Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

of capital stock issued, the amounts paid therefor, and the manner of payment for the same; the dividends paid, the surplus fund, if any, and the number of stockholders; the funded and floating debts and the interest paid thereon; the cost and value of the carrier's property, franchises, and equipment; the number of employees and the salaries paid each class; the amounts expended for improvements each year, how expended, and the character of such improvements; the earnings and receipts from each branch of business and from all sources; the operating and other expenses; the balances of profit and loss; and a complete exhibit of the financial operations of the carrier each year, including an annual balance-sheet. Such reports shall also contain such information in relation to rates or regulations concerning fares or freights, or agreements, arrangements, or contracts with other common carriers, as the Commission may require; and the said Commission may, within its discretion, for the purpose of enabling it the better to carry out the purposes of this act, prescribe (if in the opinion of the Commission it is practicable to prescribe such uniformity and methods of keeping accounts) a period of time within which all common carriers subject to the provisions of this act shall have, as near as may be, a uniform system of accounts, and the manner in which such accounts shall be kept.

[blocks in formation]

SEC. 22. That nothing in this act shall apply to the carriage, storage, or handling of property free or at reduced rates for the United States, State, or municipal governments, or for charitable purposes, or to or from fairs and expositions for exhibition thereat, or the issuance of mileage, excursion, or commutation passenger tickets nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit any common carrier from giving reduced rates to ministers of religion; nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent railroads from giving free carriage to their own officers and employees, or to prevent the principal officers of any railroad company or companies from exchanging passes or tickets with other railroad companies for their officers and employees; and nothing in this act contained shall in any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at common law or by statute, but the provisions of this act are in addition to such remedies: Provided, That no pending litigation shall in any way be affected by this act.

[blocks in formation]

No. 181. Anti-Trust Act

July 2, 1890

SEVERAL bills for the regulation of trusts came before Congress during the session of 1888-1889, but none got beyond the stage of discussion. A bill "to declare unlawful trusts and combinations in restraint of trade and production" was introduced in the Senate December 4, 1889, by Sherman, and referred to the Committee on Finance, which reported it with amendments January 14, 1890. The bill was taken up February 27 and debated until March 27, when it was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report within twenty days. A substitute was reported April 2, and on the 8th passed the Senate with amendments. The House amended the bill so as to make unlawful "every contract or agreement entered into for the purpose of preventing competition in the sale or purchase of a commodity transported from one State to be sold in another." The Senate added further amendments, to which the House disagreed, and the bill went to a conference committee, which recommended that each house recede from its amendments. The acceptance of the report resulted in the passage of the Senate bill.

REFERENCES. Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XXVI., 209, 210. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 51st Cong., 1st Sess., and the Cong. Record. The text of Sherman's original bill is in the Record, February 27. The report of the House Committee on the Judiciary, April 25, is House Report 1707; for an earlier report on the investigation of trusts see House Report 3112, 50th Cong., 1st Sess. For decisions under the act to 1904 see Gould and Tucker, Notes on the Revised Statutes, II., 622, 623; III., 710-712.

An act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies.

Be it enacted .

SEC. 1. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

SEC. 2. Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or

persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

SEC. 3. Every contract, combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce in any Territory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or in restraint of trade or commerce between any such Territory and another, or between any such Territory or Territories and any State or States or the District of Columbia, or with foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia and any State or States or foreign nations, is hereby declared illegal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

SEC. 4. The several circuit courts of the United States are hereby invested with jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of this act; and it shall be the duty of the several district attorneys of the United States, in their respective districts, under the direction of the Attorney-General, to institute proceedings in equity to prevent and restrain such violations.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SEC. 6. Any property owned under any contract or by any combination, or pursuant to any conspiracy (and being the subject thereof) mentioned in section one of this act, and being in the course of transportation from one State to another, or to a foreign country, shall be forfeited to the United States, and may be seized and condemned by like proceedings as those provided by law for the forfeiture, seizure, and condemnation of property imported into the United States contrary to law.

