Majority
Headnote
A shareholder who has been assessed upon the value of his shares in a bank or banking association pursuant to the act of 1866 (oh. 161), is not entitled to a reduction by the assessor, of valuation on account of his debts.The relator resides in the sixth ward of the city of Albany. The National Commercial Bank, in which he owns eleven hundred and four shares of stock, of the value of $20 each, is located in the fourth ward of the same city. Under the act of the legislature of this State, passed April 23, 1866, the relator was assessed $22,800 as the par valuation of his bank shares. The defendants are the board of assessors of the city of Albany. On the 21th of September, 1866, the relator presented to the said defendants an affidavit, in which he stated “ that the value of the personal estate owned by him, does not exceed the sum of one dollar, after deducting his just debts, and his property invested in the stocks of corporations, liable to be taxed therefor,” and claimed that the assessment should.be reduced in accordance therewith to the sum of one dollar.
The defendants refused to reduce the assessment, and the relator moved at Special Term for a mandamus .directing them to make such deduction. This motion was granted,
The respondents claim that the assessment and taxation upon bank shares, authorized by the act of April 23d, 1866, stand upon the same basis as all other taxation of personal property, under the laws of this State; that the relator was entitled to deduct from such assessment, his personal indebtedness, and that he was subject to taxation upon the balance only. The appellants claim that there was intended to be established a distinct system of taxation in reference to shares of bank stock, by which they were to be assessed and taxed upon their actual value, independent of the condition or circumstances of the owner.
By the general tax law of the State, each individual is assessable in the town- or ward in which he resides, and not elsewhere, for all personal estate owned by him. Between the first days of Hay and July the assessors of each town are required to ascertain by diligent inquiry, the names of the taxable inhabitants, and the taxable property, real or personal, in their respective towns. In the fourth column of the assessment roll to be prepared by them, it is directed that the assessors shall set down “ the full value of all the taxable personal property owned ■ by such person, after deducting the just debts owing by him.” (1 R. S., 391.) It is the duty of the assessors to meet at a time appointed to hear complaints and make corrections of their rolls. It was at the time thus appointed that the relator made the affidavit before set forth, and it is conceded that in regard to taxation for personal property generally, it was sufficient to entitle him to the deduction claimed.
The legislation upon the subject of the taxation of banks,, has been heretofore regulated upon a plan by itself, and a reference to this system will aid us in reaching a correct conclusion upon the question before us. The general system of legislation upon the subject-matter of a statute, may be taken into view, to aid the construction of a particular statute, relating to the same subject. (Holbrook v. Holbrook, 1 Pick.,
By the act. of December 7, 1847 (4 R. S.[Edmonds’ ed.], 151) it was enacted that all individual bankers and all banking associations, “ shall be subject to taxation on the full amount of actual capital paid in, or secured to be paid in, as such capital, by them severally, at the actual market value of such securities, to be estimated by the Comptroller, without any deduction for. the debts of such individual banker or banking association.”
It was also enacted that taxes upon incorporated companies should be demanded from the president of the company, and that the same should “be paid out of the fund? of - the company, and be ratably deducted from the dividends of those stockholders whose stock was taxed, or shall be charged upon such ■ stock, if no dividends be- afterward declared.” (1 R. S. [Edmonds’ ed.], 377, § 18).
In the year 1853 this system was amended by providing that the assessment upon incorporated companies should be upon their real estate, upon- the amount -of their capital stock paid in, or secured .to be paid in, together with the amount of all surplus or secured funds, exceeding ten per cent of their capital, but deducting as before, the amount of said stock that should be held by the State, or by any literary or ' charitable institution. (1 R. S. [Edmonds’ ed.], 375.) And again in the year 1857 (Sess. Laws 1857, 2d vol, p. 1), the legislature enacted that this assessment, with the exception aforesaid, should be upon the capital stock together with its surplus profits exceeding ten per cent, “at its actual value,” thus substituting the principle of ascertaining the' value of the stock to be assessed, instead of taxing upon its nominal amount..
