commission shall issue, the creditor or creditors petitioning shall make affidavit or solemn affirmation before the said judge, of the truth of his, her, or their debts, and give bond, to be taken by the said judge, in the name, and for the benefit of the said party so charged as a bankrupt, and in such penalty, and with such surety as he shall require, to be conditioned for the proving of his, her, or their debts, as well before the commissioners as upon a trial at law, in case the due issuing forth of the said commission shall be contested, and also for proving the party a bankrupt, and to proceed on such commission, in the manner herein prescribed. And if such debt shall not be really due, or after such commission taken out it cannot be proved that the party was a bankrupt, then the said judge shall, upon the petition of the party aggrieved, in case there be occasion, deliver such bond to the said party, who may sue thereon, and recover such damages, under the penalty of the same, as, upon trial at law, he shall make appear he has sustained, by reason of any breach of the condition thereof.
Commissioners to take an oath, and the mode of declaring the party a bankrupt.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That before the commissioners shall be capable of acting, they shall respectively take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, which shall be administered by the judge issuing the commission, or by any of the judges of the supreme court of the United States, or any judge, justice, or chancellor of any state court, and filed in the office of the clerk of the district court: “I, A. B., do swear, or affirm, that I will faithfully, impartially, and honestly, according to the best of my skill and knowledge, execute the several powers and reposed in me, as a commissioner in a commission of bankruptcy against and that without favour or affection, prejudice or malice.” And the commissioners, who shall be sworn as aforesaid, shall proceed, as soon as may be, to execute the same; and upon due examination, and sufficient cause appearing against the party charged, shall and may declare him or her to be a bankrupt: Provided, that before such examination be had, reasonable notice thereof, in writing, shall be delivered to the person charged as a bankrupt; or if he, or she, be not found at his or her usual place of abode, to some person of the family above the age of twelve years, or if no such person appear, shall be fixed at the front or other public door of the house, in which he or she usually resides, and thereupon it shall be in the power of such person, so charged as aforesaid, to demand before, or at the time appointed for such examination, that a jury be empanneled to inquire into the fact or facts, alleged, as the causes for issuing the commission, and on such demand being made, the inquiry shall be had before the judge granting the commission, at such time as he may direct, and in that case, such person shall not be declared bankrupt, unless, by the verdict of the jury, he or she shall be found to be within the description of this act, and shall be convicted of some one of the acts described in the first section of this act: Provided also, that any commission which shall be taken out as aforesaid, and which shall not be proceeded in as aforesaid, within thirty days thereafter, may be superseded by the said judge, who shall have granted the same, upon the application of the party thereby charged as a bankrupt, or of any creditor of such person, unless the delay shall have been unavoidable, or upon a just occasion.
Commissioners may cause the bankrupt to be arrested.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the commissioners so to be appointed, shall have power forthwith, after they have declared such person a bankrupt, to cause to be apprehended, by warrant under their hands and seals, the body of such bankrupt, wheresoever to be found, within the United States: Provided, they shall think, that there is a reason to apprehend that the said bankrupt intends to abscond or conceal him or herself, and in case it be necessary, in order to take the body of the said bankrupt, shall have power to cause the doors of the dwelling-
