Railroad Company v. United States
| Decision Date | 01 October 1879 |
| Parties | RAILROAD COMPANY v. UNITED STATES |
| Court | U.S. Supreme Court |
ERROR to the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
This is an action by the United States against the Western Union Railroad Company, a corporation of Wisconsin, to recover certain internal revenue taxes alleged to have accrued from Aug. 1, 1862, to Dec. 31, 1871. The company filed a general denial of the allegations of the complaint, and in addition thereto set up a counter claim.
The plaintiff, to maintain the issue on its part, introduced statements from the books of the defendant, which were admitted to be true, from which it appeared that the gross amount of all receipts of the company for the transportation of passengers between Aug. 1, 1862, and July 1, 1864, was $190,863.68; that its entire gross receipts from and after June 30, 1864, until Aug. 1, 1866, were $1,427,685.36; that its gross receipts for fares and carrying the mails, from Aug. 1, 1866, until Jan. 1, 1870, were $605,770.09, and that of the said last amount $61,676.01 were for carrying the mails, and $544,094.08 for fares.
It further appeared from the books of the company, that there were no net earnings subject to tax in this suit. There were entries crediting the agent of its bondholders with interest on bonds of the Northern Illinois Railroad, from July 1 to Dec. 31, 1864, the sum of $38,876.00, and from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1865, a like credit to him for interest on said bonds, $33,648.54; and in the year 1866 a like credit of $24,372.25; upon which the plaintiff claimed that it was entitled to a tax of five per cent. It further appeared from said books that interest on the bonded debt to the amount of $61,495.00 fell due Aug. 1, 1870, and was paid by the company on or after that date; that interest to the amount of $53,767.65 on the bonded debt became payable Feb. 1, 1870, and was paid on or after that date; and that $52,929.37 became due and payable on the bonds Aug. 1, 1871, and was paid on or after that date by the company.
The plaintiff, to further maintain the issue on its part, offered to show by said books that, Feb. 1, 1872, the further sum of $52,423.71 became due and payable on the said bonds, and was paid on or after said date, to which the defendant objected on the ground that said evidence was incompetent and immaterial. The court overruled the objection and the defendant excepted. The plaintiff then showed that the sum of $52,423.71 so became due and payable Feb. 1, 1872, and was paid on or after that date, and claimed and insisted that the plaintiff was entitled to a tax of two and a half per centum on five-sixths of said amount.
The plaintiff then rested, and the defendant called as a witness one Ranney, who testified that he was secretary and treasurer of the company and had charge of its books and papers, and he as their bookkeeper had charge of the books of said company from Feb. 22, 1866; that he had examined the company's books, papers, and files, and found therein no reference to pay contract for carrying the mails; that so far as he could ascertain from his examination no such contract was ever made, and that he had no knowledge thereof.
He further testified that that portion of the road between Freeport and Savannah was known and called as the Northern Illinois Railroad, and that the bonds mentioned as Northern Illinois Railroad bonds were issued on that road; that said road was a part of the road operated by the Racine and Mississippi Railroad, and that it was consolidated with the Western Union Railroad in January, 1866, and that all of the earnings of said road for the whole time mentioned in the declaration are included in the books of the company; and that on the consolidation of the said company with the Western Union Railroad Company the latter company succeeded to all its rights, privileges, franchises, and liabilities. That the entries in the books of interest paid on bonds of Northern Illinois Railroad, to wit, $38,876, $33,648.54, and $24,372.25, were made to show the relative rights of the bondholders of the different portions of the entire road, and that in fact no interest was ever paid upon such bonds, except the sum of $2,360.67, and that said accounts still remain open and unsettled upon the books, and that there never were any net earnings of said company to pay interest on said bonds, and that no such interest was ever paid; but at the time of the change of management, July 1, 1869, he understood that the said bonds were arranged or settled, but in what way he was unadvised.
The defendant then introduced in evidence vouchers for taxes paid by it, amounting to $58,832.23, and they show the payments made from month to month to the collector of internal revenue for the district in which the defendant's office was located, including taxes on account of receipts for transportation of mails.
WASHINGTON, NOV. 7, 1865.
'Rec'd from Northern Illinois Railroad Company, by the letter of first instant, 3,866.66 dollars in certificate of deposit 689, issued by First National Bank, Milwaukee, on account of internal revenue tax on interest on bonds.
