icil, and the petition may be amended by inserting an allegation of an act of bankruptcy committed at an earlier date toan that first alleged, if such earlier act is charged in either of the other petitions; and in case of two or more petitions against the same partnership in different courts, each having jurisdiction over the case, the petition first filed shall be first heard, and may be amended by the insertion of an allegation of an earlier act of bankruptcy than that first alleged, if such earlier act is charged in either of the other petitions; and, in either case, the proceedings upon the other petitions may be stayed until an adjudication is made upon the petition first heard: and the court which makes the first adjudication of bankruptcy shall retain jurisdiction over all proceedings therein until the same shall be closed. In case two or more petitions shall be filed in different districts by different members of the same partner- SCHEDULE IN INVOLUNTARY BANKship for an adjudication of the bankruptcy of said partnership, the court in which the petition is first filed, having jurisdiction shall take and retain jurisdiction over all proceedings in such bankruptcy until the same shall be closed; and if such petitions shall be filed in the same district, action shall be first had upon the one first filed But the court so retaining jurisdiction shall, if satisfied that it is for the greatest convenience of parties in interest that another of said courts should proceed with the cases, order them to be transferred to that court. 7. PRIORITY OF PETITIONS. Whenever two or more petitions shall be filed by creditors against a common debtor, alleging separate acts of bankruptcy committed by said debtor on different days within four months prior to the filing of said petitions, and the debtor shall appear and show cause against an adjudication of bankruptcy against him on the petitions, that petition shall be first heard and triei which alleges the commission of the earliest act of bankruptcy; and in case the several acts of bankruptcy are alleged in the different petitions to have been committed on the same day, the court before which the same are pending may order them to be consolidated, and proceed to a hearing as upon one petition; and if an adjudication of bankruptcy be made upon either petition, or for the commission of a single act of bankruptcy, it shall not be necessary to proceed to a hearing upon the remaining petitions, unless proceedings be taken by the debtor for the purpose of causing such adjudication to be an nulled or vacated. 8. PROCEEDINGS IN PARTNERSHIP CASES. Any member of a partnership, who refuses to join in a petition to have the partnership declared bankrupt, shall be entitled to resist the prayer of the petition in the same manner as if the petition had been filed by a creditor of the partnership, and notice of the filing of the petition shall be given to him in the same manner as provided by law and by these rules in the case of a debtor petitioned against; and he shall have the right to appear at the time fixed by the court for the hearing of the petition, and to make proof, if he can, that the partnership is not insolvent or has not committed an act of bankruptcy, and to make all defenses which any debtor proceeded against is entitled to take by the provisions of the act; and in case an adjudication of bankruptcy is made upon the petition, such partner shall be required to file a schedule of his debts and an inventory of his property in the same manner as is required by the act in cases of debtors against whom adjudication of bank. ruptcy shall be made. 9. RUPTCY. In all cases of involuntary bankruptcy in which the bankrupt is absent or cannot be found, it shall be the duty of the petitioning creditor to file, within five days after the date of the adjudication, a schedule giving the names and places of residence of all the creditors of the bankrupt, according to the best information of the petitioning creditor. If the debtor is found, and is served with notice to furnish a schedule of his creditors and fails to do so, the petitioning creditor may apply for an attachment against the debtor, or may himself furnish such schedule as aforesaid. 10. INDEMNITY FOR EXPENSES. Before incurring any expense in publishing or mailing notices, or in traveling, or in procuring the attendance of witnesses, or in perpetuating testimony, the clerk, marshal, or referee may require, from the bankrupt or other person in whose behalf the duty is to be performed, indemnity for such expense. Money advanced for this purpose by the bankrupt or other person shall be repaid him out of the estate as part of the cost of administering the same. 11. AMENDMENTS. The court may allow amendments to the petition and schedules on application of the petitioner. Amendments shall be printed or written, signed and verified, like original petitions and schedules. If amendments are made to separate schedules, the same must be made separately, with proper references. In the application for leave to amend, the petitioner shall state the cause of the error in the paper originally filed. 12. DUTIES OF REFEREE. 1. The order referring a case to a referee shall name a day upon which the bankrupt shall attend before the referee; and from that day the bankrupt shall be subject to the orders of the court in all matters relating to his bankruptcy, and may receive from the referee a protection against arrest, to continue until the final adjudication on his application for a discharge, unless suspended or vacated by order of the court. A copy of the order shall forthwith be sent by mail to the referee or be delivered to him personally by the clerk or other officer of the court. And thereafter all the proceedings, except such as are required by the act or by these general orders to be had before the judge, shall be had before the referee. 