We thus see that for a period of nearly fifty years, the policy of the legislature in regard to the taxation of bank capital and bank shares, has been uniform. The stock has been taxed at its nominal value, without deduction for debts or charge for surplus, or, as more recently, at its actual value. We see that, as to individual bankers, it was expressly enacted that the capital employed by them should be taxed at the market value of their securities employed, and without deduction for their individual debts. We see again that the taxation of the capital was considered as the taxation of the shares, when the legislature enact that such taxes shall be deducted from the dividends of the shareholders, or be charged against dividends subsequently to be made. In all of
We come then to the inquiry whether under the acts of 1865 and 1866 the same system is carried out, and the shares are to be assessed and taxed at their value, without regard to the condition of the owner, or whether that system was then abandoned.
It will be borne in mind that the present question is upon the intention of the legislature, and not upon its power. The power of the legislature to say that the taxation shall be enforced without regard to the circumstances of the owner, is not disputed. Prior to the organization of the National banking system, the State banks paying taxes upon their capital to the State and to the municipal authorities, possessed an aggregate capital of more than a hundred millions of dollars. Nearly all of these banks have transferred themselves to the United States organization. The State possesses the same power of taxation upon the shareholders (with certain qualifications not here important to be noticed) that it formerly had upon the banks. It has exercised this power, has preserved the forms and manner of bank taxation, so far as they were appropriate, and has given no evidence of any intention to abandon the large field of taxation, so long used by it, or to embarrass and reduce it by allowing the circumstances of the shareholders to form an element in the case. The statute, on the other hand, apparently intends to preserve, as fully as possible, all the connections before existing on this subject. It says that “no tax shall hereafter be assessed upon the capital of any bank or any banking association organized under the authority of this State or of the United States, but the stockholders in such banks and banking associations shall be assessed and taxed on the value of their shares of stock therein.” It is quite unusual for the legislature to enact what they do not intend to tax, or what they do mot intend to do in any respect. This preliminary statement, as
The direction of the assessors to deduct from the value of the shares of each person a proportionate sum for the real estate owned by the corporation, is significant also. It is so not only upon the principle, of eaypressio unius, but as indicating the design of the framers of the statute. Ro such direction is contained in the general tax law, but real estate is there assessed and taxed in one column, and the residue of personal estate, after deducting debts, in another. By the statutes of the United States, the real estate owned by a bank is taxable under the State authority, directly against the bank, and the revenue on that subject of taxation, is obtained as formerly. When the assessment is made upon the shares, the proportionate value of the real estate is deducted; and the State thus obtains from the bank and the shareholder together, as it did before from the bank alone, a tax upon the
By that act, the legislature evidently intended to tax the whole available interest in the bank or in its shares. They there provided that a tax should be laid upon “ a valuation ” equal to the amount of their capital stock paid in and the surplus earnings, less ten per cent, without any deduction. This act was declared void by the Supreme _ Court of the United States, as laying a tax on the property of the bank, which property, in whole or in part, consisted of stocks of the Federal government. Immediately after this act was declared invalid, the acts of 1865 and of 1866, already cited, were passed by the legislature.