'C. H. PARSONS,
'Cashier Internal Revenue.
'Treasurer Northern Illinois Railroad Company, Racine, Wis.'
MILWAUKEE, NOV. 1, 1865.
'I certify that The Northern Illinois Railroad Co. has this day deposited to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States thirty-eight hundred sixty-six 66/100 dollars, on account of internal revenue for taxes on coupons, for which I have signed triplicate receipts.
'No. 689.
'H. H. CAMP, Cash'r.
(Across the face:) 'Triplicate.
'This will be retained by the depositor for his own use and security.
'1865, November 1st, Government tax.
'To cash, $3,866.66.
'Amount paid this day by dr'ft on N. Y. to T. J. Emerson, coll., for tax on coupons rem'ning due Oct. 1, '63, to Aug. 1, '65.—W. V. B.
'Aug. 1, 1865. Tax $ 666 66
Oct. 1, 1873. Tax 600 00'- The defendant then asked that it should be credited in this suit as against the claims proven by the plaintiff the said amount of $3,866.66 as mentioned in said voucher, but the court being of opinion that no interest was, in fact, ever paid on said bonds of the Northern Illinois Railroad Company, no tax was ever due or payable thereon, but inasmuch as said $3,866.66 had been paid on account of such tax, the defendant was not entitled to have credit allowed therefor in this suit. To which ruling the defendant excepted.
The defendant further requested the court to rule and decide that the plaintiff was not entitled to a tax of two and a half per cent upon the said $61,676.61 received by the company for transportation of the mails from July 1, 1866, to Jan. 1, 1870, but the court refused to do so, and decided that, although there was no evidence of a contract bearing date prior to Aug. 1, 1866, and no proof of an express contract, yet as the mails were carried and compensation received therefor the law would imply a contract, and therefore that the plaintiff was entitled to said tax on that amount; to which ruling and decision the defendant excepted.
The defendant further requested the court to decide that the plaintiff was not entitled to a tax of five per cent upon the amount of $61,495.00, the amount of interest paid on the bonds of the company on or after the first day of August, 1870, but that a tax of only two and a half per cent was due thereon; but the court refused so to decide, but on the contrary decided that the plaintiff was entitled to a tax thereon of five per cent; to which ruling and decision the defendant also excepted.
The defendant further requested the court to decide that the plaintiff was not entitled to a tax of two and a half per cent on five-sixths of $52,423.71, the amount of interest paid on the bonds of the company on and after Feb. 1, 1872; but the court then and there refused so to decide, but decided that the plaintiff was entitled to said tax of...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Untermyer v. Anderson
...Wall. 323, 331, 22 L. Ed. 348; Lake Shore & M. S. Railroad Co. v. Rose, 95 U. S. 78, 80, 24 L. Ed. 376; Western Union Railroad Co. v. United States, 101 U. S. 543, 549, 25 L. Ed. 1068; Flint v. Stone Tracy Co., 220 U. S. 107, 31 S. Ct. 342, 55 L. Ed. 389, Ann. Cas. 1912B, 1312; Billings v. ......
-
Ward v. United States, CIV-79-621-W.
...v. Insurance Companies, 20 Wall. 323, 331, 22 L.Ed. 348; Railroad Co. v. Rose, 95 U.S. 78, 80 (1877); Railroad Co. v. United States, 101 U.S. 543, 549, 25 L.Ed. 1068 (1880); Flint v. Stone Tracy Co., 220 U.S. 107, 31 S.Ct. 342, 55 L.Ed. 389 (1911); Billings v. United States, 232 U.S. 261, 2......
-
Kingan & Co. v. Smith
...323, 22 L.Ed. 348, Fed.Cas.No. 13,462; Lake Shore & M. S. Railroad Co. v. Rose, 95 U.S. 78, 24 L.Ed. 376; Western Union Railroad Co. v. United States, 101 U.S. 543, 25 L.Ed. 1068. The method of computing the amount of taxes to be levied under the provisions of the act in question is provide......
-
Public Service Ry. Co. v. Herold
......et al. v. HEROLD (and sixteen other cases). Nos. 2011-2027. United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. January 21, 1916 . [229 F. 903] ... another company owned by it in favor of a proposed lease by. that company; (2) authorized ... Sup.Ct. 419, 57 L.Ed. 842. It has thus been held that a. railroad company, whose business is the transportation of. passengers and freight, ......