United States Statutes at Large/Volume 6/9th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 11
Chap. XI.—An Act for the relief of William Hearn.
Sec. Treas. to cause inquiries to be made into the pecuniary circumstances, and to give him a certificate.Be it enacted, &c., That the secretary of the treasury be, and he is hereby authorized to inquire, by himself, or by some trusty agent whom he may appoint for the purpose, into the pecuniary circumstances of William Hearn, now imprisoned, by virtue of a writ of execution, in favor of the United States, in the prison of Washington county, district of Columbia; and if said Hearn shall assign and convey to the secretary aforesaid, all the estate, of every kind and description, which he may own, or be entitled to, in possession, remainder, or reversion, to the proper use and benefit of the United States; or if he, the said Hearn, shall prove to the satisfaction of the secretary, or agent foresaid, that he has no estate, and has not transferred all or any part of his property, with intent to avoid the payment of the sum for which he is imprisoned, or to defraud the United States;Upon which the marshal, &c. is authorized to discharge him.
Proviso. then the secretary of the treasury shall give to said Hearn, a certificate, stating what he has done in the premises: and upon said Hearn producing such certificate to the marshal of the district of Columbia, he shall discharge said Hearn from his imprisonment: Provided, in case the certificate shall specify that the said Hearn has satisfied the secretary, or agent aforesaid, that he had no estate, and of course has made no assignment, then the said Hearn shall either pay, or execute to the marshal, his obligation, payable to the United States, for all fees and expenses, which have arisen in consequence of his, said Hearn’s imprisonment, before he be discharged as aforesaid:Proviso. And provided, That nothing in this act shall be construed, to discharge any other person from any liableness to the payment of, (or from any liableness to be imprisoned by virtue of the execution aforesaid,) nor to release any estate, which the said Hearn may hereafter acquire, from a liableness to satisfy said execution.
Approved, February 10, 1807.