. It is argued in behalf of the respondents that, inasmuch as the statute directs the assessment of the bank shares to be included in “ the valuation of the personal property of such stockholder,” it subjects it to the operation of the general law
It is said that the expression “ but not at a greater rate than is assessed upon other moneyed capital in the hands of individuals in this State,” aids the argument of thé respondent. It is argued that an individual owing a bond and mortgage for $1,000, and being indebted $500, could, by the general law, claim to have the $500 deducted from the value of his bond and mortgage, and that his assessment and taxation should be upon the remaining $500 only; and that the refusal of a like deduction in favor of the shareholder of $1,000, would subject him to- taxation upon twice as large an amount as was imposed upon the individual. This, it is said, would be imposing a greater rate of taxation upon the shareholder. The “ rate,” or “ ratio,” is the percentage merely; the “proportion,” the “ degree.” (Webster; Worcester.) If the State imposes a tax of five mills upon ■ the dollar on all the real and personal property of the State, five mills on the dollar is the “ rate,” the degree, the proportion, the percentage of taxation. This is distinct from the question of exemption. Almshouses and institutions of learning, and the estates of clergymen, tó a limited extent, are exempt from taxation. This exemption may compel the payment of a larger amount by the remaining tax payers, in an indirect manner, for the reason that so large a sum does not come into the treasury of the State as if there were no
In Van Alen v. The Assessors (supra), the Supreme Court of the United States say “ upon the whole, after the maturest consideration we have been able to give that case, we are satisfied that the States possess the power tó tax the whole of the interest of the shareholder, in the shares held by him in these associations, within the limit prescribed by the act authorizing their organization.” This proposition was asserted in denial of a claim that the interest of shareholders should be subject to taxation so far only as the capital of the bank was not invested in United States securities, exempt by law1 from taxation. I think it is correct in its application to the present case. The assessors did right in refusing to make the
All the judges concurred in the foregoing opinion, except Postee and Bocees, JJ., who dissented.
The question presented in this case is, whether a shareholder in a bank, or banking association, who has been assessed upon the value of his shards therein, pursuant to the act of 1866 (Sess. Laws, 1866, chap. 761), is entitled, at the hands of the assessors, to a reduction of such valuation on account of his debts.
Upon a careful examination of the statute above referred to, in connection with the other statutes of the State on the subject of taxation, I do not think it contemplates the allowance of any such reduction.
The act itself shows that it was intended as a substitute for the then existing mode of assessing and taxing that portion of the property of the State invested in the capital of these moneyed corporations.
It begins as follows: “ Ho tax shall hereafter be assessed upon the capital of any bank, or banking -association, organized under the authority of this State or of the United States, but the stockholders in such banks and banking associations shall be assessed and taxed on the value of their shares of stock therein; said shares shall be included in the valuation of the personal property of such stockholder in the assessment of taxes, at the place, town or ward where such bank or banking association is located, and not elsewhere, whether the said stockholder reside in such place, town or ward, or not; but not at a greater rate than is assessed upon other moneyed capital in the hands of individuals in this State.”
The reason of this substitution, as no one can doubt, is to be found in the fact that, because of the investment of almost the entire banking capital in the State in the bonds and other securities of the United States, this large amount of personal property was escaping taxation (the banks not being taxable upon that portion of their capital so invested), and that by assessing and taxing the shares of stock in the hands of the
To regard the act as intended merely to render taxable against individuals a species of property never before taxed, and to leave it to be treated, in reference to taxation, like all other taxable personal property, without any reference to the incidents and limitations which affected the taxation of corporations upon their capital, as the respondent’s counsel insists it should be regarded, seems scarcely a correct view to take of it. Such was not, I think, the scope and object of the statute, but, as already intimated, to secure to taxation the entire amount lost by the withdrawal" of the capital of the banks therefrom. This is manifested, not only by the history of recent legislation and judicial decision on the subject of bank taxation, but by the provisions of the statute itself. The making of the stock taxable at the place where the bank is located, and requiring the bank to.pay the tax from the dividends of the stockholder, if not paid by him, is a strong indication of the object above assigned.
The banks had not the right to reduce the valuation upon which they were taxable, on account of their indebtedness; and there is nothing in the statute under consideration expressly giving the stockholder such right. Eeasoning from the plain object of the act, as being, not to reduce the amount of property subject to taxation, but to produce the same amount of taxation in a different way, the inference is, that no such right was intended to be given.
It is insisted, however, that the right is, in effect, given by the provision that the “ shares shall be included in the valuation of the personal property of such stockholder in the assessment of taxes,” understanding it as a direction to add the value of the shares of stock to the value of all the taxable personal property owned by the stockholder, and then, from the aggregate to deduct his debts, as required by the general statute in regard to the assessment of personal property. (1 R. S., 391, § 9, subd. 4,1st ed.)