SEC. 7. Any person who shall be injured in his business or property by any other person or corporation by reason of anything forbidden or declared to be unlawful by this act, may sue therefor in any circuit court of the United States in the district

in which the defendant resides or is found, without respect to the amount in controversy, and shall recover three fold the damages by him sustained, and the costs of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee.

SEC. 8. That the word "person," or "persons," wherever used in this act shall be deemed to include corporations and associations existing under or authorized by the laws of either the United States, the laws of any of the Territories, the laws of any State, or the laws of any foreign country.

No. 182. Silver Purchase Act

July 14, 1890

In his annual message of December 3, 1889, President Harrison called attention to the decline in the market price of silver, and expressed fear of the effect of a further decline on the value of gold and silver dollars in commercial transactions. The accompanying report of the Secretary of the Treasury proposed the issue of treasury notes "against deposits of silver bullion at the market price of silver when deposited, payable on demand in such quantities of silver bullion as will equal in value, at the date of presentation, the number of dollars expressed on the face of the notes at the market price of silver, or in gold, at the option of the Government, or in silver dollars at the option of the holder"; together with "the repeal of the compulsory feature of the present coinage act." A bill authorizing the issue of treasury notes on deposits of silver bullion was introduced in the House January 20, 1890, by E. H. Conger of Iowa, and referred to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures. The bill was reported April 9. Another bill directing the purchase of silver bullion and the issue of treasury notes thereon was introduced by Conger April 24, and referred; June 5 an amended form of this bill was substituted for the bill already before the House, and the bill passed, the vote being 135 to 119, 73 not voting. In the meantime a bill prepared by the Secretary of the Treasury, in accordance with the recommendations of his annual report, had been introduced in the Senate January 20, by Morrill of Vermont, by request, had been taken up March 31, and was under consideration when the House bill was received. June 13 the House bill was substituted for the bill before the Senate. On the 17th a free coinage amendment, offered by Plumb of Kansas, was agreed to by a vote of 43 to 24, and the amended bill passed, the final vote being 42 to 25, 17 not voting. The House disagreed to the Senate amendments, and a conference committee settled the final form of the bill. The report of the committee was agreed to by the Senate July 10, by a vote of 39 to 26, and by the House July 12, by a vote of 122 to 90, 116 not voting. So much of the act as provided for the

purchase of silver bullion and the issue of notes thereon was repealed by the act of November 1, 1893 [No. 183].

References. —Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XXVI., 289, 290. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 51st Cong., 1st Sess., and the Cong. Record. The texts of the bills of April 24 and June 5 are in the Record, June 7, House proceedings. On Conger's bill of January 29 see House Report 1086. On the amount of coinage under the act see Senate Doc. 163, 55th Cong., 2d Sess.

An act directing the purchase of silver bullion and the issue of Treasury notes thereon, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted..., That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to purchase, from time to time, silver bullion to the aggregate amount of four million five hundred thousand ounces, or so much thereof as may be offered in each month, at the market price thereof, not exceeding one dollar for three hundred and seventy-one and twenty-five hundredths grains of pure silver, and to issue in payment for such purchases of silver bullion Treasury notes of the United States to be prepared by the Secretary of the Treasury, in such form and of such denominations, not less than one dollar nor more than one thousand dollars, as he may prescribe...

SEC. 2. That the Treasury notes issued in accordance with the provisions of this act shall be redeemable on demand, in coin, at the Treasury of the United States, or at the office of any assistant treasurer of the United States, and when so redeemed may be reissued; but no greater or less amount of such notes shall be outstanding at any time than the cost of the silver bullion and the standard silver dollars coined therefrom, then held in the Treasury purchased by such notes; and such Treasury notes shall be a legal tender in payment of all debts, public and private, except where otherwise expressly stipulated in the contract, and shall be receivable for customs, taxes, and all public dues, and when so received may be reissued; and such notes, when held by any national banking association, may be counted as a part of its lawful reserve. That upon demand of the holder of any of the Treasury notes herein provided for the Secretary of the Treasury shall, under such regulations as he may prescribe, redeem such notes in gold or silver coin, at his discretion, it being the established policy of the United States to maintain the two metals

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »