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14. SECT. XIV. If complaint shall be made or information given to the commissioners, or if they shall have good reason to believe or suspect, that any of the property, goods, chattels, or debts, of the bankrupt, are in the possession of any other person, or that any person is indebted to, or for the use of the bankrupt, then the said commissioners shall have power to summon, or cause to be summoned, by their attorney or other person duly authorized by them, all such persons before them, or the judge of the district where such person shall reside, by such process, or other means, as they shall think convenient, and upon their appearance, to examine them by parole or by interrogatories, in writing, on oath, or affirmation, which oath or affirmation they are hereby empowered to administer, respecting the knowledge of all such property, goods, chattels, and debts; and if such person shall refuse to be sworn or affirmed, and to make answer to such questions or interrogatories as shall be administered, and to subscribe the said answers, or upon examination shall not declare the whole truth, touching the subject matter of such examination, then it shall be lawful for the commissioners, or judge, to commit such person to prison, there to be detained until they shall submit themselves to be examined in manner aforesaid, and they shall moreover, forfeit double the value of all the property, goods, chattels, and debts, by them concealed.

15. SECT. XV. If any of the aforesaid persons shall, after legal summons to appear before the commissioners or judge, to be examined, refuse to attend, or shall not attend at the time appointed, having no such impediment as shall be allowed of by the commissioners or judge, it shall be lawful for the said commissioners or judge, to direct their warrants to such person or persons as by them shall be thought proper, to apprehend such persons as shall refuse to appear, and to bring them before the commissioners or judge, to be examined, and upon their refusal to come, to commit them to prison, until they shall submit themselves to be examined, according to the directions of this act: Provided, that such witnesses as shall be so sent for, shall be allowed such compensation as the commissioners, or judge shall think fit, to be rateably borne by the creditors; and if any person, other than the bankrupt, either by subornation of others, or by his or her own act, shall wilfully or corruptly commit perjury on such examination, to be taken before the commissioners as aforesaid, the party so offending, and all persons who shall procure any person to commit such perjury, shall on conviction thereof be fined not exceeding four thousand dollars, and imprisoned not exceeding two years, and moreover shall, in either case, be rendered incapable of being a witness in any court of record.

16. SECT. XVI. If any person or persons shall fraudulently, or collusively claim any debts, or claim or detain any real or personal estate of the bankrupt, every such person shall forfeit double the value thereof, to and for the use of the creditors.

17. SECT. XVII. If any person, prior to his or her becoming a bankrupt, shall convey to any of his or her children, or other persons, any lands or goods, or transfer his or [her] debts or demands into other person's names, with intent to defraud his or her creditors, the com

missioners shall have power to assign the same, in as effectual a manner as if the bankrupt had been actually seised or possessed thereof. 18. SECT. XVIII. If any person or persons who shall become bankrupt within the intent and meaning of this act, and against whom a commission of bankruptcy shall be duly issued, upon which commission such person, or persons, shall be declared bankrupt, shall not within forty-two days after notice thereof, in writing, to be left at the usual place of abode of such person or persons, or personal notice in case such person or persons be then in prison, and notice given in some gazette, that such commission hath been issued, and of the time and place of meeting of the commissioners, surrender him or herself to the said commissioners, and sign or subscribe such surrender, and submit to be examined from time to time, upon oath or solemn affirmation, by and before such commissioners, and in all things conform to the provisions of this act, and also upon such his or her examination, fully and truly disclose and discover all his or her effects and estate, real and personal, and how and in what manner, to whom and upon what consideration, and at what time or times he or she hath disposed of, assigned or transferred, any of his or her goods, wares, or merchandise, monies, or other effects and estate, and of all books, papers and writings relating thereunto, of which he or she was possessed, or in or to which he or she was any ways interested or entitled, or which any person or persons shall then have, or shall have had in trust for him or her, or for his or her use, at any time before or after the issuing of the said commission, or whereby such bankrupt, or his or her family then hath, or may have or expect any profit, possibility of profit, benefit or advantage whatsoever, except only such part of his or her estate and effects as shall have been really and bona fide before sold and disposed of, in the way of his or her trade and dealings, and except such sums of money as shall have been laid out in the ordinary expenses of his or her family, and also upon such examination, execute in due form of law, such conveyance, assurance, and assignment of his or her estate, whatsoever and wheresoever, as shall be devised and directed by the commissioners, to vest the same in the assignees, their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever, in trust for the use of all and every the creditors of such bankrupt, who shall come in and prove their debts under the commission; and deliver up unto the commissioners, all such part of his or her the said bankrupt's goods, wares, merchandises, money, effects and estate, and all books, papers, and writings relating thereun to, as at the time of such examination shall be in his or her possession, custody or power, his or her necessary wearing apparel, and the necessary wearing apparel of the wife and children, and necessary beds and bedding, of such bankrupt only excepted, then he or she the said bankrupt, upon the conviction of any wilful default, or omission in any of the matters or things aforesaid, shall be adjudged a fraudulent bankrupt, and shall suffer imprisonment for a term not less than twelve months, nor exceeding ten years, and shall not, at any time after, be entitled to the benefits of this act: Provided always, that in case any bankrupt shall be in prison or custody at the time of issuing such commission, and is willing to surrender and submit to be examined, according to the directions of this act, and can be brought before the said