But that provision of the act, it seems to me, was intended merely to indicate that the assessors, in making up their assessment roll, should place the value of the shares in the column in which personal property is placed, so that it shall, in the assessment roll, comprise a part of the personal property there represented, not aggregated with the personal property of the stockholder, but separately placed, so as to show its separate amount, and ultimately, when the fifth column comes to be supplied by the supervisors, the amount of tax with which it is separately chargeable. In such way it is embraced, or “ included ” in the valuation of the stockholder’s personal property, in the assessment of taxes. It is true there is no specific direction to keep the amount separate in the roll, and yet it is impossible to carry out the other provisions of the law unless that is done; and there is
' The meaning of the term “ included in,” insisted upon by the respondent, cannot be literally followed, for these shares are to be assessed, in the place, town or ward where the bank, or banking association is located, without reference to the residence nf the stockholder. Unless he resides'at the place where the bank is located, he will have no valuation of personal property there to which they can be added; and, applied-to such cases,-the language must mean that they shall be comprised in-the valuation of personal property upon the roll, and assessed to the stockholder, though not a resident.
- ■ ■ Again, by the sixth section of the act, it is made the duty of- the bank to retain' from the dividends of the stockholder, so much-‘as may be. necessary to pay the taxes assessed upon his stock pursuant to the act. It is necessary to the performance of this duty, that it shall appear what tax has been assessed, distinctively, upon the stock; and hence the necessity of a separate statement of- its value by the assessors, and a separate carrying out of the tax by the supervisors. The incongruity of the right claimed with this provision is manifest. If, when the stockholder resides at the place where the bank is located, the stock is to be mixed with his other taxable property, and.then his debts deducted, how can it be ascertained what tax remains unpaid upon his stock, so that the bank- can pay it, and deduct it from his dividend ? If, in the ward where the bank is located, 'and in which the stockholder does not reside, as in the present case, he has stock assessed, for example, at $5,000, while in his own ward Ms personal property is assessed at $5,000, and ,he .comes before the assessors and shows that he is entitled to a deduction for debts to the amount of $7,000, so that the value of the personal estate owned by him, including his stock, after deducting his debts, etc.-, does not exceed $3,000, which assess- ■ ment is to stand ? At which place is he to be taxed upon this amount % The want of any provision on the subject, so plainly necessary if the right claimed exists, indicates a want of intention to recognize and allow it.
The general statute (1 R. S., 389, § 5, 1st ed.) provides that “ every person shall be assessed in the town or ward where he -resides where the assessment is made, for all personal estate owned by him.” “Assessed for all personal estate owned by him,” is, by subdivision 4 of section 9, construed to mean all his “'taxable personal property, after deducting the just debts owing by him”- — -that is, the net personal estate, what a mom is worth exclusive of his lands and other property not taxable, is what the general law intends to tax him upon, as personal property. The different language used in the act under consideration, is significant of a different intent in regard to this specific kind of property ; “ shall be assessed and taxed on the value,” devotes the whole value to taxation, without reduction for debts, as has ever been the policy of the State in reference to the property Avhich this is made to represent, and in perfect accordance • with what we have seen to have been the object of the statute.
The view above taken does not at all conflict with the provision in the act that the shares shall not be assessed “ at a greater rate than is assessed upon other moneyed capital in the hands of individuals in this State.” This clause in the act is adopted from the forty-first section of the act of congress, passed June 3d, 1864, known as the National currency act, and inserted for the purpose of conforming the taxation directed by this to the requirements of that act. The clause in that act lias just received a construction in the Supreme Court of the United States, in the case of The People ex rel. Duer v. The Commissioners of Taxes, etc., and is there held to mean “ that no greater proportion or percentage of tax on the valuation of the shares should be levied than upon other moneyed taxable capital in the hands of thé citizens.” This
For the reasons above assigned I am of the opinion that the order appealed from should be reversed, with costs.
Postee and Bockes, JJ., dissent.
Order reversed.