Edward & John Burke, Ltd. v. United States

24 C.C.P.A. 359, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 7
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedJanuary 25, 1937
DocketNo. 4000
StatusPublished

This text of 24 C.C.P.A. 359 (Edward & John Burke, Ltd. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edward & John Burke, Ltd. v. United States, 24 C.C.P.A. 359, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 7 (ccpa 1937).

Opinion

Bland, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Three hundred sixty cases of cognac were, by the importer, entered at the port of New York on December 13,1934, and assessed with duty [360]*360under the provisions of paragraph 802 of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the rate of $5 per proof gallon. No question is raised as to the legality of this assessment, but the importer protested against a duty of $2 per proof gallon, levied under the provisions of paragraph 4 of section 2 of the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934, which was in addition to the aforesaid. $5 per proof gallon duty.

The cause was submitted to the United States Customs Court upon the report of the collector, and the Third Division of that court overruled the protest upon the authority of its decision in Park & Tilford Import Corp. v. United States, T. D. 47962, 68 Treas. Dec. 506, which case involved the identical issue as is presented herein.

From the judgment of said court, importer has appealed to this court.

The Liquor Taxing Act of 1934 amended subsection (a) of section 600 of the Revenue Act of 1918 (as amended by section 900 of the Revenue Act of 1926).

The pertinent provisions of the three acts above referred to read as follows:

[Sec. 600 (a), Revenue Act of 1918; 40 Stat. 1105J
Sec. 600. (a) That there shall be levied and collected on all distilled spirits now in bond or that have been or that may be hereafter produced in or imported into the United States, except such distilled spirits as are subject to the tax provided in section 604, in lieu of the internal-revenue taxes now imposed thereon by law, a tax of $2.20 (or, if withdrawn for beverage purposes or for use in the manufacture or production of any article used or intended for use as a beverage, a tax of $6.40) on each proof gallon, or wine gallon when below proof, and a proportionate tax at a like rate on all fractional parts of such proof or wine gallon, to be paid by the distiller or importer when withdrawn, and collected under the provisions of existing law.
[Sec. 900, Revenue Act of 1926; 44 Stat. 104]
Sec. 900. Subdivision (a) of section 600 of the Revenue Act of 1918, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
“Sec. 600. (a) There shall be levied and collected on all distilled spirits now in bond or that have been or that may be hereafter produced in or imported into the United States, in lieu of the internal-revenue taxes now imposed thereon by law, an internal-revenue tax at the following rates, to be paid by the distiller or importer when withdrawn, and collected under the provisions of existing law:
* * * * * * #
“(3) On and after January 1, 1928, $1.10 on each proof gallon or wine gallon when below proof and a proportionate tax at a like rate on all fractional parts of such proof or wine gallon.
“(4) On and after the enactment of the Revenue Act of 1926, on all distilled spirits which are diverted to beverage purposes or for use in the manufacture or production of any article used or intended for use as a beverage there shall be levied and collected a tax of $6.40 on each proof gallon or wine gallon when below proof, and a proportionate tax at a like rate on all fractional parts of such proof or wine gallon, to be paid by the person responsible for such diversion. If a tax at the rate of $2.20, $1.65, or $1.10 per proof or wine gallon has been paid upon such distilled spirits a credit of the tax so paid shall be allowed in computing the tax imposed by this paragraph.”
[361]*361[Sections 1 and 2, Liquor Taxing Act of 1934; 48 Stat. 313]
Section 1. This Act may be cited as the “Liquor Taxing Act of 1934.”
Sec. 2. Paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) of section 600 of the Revenue Act of 1918, as amended (relating to the tax on distilled spirits generally and the tax on distilled spirits diverted for beverage purposes) * * * are amended to read as follows:
“(3) On and after January 1,1928, and until the effective date of Title I of the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934, $1.10 on each proof gallon or wine gallon when below proof and a proportionate tax at a like rate on all fractional parts of such proof or wine gallon; and
“(4) On and after the effective date of Title I of the Liquor Taxing Act of 1984, $8.00 on each -proof gallon or wine gallon when below proof and a proportionate tax at a like rate on all fractional parts of such proof or wine gallon.” [Italics ours.]

The effective date of title I of the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934 was January 12, 1934. As before stated, the instant importation occurred on December 13, 1934. Therefore, the rate of $2 per proof gallon, as provided for in section 2 (4) of said act, is the only applicable taxing provision in controversy.

In support of its contention that the said tax of $2 per proof gallon, levied under the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934, was unwarranted and that the judgment of the trial court should be reversed, appellant argues that, as originally passed, the Revenue Act of 1918 did not contain any separate paragraphs (3) and (4), and that in said Revenue Act of 1926, section 600 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1918, which also had been amended by the Revenue Act of 1921, was so amended as to include paragraphs (3) and (4); that paragraph (4), relating to a tax of $6.40 on each proof gallon, or wine gallon when below proof, of distilled spirits, was enacted at a time when it was not lawful to divert for beverage purposes such spirits, and that, therefore, the provisions of said paragraph (4) were in the nature of a penalty; that when the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which had become effective in 1920, went out of existence by virtue of the Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution, which became effective on December 6, 1933, all penalty provisions of law enacted in view of the Eighteenth Amendment fell, citing United States v. Yuginovich et al., 256 U. S. 450, and United States v. Chambers et al., 291 U. S. 217; that, therefore, there was no paragraph (4) of any pertinent law which could be amended by the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934; that the attempt of Congress so to amend such act resulted in a nullity; and that, therefore, there is no authority for the assessment of said $2 tax referred to in paragraph (4) of section 2 of the Liquor Taxing Act of 1934. Appellant does not contend that the $2 tax, levied on its merchandise, is a penalty or that it was ever intended as a penalty, but states:

The entire controversy then simply hinges upon the questions (1) as to whether the tax of $6.40 provided for in See. 600 (a) of the Act of 1918 was a penalty; (2) whether if a penalty the section fell with the ratification of the [362]*362twenty-first amendment; and (3) whether if Sec. 600 did fall at that time an amendment to an obsolete statute can have the force of law.
That it was a penalty, we submit, is clearly shown.

The Government contends that:

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Related

United States v. Yuginovich
256 U.S. 450 (Supreme Court, 1921)
United States v. Chambers
291 U.S. 217 (Supreme Court, 1934)
United States v. Rizzo
297 U.S. 530 (Supreme Court, 1936)

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24 C.C.P.A. 359, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edward-john-burke-ltd-v-united-states-ccpa-1937.