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commissioners and creditors for that purpose, the expense thereof shall be paid out of the said bankrupt's effects, and in case such bankrupt is in execution, or cannot be brought before the commissioners, that then the said commissioners, or some one of them, shall, from time to time, attend the said bankrupt in prison or custody, and take his or her discovery as in other cases, and the assignees, or one of them, or some person appointed by them, shail attend such bankrupt in prison or custody, and produce his or her books, papers and writings, in order to enable him or her to prepare his or her discovery; a copy whereof the said assignees shall apply for, and the said bankrupt shall deliver to them or their order, within a reasonable time after the same shall have been required.

19. SECT. XIX. The said commissioners shall appoint, within the said forty-two days, so limited as aforesaid, for the bankrupt to surrender and conform as aforesaid, not less than three several meetings for the purposes aforesaid, the third of which meetings shall be on the last of the said forty-two days: Provided always, That the judge of the district within which such commission issues, shall have power to enlarge the time so limited as aforesaid, for the purposes aforesaid, as he shall think fit, not exceeding fifty days, to be computed from the end of the said forty-two days, so as such order for enlarging the time be made at least six days before the expiration of said term.

20. SECT. XX. It shall be lawful for the commissioners, or any other person or officers, by them to be appointed, by their warrant, under their hands and seals, to break open in the day time the houses, chambers, shops, ware-houses, doors, trunks, or chests, of the bankrupt, where any of his or her goods or estate, deeds, books of account or writings, shall be, and to take possession of the goods, money, and other estate, deeds, books of account or writings of such bankrupt.

21. SECT. XXI. If the Lankrupt shall refuse to be examined, or to answer fully, or to subscribe his or her examination as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the commissioners to commit the offender to close imprisonment, until he or she shall conform him or herself; and if the said bankrupt shall submit to be examined, and upon his or her examination, it shall appear that he or she hath committed wilful or corrupt perjury, he or she may be indicted therefor, and being thereof convicted, shall suffer itaprisonment for a term not less than two years, nor exceeding ten years.

22. SECT. XXIl. Every bankrept, having surrendered, shall, at all seasonable times before the expiration of the said forty-two days, as aforesaid, or of such farther time as shall be allowed to finish his or her examination, be at liberty to inspect his or her books and writings, in the presence of some person to be appointed by the commissioners, and to bring with him or her, for his or her assistance, such persons as he or she shall think ht, not exceeding two at one time, and to make extracts and copies, to enable him or her to make a full discovery of his or her effects; and the Laid bankrupt shall be free from arrests in coming to surrender, and alver Laving surrendered to the said commissioners, for the said forty-two days, or such farther time as shall be allowed

for the finishing his or her examination; and in case such bankrupt shall be arrested for debt, or taken on any escape warrant or execution, coming to surrender, or after his surrender within the time beforementioned, then on producing such summons or notice under the hand of the commissioners, and giving the officer a copy thereof, he or she shall be cischarged; and in case any officer shall afterwards detain such bankrupt, such officer shall forfeit to such bankrupt for his or her own use, ten dollars for every day he shall detain the bankrupt.

23. SECT. XXIII. Every person who shall knowingly or wilfally receive or keep concealed any bankrupt, so as aforesaid summoned to appear, or who shall assist such bankrupt in concealing him or herself, or in absconding, shall suffer such imprisonment, not exceeding twelva months, or pay such fine to the united states, not exceeding one thousand dollars, as upon conviction thereof shall be adjudged.

