Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-07

| in some of the districts of the U.
MON !; the remote date of many of
them !; the embarrassm nts to this
branch of the public business, ifnot
tho actual loss to the public thence
frequently arising-makei it necessa.
-ry to adopt a rule not heretofore pre-
scribed by this department, but the
Inconvenience resulting from tile
want of which call for IFS enforce.
ment as measure not longer 10 lie
dispensed with. 1t is, than, in iu.
ture, no indulgence. other than tho
practice of the courts may warrant,
I be given to the debtors of the U.
States after suit has gone through
its regular stages and a Judgment
been entered. Whatever appear
ance of risor this instruction may,
at first sight, assume after SO long
an acquiessence in a different course
the public reasons which urge to it
are, nevertheless, of weight, and
have been duly considered. The
difficulty of ascertainins, it may be,
the meriterious claims of different
debtors dispersed throughout eigh-
teen states, who apply for prolon-
cation of the time Of payment after
Judgment in due course of law en-.
tered against them; the difficulty,
it may also be, DISCRIMINATING the
genuine from the fictitious excuse;
the increasing number of appliea-
tons Of this description-having the
files Of the department open to the
accommodating papers and records Of
business thus for years. and often, in
effect, left indefinitely suspended &
Enclosed /; the responsibility at all
times coupled with the exercise
Of such a discretion, and the ac-
tual losses which there is gesd rea-
son for supposiug have sometimes
resulted from its exercise-are a.
mong the motives which have led to
the rule here communicated for your
future government. That its en-
forcement may sometimes work in
hardship, and even OCCASION
al loss, is possible /; but whatever
room there may be for regret under
a view Of the first Of these conse-
quenees. or however Objectionable
the latter, it is conceived, upon tho
whole. that the general advantages
that will follow justify and call for
its adoption. You will, therefore,
be pleased to consider=that. hence
forth, no debtor Of the U. States in
yonr district, against whom you OBJ
tain judgment, is 10 be allowed a.
ny extension Of time beyond that
which the law may accord to him for
payment Of his debt, and that none
be granted to him under the plea Of
his addressing an application to that
effect to this department. The rulc
thus laid down with a view to the &c
neral good cannot he relaxed in any
ease, unless specially recommended
by you. and with view to ono of the
following objects: 1. Securing more
the debt by obtaining col
lateral security or otherwise. 2.
Selling more advantageousIy proper
~ under execution particularly reaD
by a sale ON reasonable and usual
terms of credit. s. Recovering,
when practicable, the whole debt from
the principal, and suspending execu-
ton for limited time against sure
ties. until It be ascertained that the
principals estate cannot pay the
whole.
"Where the unfortunate debtor OF
the public cannot in reality pay, he
will not be stripped Of relief because
this department refuses any Iengerto
an application to its nero
gratuitous discretion. The double
course Of an application to the seere.
tary Of the Treasury in the nature OF
an insolvent application, as pointed
out by law, or a resort TO the full
powers of Congress, is still left, as
perhaps, the more regular means OF
his, extrication.
(Signed)