charges, costs, and emoluments, respectively, earned or accrued during said year, giving each head under which the same accrued, and also the sum of all moneys paid into and disbursed out of court in bankruptcy, and the balance in hand or on deposit.

And all the statements and reports herein required shall be under oath, and signed by the persons respectively making the same.

And said clerk shall in said month of August, transmit every such statement and report so filed with him, together with his own statement and report as aforesaid, to the attorney-general of the United States.

Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall on motion made, under the direction of the attorney-general, be by the district court dismissed from his office, and shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year.)

OF MEANING OF TERMS AND COMPUTATION OF TIME.

§ 48. And be it further enacted, That the word “ assignee" and the word "creditor" shall include the plural also; and the word "messenger" shall include his assistant or assistants, except in the provision for the fees of that officer. The word "marshal" shall include the marshal's deputies; the word "person" shall also include "corporation;" and the word "oath" shall include affirmation."

"

And in all cases in which any particular number of days is prescribed by this Act, or shall be mentioned in any rule or order of court, or general order which shall at any time be made under this Act, for the doing of any act, or for any other purpose, the same shall be reckoned, in the absence of any expression to the contrary, exclusive of the first and inclusive of the last day, unless the last day shall fall on a Sunday, Christmas day, or on any day appointed by the President of the United States as a day of public fast or thanksgiving, or on the Fourth of July, in which case the time shall be reckoned exclusive of that day also

§ 49. And be it further enacted, That all the jurisdiction, power, and authority conferred upon and vested in the District Court of the United States by this act in cases in bankruptcy are hereby conferred upon and vested in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.

And in and upon the Supreme Courts of the several Territories of the United States, when the bankrupt resides in the said District of Columbia or in either of the said Territories.

And in those judicial districts which are not within any organized circuit of the United States, the power and jurisdiction of a Circuit Court in bankruptcy may be exercised by the district judge.

50. And be it further enacted, That this act shall commence and take effect, as to the appointment of the officers created hereby and the promulgation of rules and general orders, from and after the date of its approval: Provided, That no petition or other proceeding under this ac: shall be filed, received, or commenced before the first day of June, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.

THE BANKRUPTCY ACT OF 1841.

An Act to establish a uniform System of Bankruptcy throughout the United States.

(Passed August 19th, 1841, repealed March 3rd, 1843.)

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be, and hereby is, established throughout the United States a uniform system of bankruptcy, as follows: All persons whatsoever, residing in any State, District or Territory of the United States, owing debts which shall not have been created in consequence of a defalcation as a public officer; or as executor, administrator, guardian or trustee, or while acting in any other fiduciary capacity, who shall, by petition, setting forth to the best of his knowledge and belief a list of his or their creditors, their respective places of residence, and the amount due to each, together with an accurate inventory of his or their property, rights and credits, of every name, kind and description, and the location and situation of each and every parcel and portion thereof, verified by oath, or, if conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, by solemn affirmation, apply to the proper court, as hereinafter mentioned, for the benefit of this act, and therein declare themselves to be unable to meet their debts and engagements, shall be deemed bankrupts within the purview of this act, and may be so declared accordingly by a decree of such court. All persons, being merchants, or using the trade of merchandise, all retailers of merchandise, and all bankers, factors, brokers, underwriters or marine insurers. owing debts to the amount of not less than two thousand dollars, shall be liable to become bankrupts within the true intent and meaning of this act, and may, upon the petition of one or more of their creditors, to whom they owe debts amounting in the whole to not less than five hundred dollars, to the appropriate court, be so declared accordingly, in the following cases, to wit: whenever such person, being a merchant, or actually using the trade of merchandise, or being a retailer of merchandise. or being a banker, factor, broker, underwriter, or marine insurer, shall depart from the State. District or Territory, of which he is an inhabitant, with intent to defraud his creditors; or shall conceal himself to avoid being arrested, or shall willingly and fraudulently procure himself to be arrested, or his goods and chattels, lands or tenements. to be attached, distrained. sequestered, or taken in execution; or shall remove his goods, chattels and effects, or conceal them to prevent their being levied upon or taken in execution, or by other process; or make any fraudulent conveyance, assignment, sale, gift or other transfer of his lands, tenements, goods or chattels, credits or evidence of debt: Provided, however. That any person so declared a bankrupt, at the instance of a creditor, may, at his election, by petition to such court within ten days after its decree, be entitled to a trial by jury before such court, to ascertain the fact of such bankruptcy; or if such person shall reside at a great distance from the place of holding such court, the said judge. in his discretion, may direct such trial by jury to be had in the county of such person's residence, in such man