2. The time when and the place where the referees shall act upon the matters arising under the several cases referred to them shall be fixed by special order of the judge, or by the referee; and at such times and places the referees may perform the duties which they are empowered by the act to perform. 3. Applications for a discharge, or for the approval of a composition, or for an injunction to stay proceedings of a court or officer of the United States or of a state, shall be heard and decided by the judge. But he may refer such an application, or any specified issue arising thereon, to the referee to ascertain and report the facts. 13. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL 14. The appointment of a trustee by the itors shall be subject to be approved or disapproved by the referee or by the judge; and he shall be removable by the judge only. NO OFFICIAL OR GENERAL TRUSTEE. No official trustee shall be appointed by the court, nor any general trustee to act in classes of cases. The The trustee shall, immediately upon eninventory of all the property of the banktering upon his duties, prepare a complete rupt that comes into his possession. trustee shall make report to the court, withhis appointment, of the articles set off to the in twenty days after receiving the notice of bankrupt by him, according to the provisions of the forty-seventh section of the act, with the estimated value of each article, and any creditor may take exceptions to the determination of the trustee within twenty days after the filing of the report. The referee may require the exceptions to be argued before him, and shall certify them to the court for final determination at the request of either party. In case the trustee shall neglect to file any report or statement which it is made his duty to file or make by the act, or by any general order in bankruptcy, withshall be the duty of the referee to make an in five days after the same shall be due, it order requiring the trustee to show cause before the judge, at a specified time in the order, why he should not be removed from OF office. The referee shall cause a copy of the order to be served upon the trustee at least seven days before the time fixed for the hearcred-ing, and proof of the service thereof to be delivered to the clerk. All accounts of trus tees shall be referred as of course to the referee for audit, unless otherwise specially ordered by the court. 16. If the schedule of a voluntary bankrupt discloses no assets, and if no creditor appears at the first meeting, the court may, by order setting out the facts, direct that no trustee be appointed; but at any time thereafter a trustee may be appointed, if the court shall deem it desirable. If no trustee is appointed as aforesaid, the court may order that no meeting of the creditors other than the first meeting shall be called. referee of his acceptance or rejection of the trust, and shall contain a statement of the penal sum of the trustee's bond. 17. SALE OF PROPERTY. 1. All sales shall be by public auction unless otherwise ordered by the court. 15. 2. Upon application to the court, and for good cause shown, the trustee may be author CASES. TRUSTEE NOT APPOINTED IN CERTAIN ized to sell any specified portion of the bankrupt's estate at private sale; in which case he shall keep an accurate account of each artito whom sold; which account he shall file at cle sold, and the price received therefor, and once with the referee. It shall be the duty of the referee, immediately upon the appointment and approval of the trustee, to notify him in person or by mail of his appointment; and the notice shall require the trustee forthwith to notify the 18. receiver, or trustee, setting forth that a part 3. Upon petition by a bankrupt, creditor, or the whole of the bankrupt's estate is perishable estate, and that there will be loss if ishable, the nature and location of such perthe same is not sold immediately, the court, if satisfied of the facts stated and that the sale is required in the interest of the estate, may order the same to be sold, with or without notice to the creditors, and the proceeds NOTICE TO TRUSTEE OF HIS APPOINT. to be deposited in court. 19. ACCOUNTS OF MARSHAL. The marshal shall make return, under oath, of his actual and necessary expenses in the service of every warrant addressed to him, and for custody of property, and other | ble for the bankrupt may be proved in the 5. The execution of any letter of attorney 6. When the trustee or any creditor shall desire the re-examination of any claim filed against the bankrupt's estate, he may apply by petition to the referee to whom the case is referred for an order for such re-examination, and thereupon the referee shall make an order fixing a time for hearing the petition, of which due notice shall be given by mail addressed to the creditor. At the time appointed the referee shall take the examination of the creditor, and of any witnesses that may be called by either party, and if it shall appear from such examination that the claim ought to be expunged or diminished, the referee may order accordingly. 20. PAPERS FILED AFTER REFERENCE. Proofs of claims and other papers filed subsequently to the reference, except such as call for action by the judge, may be filed either with the referee or with the clerk. 21. PROOF OF DEBTS. 1. Depositions to prove claims against a bankrupt's estate shall be correctly entitled in the court and in the cause. When made to prove a debt due to a partnership, it must appear on oath that the deponent is a member of the partnership; when made by an agent, the reason the deposition is not made by the claimant in person must be stated; and when made to prove a debt due to a corporation, the deposition shall be made by the treasurer, or, if the corporation has no treasurer, by the officer whose duties most nearly correspond to those of treasurer. Depositions to prove debts existing in open account shall state when the debt became or will become due; and if it consists of items maturing at different dates the average due date shall be stated, in default of which it shall not be necessary to compute interest upon it. All such depositions shall contain an averment that no note has been received for such account, nor any judgment rendered thereon. Proofs of debt received by any trustee shall be delivered to the referee to whom the cause is referred. 