Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/274



petitioning debtor is confined, and at such time as the said judge may appoint; and it shall be the duty of the said judge, and of the clerk, of the county, to attend at the time and place appointed; and on the appearance of the creditors, either in person or by attorney, agreeably to the notification, or on their neglect to appear, the said judge shall administer to the debtor the following oath: “I, A. B. do swear (or solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm,) that I will deliver up, convey and transfer, for the use of my creditors, all my property that I have any title to or claim any interest in, whether in possession, remainder or reversion, and all claims, rights and credits that I have or am in any manner entitled to; and that I have not at any time given, sold, conveyed, lessened or disposed of for the use or benefit of myself, or any other person or persons, any part of my money or other property, claims, rights or credits, thereby to defraud my creditors, or any of them, or to secure the same with a view or expectation to receive any profit, benefit or advantage thereby,” and the said judge shall thereupon appoint such person, as a majority of the creditors in value, their agents or attornies then present, shall recommend, to be a trustee, for the benefit of the creditors of the petitioning debtor; or in case of non-attendance of the creditors, or of their not making a recommendation, the said justice shall name such person as he shall think proper, to be a trustee as aforesaid.

. And be it further enacted, That before the said trustee shall proceed to act, he shall give bond to the United States in such penalty and with such security as the said judge shall approve, conditioned for the faithful performance of his trust, which shall be recorded in the clerk’s office of the county in which the proceedings are had; and a certified copy thereof shall be received as evidence in any court of law in the United States; and the said bond may be sued in the name of the United States, for the use of any person or persons who may conceive him or themselves aggrieved by the negligence or misconduct of the trustee. And in case of the death or refusal to act of any trustee, the said judge may appoint another in his place, who shall give bond in manner as aforesaid.

. And be it further enacted, That upon the petitioning debtor’s executing a deed or deeds to the said trustee, conveying all his property, real, personal and mixed, and all his claims, rights and credits, agreeably to the oath or affirmation of the said debtor, and on delivering all his said property which he shall have in his possession, together with his books, papers and evidences of debts of every kind, to the said trustee, and the said trustee’s certifying the same to the said judge in writing, it shall be lawful for the said judge to make an order to the marshal, jailer or keeper of the prison, in which said debtor is then confined, commanding that the said debtor shall be thenceforth discharged from his imprisonment; and he shall be immediately discharged, and the said order shall be a sufficient warrant therefor: Provided, that no person who has been guilty of a breach of the laws, and who has been imprisoned for or on account of the same, shall be discharged from imprisonment: And provided likewise, that any property which the debtor may afterwards require, (except the necessary wearing apparel and bedding for his family, and his tools, if a mechanic or manufacturer,) shall be liable to the payment of his debts, any thing herein to the contrary notwithstanding.

. And be it further enacted, That the said judge may allow such petitioning debtor and his family, to retain their necessary wearing apparel and bedding, and if the said debtor be a mechanic or manufacturer, he may likewise retain the tools of the trade.

. And be it further enacted, That the said judge may direct the trustee to sell and convey the property of the petitioning debtor, at