Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-01-06


being conducted to the Chair, made his acknow-
ledgments TO the Senate for the honor conferred on
him, and took his seat.
On motion of Mr. Woodbury., it was ordered
that the Secretary inform the President OF the
United States and the House OF Representatives of
the election of Mr.. Macon as President OF the Sc
nate pro tempoTe.
Mr.. Harrison. from the Committee on Military
Affairs, reported the bill TO prevent desertions
from the Army, and for other purposes, without
amendment
Mr.. Van R1rcn. from The Committee on the
Judiciary, reported the bill tn provide for reports
of the decisions of the United States, without
amendment.
TIE BANKRUPT BILL.
The order OF Ne day was chen called, and the
bill TO establish uniform system Of Bankruptcy
tmou, hout the United States was taken up, to
which great number of verbal amendments were
Offered by MIR. Iayne, and Mr.. Berrien, from the
Committee, aud were agreed TO. Several other
amendments male the motions Of Messrs
Hayne and Berrien; when
Mr. Hayne observed, that. having gone through
the verbal amendments, he should now Offer
section, to- be inserted after the Both section
This, he observed, was borrowed from the Scotch
law, and was intended to provide for the more sa,
tisfactory arrangement of unsettled demands II
often found after the commission of bankruptcy
had issued, that debts due to- the bankrupt were not
for time. collected; and this section authorizes
the creditors, at the expiration of eighteen month";.
after the issuing OF the commission to take such
debts for their demands, by the concurring assent
OF two-,hirdS OF the creditors, in number and
value.
Mr.. Bcrrien said tia, he proposed to amend the
sec'i3n added amendment on Thursday, by
adding clause relative to the discharge OF the
prisoner when commission should have been
superseded.
The President observed that, as the amendment
had been agreed 10, it woud be necessary to NOV
reconsideration before amendment 10 it could be
made.
Mr. Berren then moved reconsideration OF the
vote upon the former amendment, which being a.
greed to, he stated that the section referred TO au
thorzed, in Of composition, the Chancellor
or judge to superse!e the commissions; but the
authority to discharge the prisoner, which il might
he supposed would follow really matter Of
course, had been neglected. HIS amendment sup
piled that deficiency. Agreed to.
He also proposed adding to the 21st line the
words with or without amendment.' This, he
observed was 10 give the creditors in compound
ing, latitude sufficient Ia allow them, at the Sc
cond meeting, 10 modify or alter the agreement,
entered into al the FIRST, crcun,sta nces might;
require. /, had been supposed that, according to
the letter. the creditors at the secoad meeting were
bound TO agree TO the same erms--neither more
less, than they hnd agreed 10 at the first eeting
The amendment would enlarge this provision
Agreed TO.
Mr.. Holmes said that he W oud now propose q
section TO be added at the end of the bill, when
ever it should be closed. II was, " And be il
further enacted that this shall be and continue
force, for the term OF five years, and from thence
to the end O! the session of Congress, and no
longer"
Mr.. Hayne observed that as this was not the
proper time tor discussing The propriety OF this
motio1, he willing 10 arqliesce in it, hold
ino fres acton bara
and by means committing himself by this adlnls-
sion
Mr. Holmes said that h4 reason for offering this
section was thot the bin COW under consideration
was merely eX;eriment; he calej it so, because
one mad been made formerly. That bill passed
the House Of Representatives by the casting vote
Of the Speaker. 1t was limited a. he proposed to
limit this. The bill had not been in operation but
about TIN e. years when il repealed by an over
,vheming majority. That experiment failed; and
should this succeed better, he wished that the
period OF it's existence might be pointed out. II it
should succeed, it would be easy TO perpeiuate by
future legislation
The amendment Of Nj. Holmes was agreed to.
Mr. Mills moved that the bill be laid upon the
table; which, being agreed to- it was ordered to be
printed in its amended form
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
BY Mr. Mclean of Chic, petition signed By
mia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio,
praying the aid of Congress towards a scientific
expedition 10 the Northern southern Pole.
The petition was referred TO the Committee on
Naval Affairs.
BANKRUPT BILL.
Mr.. Webster from the Committee on the Jud-
ciary, reported bill to establish uniform system
Of Bankruptcy throughout the United States;
which was twice read, and committed TO a Com
Inittee of the whole House.
MI Webster said, he hoped, before moving for
the second reading OF this bill, to be iniulged in
few brief remarks, the object OF which was chiefly
TO explain the occasion OF reporting the bill at this
time, and to designate the day on which il was
niendedio call up the bill for the attention Of the
House. Since the year 1916, several bills had
been introduced into Congress on the subject OF
an uniform system Of Bankruptcy-as many he
believed, as four or FIVE. Each of these bills was,
probably, an improvement on that which had pre-
ce1sd H.. In the mean time, however, the Parlis-
rnent Of Great Britain bad taken up the same sub
iect had given thorough investigation 10 the
whole body Of their statutory enactments which
related 10 it, and had consolidated them into one
general act, into which many new and salu,arv
provisions had also been Introduced. With the
lights derived from this before them, the
Committee had formed the draft OF the bill nov,
reported 10 ihe House. IL contained, in substance
the bill which had Past session, been received from
the other House, together with the ameDlmenis
which had then been proposed, and also such far
ther additions and notifications as bad occurred 10
the Committee. TIE tine now seemed TO be come
when decision 10 be made, once for all,
whether the United States should, or should moi :,
possess general Bankrupt Law. 1t might be
Il.