ner and under such directions as the court may prescribe and give; and all such decrees passed by such court, and not so re-examined, shall be deemed final and conclusive as to the subject-matter thereof.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, that all future payments, securities, conveyances, or transfers of property, or agreement made or given by any bankrupt in contemplation of bankruptcy, to any person or persons whatever, not itor, indorser, surety, or other person, any preference or priority over the general creditors of such bankrupts; and all other payments, securities, conveyances, or transfers of property, or agreements made or given by such bankrupt in contemplation of bankruptcy, to any person or persons whatever, not being a bona-fide creditor or purchaser, for a valuable consideration, without notice, shall be deemed utterly void, and a fraud upon this act; and the assignee under the bankruptcy shall be entitled to claim, sue for, recover, and receive, the same as part of the assets of the bankruptcy; and the person making such unlawful preferences and payments shall receive no discharge under the provisions of this act: Provided, That all dealings and transactions by and with any bankrupt, bona-fide made and entered into more than two months before the petition filed against him or by him, shall not be invalidated or affected by this act: Provided, That the other party to any such dealings or transactions had no notice of a prior act of bankruptcy, or of the intention of the bankrupt to take the benefit of this act. And in case it shall be made to appear to the court, in the course of the proceedings in bankruptcy, that the bankrupt, his application being voluntary, has, subsequent to the first day of January last, or at any other time, in contemplation of the passage of a bankrupt law, by assignments or otherwise, given or secured any preference to one creditor over another, he shall not receive a discharge unless the same be assented to by a majority in interest of those of his creditors who have not been so preferred: And provided also, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to annul, destroy or impair, any lawful rights of married women, or minors, or any liens, mortgages, or other securities, on property, real or personal, which may be valid by the laws of the States respectively, and which are not inconsistent with the provisions of the second and fifth sections of this act.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all the property, and rights of property. of every name and nature, and whether real, personal or mixed, of every bankrupt, except as is hereinafter provided, who shall, by a decree of the proper court, be declared to be a bankrupt within this act, shall, by mere operation of law, ipso facto, from the time of such decree, be deemed to be divested out of such bankrupt, without any other act, assignment or other conveyance whatsoever; and the same shall be vested, by force of the same decree, in such assignee as from time to time shall be appointed by the proper court for this purpose, which power of appointment and removal such court may exercise at its discretion, toties quoties; and the assignee so appointed shall be vested with all the rights, titles, powers and authorities to sell, manage and dispose of the same, and to sue for and defend the same, subject to the orders and directions of such court, as fully, to all intents and purposes, as if the same were vested in or might be exercised by such bankrupt before or at the time of his bankruptcy declared as aforesaid; and all suits in law or in equity

