gully first nat bank argued october decided november floyd meridian petitioner wilbourn albert bozeman meridian respondent justice cardozo delivered opinion whether federal jurisdiction suit one arising constitution laws single question petitioner plaintiff sued respondent state mississippi recover money judgment following facts appear face complaint june assets first national bank meridian national banking association conveyed respondent first national bank meridian contract whereby debts liabilities grantor insolvent time hands receiver assumed grantee covenanted pay among debts liabilities assumed moneys owing petitioner state collector taxes claimed owing state county city school district taxes form assessment imposed upon shares capital stock bank surplus undivided profits exclusive value real estate law pleader taxes thus assessed debts owing shareholders bank duty pay agent moneys belonging possession new bank violation covenant failed pay taxes old bank thus assumed made judgment demanded moneys due contract petition filed respondent removal cause federal upon ground suit one arising constitution laws judicial code cf judicial code state made order accordingly federal district denied motion remand later trial upon merits complaint dismissed circuit appeals fifth circuit affirmed judgment dismissal overruling objection cause one triable courts mississippi decision put upon ground power lay tax upon shares national banks origin measure provisions federal statute amended necessary implication plaintiff counts upon statute suing tax importance ruling granted certiorari question jurisdiction district case arises constitution laws much considered books tests well established bring case within statute right immunity created constitution laws must element essential one plaintiff cause action starin new york first national bank williams right immunity must supported constitution laws given one construction effect defeated receive another id king county seattle school district genuine present controversy merely possible conjectural one must exist reference thereto new orleans benjamin defiance water defiance joy louis city county denver new york trust controversy must disclosed upon face complaint unaided answer petition removal tennessee union planters bank louisville nashville mottley fair kohler die specialty taylor anderson indeed complaint avail basis jurisdiction far goes beyond statement plaintiff cause action anticipates replies probable defense devine los angeles fair kohler die specialty supra looking backward see early cases less exacting recent ones respect conditions federal right pleaded question always asked whether likely disputed seen particularly suits corporation deriving charter act congress osborn bank wheat pacific railroad removal cases modern statutes greatly diminished importance decisions narrowing scope gay ruff puerto rico russell federal incorporation abolished ground federal jurisdiction except holds stock act february stat partly influence statutes disclosing new legislative policy partly influence liberal decisions probable course trial real substance controversy taken new significance suit enforce right takes origin laws necessarily reason alone one arising laws suit arise unless really substantially involves dispute controversy respecting validity construction effect law upon determination result depends shulthis mcdougal cf first national bank williams supra hopkins walker shoshone mining rutter recently said full consideration doctrine charter cases treated exceptional though within special field thought disturb puerto rico russell supra fly face legislative policy disregard precedents think controlling extend doctrine id today even clearly past federal nature right established source authority establish id viewing case hand background established principle find elements federal jurisdiction suit built upon contract point obligation genesis law mississippi covenant valuable consideration pay another debts valid enforceable without reference federal law complaint informs us failure make payment owing lack funds belief stranger contract standing suitor objections nonfederal nature necessary connection enforcement contract according terms existence controversy arising federal law obligation contract creation state question remains whether plaintiff counts upon federal right support claim contract broken performance owing defendant payment valid debts taxes valid debts unless lawfully imposed defendant argues federal controversy exists tax laid upon national bank upon shareholders therein reason void unless permitted federal law every question federal law emerging suit proof federal law basis suit tax controversy valid tax imposed authority statute mississippi federal law attempt impose confer upon tax collector authority sue true tax though assessed action state must consistent federal statute consenting subject restrictions assessments may made amended must also consistent constitution mcculloch maryland wheat owensboro national bank owensboro baltimore national bank state tax commission federal law permitting taxation shares national banks suit recover tax one arising constitution though bank aid constitution came defense tennessee union planters bank supra sawyer kochersperger arkansas kansas texas coal louisville nashville mottley supra federal law permitting taxation change basis suit still statute state though federal law evidence prove statute valid argument respondent proceeds assumption permission times preliminary action two classed one assumption stand suit arise law renouncing defense though result renunciation extension area legislative power cause suitor prevail let us suppose amendment constitution left liberty levy taxes income derived federal securities lay imposts duties pleasure upon imports exports amendment adopted suit recover taxes duties imposed state law one arising constitution though absence amendment duty tax fail recur test announced puerto rico russell supra federal nature right established source authority establish right established one created state unimportant federal consent source state authority reach underlying law travel back far unimpeachable authority suit brought upon state statute arise act congress constitution prohibited thereby louisville nashville mottley supra greater reason said arise thereunder permitted thereby another line reasoning lead us conclusion mississippi law provides harmony act congress tax upon shares national banks shall assessed upon shareholders though bank may liable pay agent charging account moneys thus pended code mississippi cf home savings bank des moines aberdeen bank chehalis county first national bank commonwealth kentucky wall petitioner prove state law obeyed question reached whether anything provisions administrative conduct inconsistent federal rule done taxing officers levying tax suit amount substance law mississippi assessment shareholders substance well form assessment bank alone conclusion inescapable neither tax debt apart barriers congress may built hand finding upon evidence mississippi law obeyed may compose controversy altogether leaving room contention federal law infringed one say question federal law lurking background farther background lurks question constitutional law question state power federal form government dispute doubtful conjectural far removed plain necessity unavailable extinguish jurisdiction occasion point futile attempt define action without reference context memphis cotton oil define broadly abstract case arising constitution laws hazards kindred order needed something accommodation judgment kaleidoscopic situations characterizes law treatment problems causation one carry search causes backward almost without end bird paul surance leyland shipping norwich fire insurance society aetna insurance boon milwaukee paul kellogg instead selective process picks substantial causes web lays ones aside problems causation search underlying law follow ascent far enough countless claims right discovered source operative limits provisions federal statute constitution circumambient restrictions upon legislative power set bounds pursuit courts formulated distinction controversies basic collateral disputes necessary merely possible shall lost maze put compass judgment reversed cause remitted district instructions remand mississippi removed reversed justice stone took part consideration decision case