State authority, it may be deemed best to have these doubts removed by the opinion of the Attorney-General, or the decision of a competent court, before the National Currency is furnished to existing State banks, under the 62d section of the act.

6. Except in special cases, which in the judgment of the Controller, may render an actual examination necessary, the statement, under oath, of the president and cashier and a majority of the directors of the respective National Banks, setting forth the place of residence of the directors, and the amount of stock held and owned by each-the amount of capital actually paid in, and the fact that the requirements of the act have been fully and in good faith complied with-will be considered sufficent evidence to entitle the association to commence the business of banking; and on the receipt of such statement the Controller will give to the associations respectively the certificate contemplated by the 10th section of the act.

7. It is of the highest importance that in the organization of associations the requirements of the 6th section of the act should be fully complied with.

The right of a partner to seal and acknowledge for a copartner is at least questionable. It is therefore important, if partners unite in the preliminary certificate for the organization of a National Bank, that they should sign, seal, and acknowledge the same individually, and not as copartners. It is also desirable that the same rule should be observed in the articles of association.

8. The act provides that the preliminary certificate, with a copy of the articles of association which shall have been adopted, shall be forwarded to the Controller, etc. This would seem to indicate that these instruments should bear date about the same time, and, as near as may be, be

concurrent acts.

9. Section 11 of the act seems to require that the articles of association should limit or fix the time for which the association is to continue. The copy of the articles to be forwarded to the Controller should be certified to by some officer of the association as being a true copy.

10. The oath required to be taken and subscribed by the directors, duly certified by the officer administering the same, must be forwarded to the Controller before the certificate contemplated by the 10th section will be given. Whenever a new director or directors are elected, the oath taken and subscribed by him or them, and duly certified must also be forwarded to the Controller.

11. All erasures and interlineations are to be carefully avoided in the preliminary certificates and articles of association.

12. The names of the associates should be written in full in the preliminary certificate and articles of association.

13. The original articles of association will require a five cent stamp for each sheet of paper used, and the preliminary certificate a five-cent stamp.

14. Form of preliminary certificates, of articles of association, and of certificates to entitle the associations to commence the business of banking, will be furnished at this office. Forms of reports will also be furnished in due time.

GENERAL FORM OF ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION.

Articles of association entered into by and between the undersigned, for the purpose of organizing a banking association, to carry on the business of banking under the act of Congress, entitled "An act to provide a National

Currency, secured by a pledge of United States stocks, and to provide for the circulation and redemption thereof," approved February 25, 1863. 1. The name and title of this association shall be, The Bank of

of

2. The place of business of this association shall be at

National

in the State

3. The board of directors of this association shall consist of stockholders. The first meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors, shall be held at, on the day of, 186-.

4. The regular annual meetings of the stockholders for the election of directors, shall be on the second Tuesday of January of each year; but if for any cause an election shall not be held on that day, it may be held on some other day, according to the provisions of the 40th section of the act. 5. The capital stock of this association shall be thousand dollars;

but the same may be from time to time increased, subject to the limitations of the act, to any sum not exceeding - dollars; and in such increase of capital each stockholder shall have the privilege of subscribing for such number of shares of the proposed increase of stock as he may be entitled to, according to the number of shares owned by him before the increase is

made.

The shares of stock shall be one hundred dollars each.

6. The board of directors (two-thirds of whom shall be a quorum to do business) shall elect one of their number to be president, who shall hold his office, (unless he should become disqualified, or be sooner removed by a two-thirds vote of all the members of the board,) for the term for which he was elected a director; and they shall have power to appoint a cashier, and such other officers and clerks as may be required to transact the business of the association; to fix the salaries to be paid to them, and to define their respective duties; and to continue them in office or to dismiss them, as, in the opinion of a majority of the board, the interest of the association may demand. The board of directors shall, by their by-laws, specify by what officers of the association, or committees of the board, the regular banking business of the association shall be transacted, but no loan on real and personal security shall be made without the consent thereto of a majority of the directors.

The board of directors shall also have power to require bonds from the officers of the association, and to fix the penalty thereof; to regulate the manner in which elections of directors shall be held, and to appoint judges of the elections; to provide for an increase of the capital stock of this association, and the manner in which the increase shall be made; to make all by-laws that may be required to regulate the business of the association, and generally to do and perform all acts which are proper to be done by a board of directors, which are not inconsistent with these articles of association, and subject to the limitations and restrictions of the act of Congress under which this association is organized.