then pending, in which such bankrupt is a party, may be prosecuted and defended by such assignee to its final conclusion, in the same way and with the same effect as they might have been by such bankrupt; and no suit commenced by or against any assignee shall be abated by his death or removal from office, but the same may be prosecuted or defended by his successor in the same office: Provided, however. That there shall be excepted from the operation of the provisions of this section the necessary household and kitchen furniture, and such other articles and necessaries of such bankrupt as the said assignee shall designate and set apart, having reference in the amount to the family, condition and circumstances of the bankrupt, but altogether not to exceed in value, in any case, the sum of three hundred dollars; and, also, the wearing apparel of such bankrupt, and that of his wife and children; and the determination of the assignee in the matter shall, on exception taken, be subject to the final decision of said court.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That every bankrupt who shall bona-fide surrender all his property, and rights of property, with the exception before mentioned, for the benefit of his creditors, and shall fully comply with and obey all the orders and directions which may from time to time be passed by the proper court, and shall otherwise conform to all the requisitions of this act, shall (unless a majority in number and value of his creditors who have proved their debts shall file their written dissent thereto) be entitled to a full discharge from all his debts, to be decreed and allowed by the court which has declared him a bankrupt, and a certificate thereof granted him by such court accordingly, upon his petition filed for such purpose; such discharge and certificate not, however, to be granted until after seventy days' notice in some public newspaper. designated by such court, to all creditors who have proved their debts, and other persons in interest, to appear at a particular time and place, to show cause why such discharge and certificate shall not be granted; at which time and place any such creditors, or other persons in interest. may appear and contest the right of the bankrupt thereto: Provided, That in all cases where the residence of the creditor is known, a service on him personally, or by letter addressed to him at his known usual place of residence, shall be prescribed by the court, as in their discretion shall seem proper, having regard to the distance at which the creditor resides from such court. And if any such bankrupt shall be guilty of any fraud or wilful concealment of his property or rights of property, or shall have preferred any of his creditors contrary to the provisions of this act, or shall wilfully omit or refuse to comply with any orders or directions of such court, or to conform to any other requisites of this act, or shall, in the proceedings under this act, admit a false or fictitious debt against his estate. he shall not be entitled to any such discharge or certificate; nor shall any person, being a merchant, banker. factor, underwriter, broker, or marine insurer, be entitled to any such discharge or certificate, who shall become bankrupt, and who shall not have kept proper books of account, after the passing of this act; nor any person who, after the passing of this act, shall apply trust funds to his own use: Provided, That no discharge of any bankrupt under this act shall release or discharge any person who may be liable for the same debt as a partner, joint contractor, indorser, surety, or otherwise, for or with the bankrupt. And such bank

rupt shall at all times be subject to examination, orally, or upon written interrogatories, in and before such court, or any commission appointed by the court therefor, on oath, or, if conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, upon his solemn affirmation, in all matters relating to such bankruptcy, and his acts and doings, and his property and rights of property, which, in the judgment of such court, are necessary and proper for the purposes of justice; and if, in any such examination, he shall wilfully and corruptly answer, or swear, or affirm, falsely, he shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and shall be punishable therefor in like manner as the crime of perjury is now punishable by the laws of the United States; and such discharge and certificate, when duly granted, shall in all courts of justice be deemed a full and complete discharge of all debts, contracts and other engagements of such bankrupt which are provable under this act, and shall be and may be pleaded as a full and complete bar to all suits brought in any court of judicature whatever, and the same shall be conclusive evidence of itself in favor of such bankrupt, unless the same shall be impeached for some fraud or wilful concealment by him of his property or rights of property, as aforesaid, contrary to the provisions of this act, on prior reasonable notice specifying in writing such fraud or concealment; and if, in any case of bankruptcy, a majority in number and value of the creditors who shall have proved their debts at the time of hearing of the petition of the bankrupt for a discharge, as hereinbefore provided, shall at such hearing file their written dissent to the allowance of a discharge and certificate to such bankrupt, or if, upon such hearing, a discharge shall not be decreed to him, the bankrupt may demand a trial by jury upon a proper issue to be directed by the court, at such time and place and in such manner as the court may order; or he may appeal from that decision at any time within ten days thereafter to the circuit court next to be held for the same district, by simply entering in the district court, or with the clerk thereof, upon record, his prayer for an appeal. The appeal shall be tried at the first term of the circuit court after it be taken, unless, for sufficient reason, a continuance be granted; and it may be heard and determined by said court summarily, or by a jury, at the option of the bankrupt; and the creditors may appear and object against a decree of discharge and the allowance of the certificate, as herein before provided. And if, upon a full hearing of the parties, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court, or the jury shall find, that the bankrupt has made a full disclosure and surrender of all his estate, as by this act required, and has in all things conformed to the directions thereof, the court shall make a decree of discharge, and grant a certificate, as provided in this act.

SEC. 5 And be it further enacted, That all creditors coming and proving their debts under such bankruptcy, in the manner hereinafter prescribed. the same being bona-fide debts, shall be entitled to share in the bankrupt's property and effects, pro rata, without any priority or preference whatsoever, except only for debts due by such bankrupt to the United States, and for all debts due by him to persons who, by the laws of the United States, have a preference, in consequence of having paid monies as his sureties, which shall be first paid out of the assets; and any person who shall have performed any labor as an operative in the service of any bankrupt shall be entitled to receive the full amount of the wages due to him for such labor, not exceeding twenty