2. Any creditor may file with the referee a request that all notices to which he may be entitled shall be addressed to him at any place, to be designated by the postoffice box or street number, as he may appoint; and thereafter, and until some other designation shall be made by such creditor, all notices shall be so addressed; and in other cases notices shall be addressed as specified in the proof of debt. 3. Claims which have been assigned before proof shall be supported by a deposition of the owner at the time of the commencement of proceedings, setting forth the true consideration of the debt and that it is entirely unsecured, or if secured, the security, as is required in proving secured claims. Upon the filing of satisfactory proof of the assign nent of a claim proved and entered on the referee's docket, the referee shall immediately give notice by mail to the original claimant of the filing of such proof of assignment; and if no objection be entered within ten days, or within further time allowed by the referee, he shall make an order subrogating the assignee to the original claimant. If cbjection be made, he shall proceed to hear and determine the matter. 22. The examination of witnesses before the referee may be conducted by the party in 23. In all orders made by a referee, it shall be recited, according as the fact may be, that notice was given and the manner thereof; or that the order was made by consent; or that no adverse interest was represented at the hearing; or that the order was made after 4. The claims of persons contingently lia-hearing adverse interests. 24. TRANSMISSION OF PROVED CLAIMS The referee shall forthwith transmit to the clerk a list of the claims proved against an estate, with the names and addresses of the proving creditors. 25. SPECIAL MEETING OF CREDITORS. Whenever, by reason of a vacancy in the office of trustee, or for any other cause, it becomes necessary to call a special meeting of the creditors in order to carry out the purposes of the act, the court may call such a meeting, specifying in the notice the purpose for which it is called. 26. ACCOUNTS OF REFEREE. Every referee shall keep an accurate account of his traveling and incidental expenses, and of those of any clerk or other officer attending him in the performance of his duties in any case which may be referred to him; and shall make return of the same under oath to the judge, with proper vouchers when vouchers can be procured, on the first Tuesday in each month. 27. REVIEW BY JUDGE. When a bankrupt, creditor, trustee, or other person shall desire a review by the judge of any order made by the referee, he shall file with the referee his petition therefor, setting out the error complained of; and the referee shall forthwith certify to the judge the question presented, a summary of the evidence relating thereto, and the finding and order of the referee thereon. 28. 29. PAYMENT OF MONEYS DEPOSITED. REDEMPTION OF PROPERTY AND No moneys deposited as required by the act shall be drawn from the depository unless by check or warrant signed by the clerk of the court, or by a trustee, and countersigned by the judge of the court, or by a referee designated for that purpose, or by the clerk or his assistant under an oath made by the judge, stating the date, the sum, and the account for which it is drawn; and an entry of the substance of such check or warrant, with the date thereof, the sum drawn for, and the account for which it is drawn, shall be forthwith made in a book kept for that purpose by the trustee or his clerk; and all checks and drafts shall be entered in the order of time in which they are drawn, and shall be numbered in the case of each estate. A copy of this general order shall be furnished to the depository, and also the name of any referee or clerk authorized to countersign said checks. IMPRISONED DEBTOR. | If, at the time of preferring his petition, the debtor shall be imprisoned, the court, upon application, may order him to be produced upon habeas corpus, by the jailer or any officer in whose custody he may be, before the referee, for the purpose of testifying in any matter relating to his bankruptcy; and, if committed after the filing of his petition upon process in any civil action founded upon a claim provable in bankruptcy, the court may, upon like application, discharge him from such imprisonment. If the petitioner, during the pendency of the proceedings in bankruptcy, be arrested or imprisoned upon process in any civil action, the district court, upon his application, may issue a writ of habeas corpus to bring him before the court to ascertain whether such process has been issued for the collection of any claim provable in bankruptcy, and if so provable he shall be discharged; if not, he shall be reCOM-manded to the custody in which he may lawfully be. Before granting the order for discharge the court shall cause notice to be served upon the creditor or his attorney, so as to give him an opportunity of appearing and being heard before the granting of the order. 30. Whenever it may be deemed for the benefit of the estate of a bankrupt to redeem and discharge any mortgage or other pledge, or deposit or lien, upon any property, real or personal, or to relieve said property from any conditional contract, and to tender performance of the conditions thereof, or to compound and settle any debts or other claims due or belonging to the estate of the bankrupt, the trustee, or the bankrupt, or any creditor who has proved his debt, may file his petition therefor; and thereupon the court shall appoint a suitable time and place for the hearing thereof, notice of which shall be given as the court shall direct, so that all creditors and other persons interested OPPOSITION TO DISCHARGE OR COMmay appear and show cause, if any they have, why an order should not be passed by the court upon the petition authorizing such act on the part of the trustee. POSITION. 