24. SECT. XXIV. The said commissioners shall have power to examine, upon oath or affirmation, the wife of any person lawfully declared a bankrupt, for the discovery of such part of his estate as may be concealed or disposed of by such wife, or by any other person; and the said wife shall incur such penalties for not appearing before the said commissioners, or refusing to be sworn or affirmed, or examined, and to subscribe her examination, or for not disclosing the truth, as by this act is provided against any other person in like cases.

25. SECT. XXV. In case any person shall be committed by the commissioners for refusing to answer, or for not fully answering any question, or for any other cause, the commissioners shall, in their warrant, specify such question or other cause of commitment.

26. SECT. XXVI. If after the bankrupt shall have finished his or, her final examination, any other person or persons shall voluntarily make discovery of any part of such bankrupt's estate, before unknown to the commissioners, such person or persons shall be entitled to five per cent. out of the effects so discovered, and such further reward as the commissioners shall think proper; and any trustee having notice of the bankruptcy, wilfully concealing the estate of any bankrupt, for the space of ten days after the bankrupt shall have finished his final examination, as aforesai, shall forfeit double the value of the estate. so concealed, for the benefit of the creditors.

27. SECT. XXVII. If any person shall become bankrupt, and at such time, by consent of the owner, have in his or her possession and disposition, any goods whereof he or she shall be reputed owner, and take upon him or herself, the sale, alteration, or disposition thereof, as owner, the commissioners shall have power to assign the same, for the benefit of the creditors, as fully as any other part of the estate of the bankrupt.

23. SECT. XXVIII. If any bankrupt, after the issuing any commission against him or her, pay to the person who sued out the same, or give or deliver to such person, goods or any other satisfaction or sccurity for his or her debt, whereby such person shall privately have and receive a greater proportion of his or her debt than the other creditors, such preference shall be a new act of bankruptcy, and on goud

proof thereof, such commission shall and may be superceded, and it shall and may be lawful for either of the judges, having authority to grant the commission as aforesaid, to award any creditor petitioning another commission, and such person, so taking such undue satisfaction as aforesaid, shall forfeit and lose, as well his or her whole debts, as the whole he or she shall have taken and received, and shall pay back, or deliver up the same, or the full value thereof, to the assignee or assignees who shall be appointed or chosen under such commission, in manner aforesaid, in trust for, and to be divided amongst the other creditors of the said bankrupt, in proportion to their respective debts.

29. SECT. XXIX. Every person who shall be chosen assignee of the estate and effects of a bankrupt, shall, at some time after the expiration of four months, and within twelve months from the time of issuing the commission, cause at least thirty days public notice to be given, of the time and place the commissioners and assignees intend to meet, to make a dividend or distribution of the bankrupt's estate and effects; at which time the creditors who have not before proved their debts, shall be at liberty to prove the same; and upon every such meeting, the assignee or assignees shall produce to the commissioners and creditors then present, fair and just accounts of all his or their receipts and payments, touching the bankrupt's estate and effects, and of what shall remain out standing, and the particulars thereof, and shall, if the creditors then present, or a major part of them, require the same, be examined upon oath or solemn affirmation, before the same commissioners, touching the truth of such accounts; and in such accounts, the said assignee or assignees shall be allowed and retain all such sum and sums of money, as they shall have paid or expended in suing out and prosecuting the commission, and all other just allowances on account of, or by reason or means of their being assignee or assignees; and the said commissioners shall order such part of the nett produce of the said bankrupt's estate, as by such accounts or otherwise shall appear to be in the hands of the said assignees, as they shall think fit, to be forthwith divided among such of the bankrupt's creditors as have duly proved their debts under such commission, in proportion to their several and respective debts; and the commissioners shall make such their order for a dividend in writing, under their hands, and shall cause one part of such order to be filed amongst the proceedings under the said commission, and shall deliver unto each of the assignees under such commission, a duplicate of such their order, which order of distribution shall contain an account of the time and place of making such order, and the sum total or quantum of all the debts proved under the commission, and the sum total of the money remaining in the hands of the assignee or assignees to be divided, and how many per cent. in particular is there ordered to be paid to every creditor of his debt; and the said assignce or assignees, in pursuance of such order, and without any deed or deeds of distribution, to be made for the purpose, shall forthwith make such dividend and distribution accordingly, and shall take receipts, in a book to be kept for the purpose, from each creditor, for the part or share of such dividend or distribution, which he or they shall make, and pay to each creditor respectively; and such order and

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