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Description and Holding Information
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House. Special Comm. on a Bill for Relief of Insolvent Debtors. Report, 1834
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SEE ALSO Too many to list House No. 31 Report of the Special Committee to whom was referred the bill for the relief of insolvent debtors and for
the more equal distribution of their effects. Boston : Dutton & Wentworth, 1834. The report on the previous legislation and additional material was
studied by five men, who submitted a lengthy report. They thought the last bill was a good one, so only slight changes should be considered. There
were two goals: to distribute assets fairly and to keep debtors out of prison. An Act for the relief of insolvent debtors and for the more equal
distribution of their effects, 1833. The bill is in 23 sections and runs from p. 9 to p. 38. Any debtor may ask the Court to come under the act. He must
give notice to his creditors and explain his debt to the judge. There followed many pages of "if this, then that," trying to manage all possible
scenarios. Creditors were given an opportunity to declare their claims; no class of debtor was created--all were equally owed. As always, endless
meticulous record-keeping was required, several meetings were required, fees were levied at every turn, and it is difficult to see how any creditor received
enough to make it worth his time. Probate Judges and Masters at Chancery followed the same procedures, with the entire process overseen in a general
way by the Supreme Judicial Court. The certificate of discharge, showing the debtor had done his best and the case was closed, is only mentioned in
passing in this bill. Toward the end of the bill, there was a section about business partners going bankrupt. (Digitized from a microfilm copy of
title originally held by the Massachusetts State Library).
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Title:
Report of the special committee to whom was referred the bill for the relief of insolvent debtors : and for the more equal distribution of their effects.
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OCLC Number:
1401990503
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Available Volumes
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| Name | Fiche Count | Online | Paper Backup |
| Vol. 1 | | Yes | No |
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