31. PETITION FOR DISCHARGE. The petition of a bankrupt for a discharge shall state concisely, in accordance with the provisions of the act and the orders of the court, the proceedings in the case and the acts of the bankrupt. 32. A creditor opposing the application of a bankrupt for his discharge, or for the con 1193 firmation of a composition, shall enter his appearance in opposition thereto on the day when the creditors are required to show cause, and shall file a specification in writing of the grounds of his opposition within ten days thereafter, unless the time shall be enlarged by special order of the judge. 33. ARBITRATION. Whenever a trustee shall make application to the court for authority to submit a controversy arising in the settlement of a demand against a bankrupt's estate, or for a debt due to it, to the determination of arbitrators, or for authority to compound and settle such controversy by agreement with the other party, the application shall clearly and distinctly set forth the subject-matter of the controversy, and the reasons why the trustee thinks it proper and most for the interest of the estate that the controversy should be settled by arbitration or otherwise. 34. COSTS IN CONTESTED ADJUDICATIONS. In cases of involuntary bankruptcy, when the debtor resists an adjudication, and the court, after hearing, adjudges the debtor a bankrupt, the petitioning creditor shall recover, and be paid out of the estate, the same costs that are allowed to a party recovering in a suit in equity; and if the petition is dismissed, the debtor shall recover like costs against the petitioner. 35. COMPENSATION OF CLERKS, REFEREES, AND TRUSTEES. 1. The fees allowed by the act to clerks shall be in full compensation for all services performed by them in regard to filing petitions or other papers required by the act to be filed with them, or in certifying or delivering papers or copies of records to referees or other officers, or in receiving or paying out money; but shall not include copies furnished to other persons, or expenses necessarily incurred in publishing or mailing notices or other papers. 2. The compensation of referees, prescribed by the act, shall be in full compensation for all services performed by them under the act, or under these general orders; but shall not include expenses necessarily incurred by them in publishing or mailing notices, in traveling, or in perpetuating testimony, or other expenses necessarily in curred in the performance of their duties under the act, and allowed by special order of the judge. 3. The compensation allowed to trustees by the act shall be in full compensation for the services performed by them; but shall not include expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties and allowed upon the settlement of their accounts. 4. In any case in which the fees of the clerk, referee, and trustee are not required by the act to be paid by a debtor before filing his petition to be adjudged a bankrupt, the judge, at any time during the pendency of the proceedings in bankruptcy, may order those fees to be paid out of the estate; or may, after notice to the bankrupt, and satisfactory proof that he then has or can obtain the money with which to pay those fees, order him to pay them within a time specified, and, if he fails to do so, may order his petition to be dismissed. 36. APPEALS. 1. Appeals from a court of bankruptcy to a circuit court of appeals, or to the supreme court of a territory, shall be allowed by a judge of the court appealed from or of the court appealed to, and shall be regulated, except as otherwise provided in the act, by the rules governing appeals in equity in the courts of the United States. 2. Appeals under the act to the Supreme Court of the United States from a circuit court of appeals, or from the supreme court of a territory, or from the supreme court of the District of Columbia, or from any court of bankruptcy whatever, shall be taken within thirty days after the judgment or decree, and shall be allowed by a judge of the court appealed from, or by a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. 3. In every case in which either party is entitled by the act to take an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, the court from which the appeal lies shall, at or before the time of entering its judgment or decree, make and file a finding of the facts, and its conclusions of law thereon, stated separately; and the record transmitted to the Supreme Court of the United States in such an appeal shall consist only of the pleadings, the judgment or decree, the finding of facts, and the conclusions of law. 37. GENERAL PROVISIONS. In proceedings in equity, instituted for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of the act or for enforcing the rights and remedies given by it, the rules of equity practice established by the Supreme Court of the United States shall be followed as nearly as may be. In proceedings at law, instituted for the same purpose, the practice and procedure, in cases at law shall be followed special order in any case, vary the time alas nearly as may be. But the judge may, by lowed for return of process, for appearance and pleading, and for taking testimony and publication, and may otherwise modify the rules for the preparation of any particular case so as to facilitate a speedy hearing. 38. FORMS. The several forms annexed to these general orders shall be observed and used, with such alterations as may be necessary to suit the circumstances of any particular case. |
