Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-08-12
/" Treasury Detartmsah
Comp,rOl.er's office, May IL, 1915.

Treasury Iel4Grfne.f,
I" Comp,rol,er's office, May Il, 1918.
"The great number Of unsettled suits and
unsatiShed judgements in which the governs
ment is concel ast, III some OF the districts OF
the Unieu the remote dates Ut many ct
them; the embarrassmcnts 10 this branch OF
the public business, ii not the actual loss 20
the public theiIce frequently arising-maSe
Unnecessary to adopt rule not heretofore
prescribed by this department, but the in
cunveniences resulting from the want Of
winch call for its enforcement as measure
not longar TO be dispensed with. 1t is, shat,
IN future, no indulgence, other than the
practice ofths Courts may warrant, be given
TO the debtors OF the Uptted States after a
suit has gone through its regular stages and
a judgement been entered. Whatever APP
pearance If rigor this instruction may, AZ
first sight, assume after so long an acqusxs-
cencc in a different Course, the pubic rta-
sons which urge to it are, nevertheless, Of
weight. and haze been duly considered
The difficulty OF ascertaining, it may be,
the meritoriuus claims OF different debtors
dispersed throughout eighteen states, who
apply for prolongation of the time of pay
ment after judgement in due course OF law
entered against them the difficulty, it may
also be, OF discriminating the genuine IT. the
the fictitious excuse the Increasing number
Oiapplica,ions ofthis Observation-Disclosures the
files OF the department open to the Rccumu-
lating papers and records of business thus
tor years, and often, in eject. left indefinite
~ suspended and ENCLOSED; the Responsible
~ ut all times coupled WIKI. the exercise of
such discretion, and the actual losses which
there is good reason for surprising have
sometimes resulted from its exerclse-are
rba rntigpS which haye I'D H.
rule here communicated for your future go,
ycrnment.
That its enforcement may sometimes
work individual hardship, and even occa-
sional loss, is possible but whatever room
there MAJ be for regret under view of the
FIRST OF these consequences, or however OBJ
jectionable the latter, il Is conceived, upon
the whole, that the general advantages
that viii follow justify and call for its
adoption. You will, therefore. be pleased
Reconsider that, henceforth, no debtor of the
United States in you: district, against
whom YOU obtain a Judgment, is to be allow
ed any extensions If time hey ohd that which
the law may accord to him for payment of
hs debt, and that none be granted to him
under the plea of his addressing an applica-
zion to that effect 10 this department The
rule thus laid down with view to the gen
eral good cannot be relaxed in any case,
unless specially recommended by you, and
with vie - t. one of the following objects !:
1. Securing more effectuaily the debt by oh
tanning collateral security or otherwise. 3.
Selling more aayantageously property under
esScutis~ Particularly really by a sale on rea-
sonabis and usualterms Of credit 8. Reco,
vering, when practicable, the whole debt
from the principal. and suspending execu-
zion for limited time against sureties until
it be asCertained that the principals estate
cannot pay the whole.
'Where the unfortunate debtor of the
public cannot ia reality pay, he viii not tie
stripped of relief because this department
refuses any longer to entertain an applica-
ton to its mere gratuitous discretion. The
double course of an application to the Se>
cretmy of the Treasury in the nature Of an
insolyent application. as pointed cut by law,
or a resortto the full powers of Congress, is
still left, as perhaps, the more regular
means of his extIication.
(Signed) ORCHARD RUSH"