7. This association shall continue for the period of nineteen years, unless sooner dissolved by the act of a majority of the stockholders thereof.

8. These articles of association may be changed or amended at any time by a vote of stockholders owning a majority of the stock of the association, and any three stockholders may call a meeting of the stockholders for this

The expenditures for the next succeeding quarter, end

SOUTHERN POSTAL REVENUES.

The expenditures of the Post-office Department for the year which ended June 30, 1862, were....

The receipts for the same period were.

Excess of expenditure over receipts...

$2,924,290 48

1,911,189 05

$1,013,101 43

The law increasing postage to a uniform rate of ten cents a letter went into operation on the 1st July, 1862.

ing September 30, 1862, were....

Receipts for same quarter...

$789,571 77

717,191 60

Excess of expenditures over receipts....

$71,380 17

The receipts for the next succeeding quarter, ending
December 31, 1862, were

772,776 27

Expenditures for same quarter..

657,745 45

$115,020 82

$1,489,957 87

Excess of receipts for this quarter over the expenditures The total receipts for the first six months of the present fiscal year ....

Total expenditures for same period....

Excess of receipts over expenditures....

1,447,317 22

$42,640 65

In connection with the foregoing statement, we may mention that the Post-office Department has succeeded in procuring the manufacture, in this city, of a very handsome twenty-cent stamp. This stamp presents a very excellent likeness of General WASHINGTON, and is in all respects a credit to the engravers. The department is now filling orders for stamps of this denomination, which will increase the convenience of paying postage on double letters and packages, and will be found useful in the absence of specie and small notes as change.

APPROPRIATIONS OF THE LAST SESSION OF CONGRESS.

The following is the official recapitulation of the appropriations made at the last session of Congress :

Legislative executive, judicial, and miscellaneous..

Deficiencies for the legislative, executive, etc..

For the support of the army.....

Deficiency for the support of the army.
Fortifications....

Naval service...

Post-office Department.

Diplomatic and consular.

Invalid and other pensions
Indian Department...
Military Academy..

Total...

$12,478,445

1,093,252 729,861,898

108,732,745

6,850,000

89,848,205

12,930,000

1,260,544

7,685,300

2,131,885

183,394

$973,055,670

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.

DECISIONS OF TREASURY DEPARTMENT UNDER THE TARIFF ACT OF JULY 14, 1862.

THE following decisions have been made by the Secretary of the Treasury, of questions arising upon appeals by importers from the decisions of collectors, relating to the proper classification, under the tariff act of July 14, 1862, of certain articles of foreign manufacture and production entered at the ports of New York and San Francisco:

FLAX YARN.

Treasury Department, May 8, 1863. SIR: Messrs. SHAW & COFFIN have appealed from your decision assessing duty, at the rate of 35 per cent ad valorem, on certain "flax yarn" imported by them per "St. Andrew" and "Kersenese."

Messrs. SHAW & COFFIN claim to enter the article in question as "imported yarn of flax and jute, which we have always understood to be 20 per cent duty."

Under the 4th subdivision of section 14 of the act of March, 1861, a duty of 30 per cent is imposed; and under the 5th subdivision of section 10 of the act of July 14, 1862, an additional duty of 5 per cent is levied on "all other manufactures of flax, or of which flax shall be the component material of chief value, and not otherwise provided."

It thus appears your decision was strictly in accordance with the exing tariffs, and it is hereby affirmed.

I

am, very respectfully,

GEO. HARRINGTON, Acting Sec. of the Treasury.

HIRAM BARNEY, Collector, &c., N. Y.

CERTAIN BOOKS AND TRACTS.

Treasury Department, May 14, 1863. SIR: I have had under consideration your report on the application of WM. WARDLAW, Esq., for the admission, free of duty, of certain "books and tracts" imported by the Protestant Episcopal Society of New York city, for distribution among the Jews.

I do not consider books or other goods, imported by any society for the purpose of distribution, as coming within the provisions of the 23d section of the tariff act of March 2, 1861, admitting free of duty books and other articles "specially imported, in good faith, for the use of any society incorporated or established for philosophical, literary, or religious purposes," etc.

You will please notify Mr. WARDLAW to that effect, and return to him the papers which are herewith transmitted.

Very respectfully,

S. P. CHASE, Sec. of the Treasury. HIRAM BARNEY, Esq., Collector, New York.