Nathan Clifford

“ Certificates of discharge are granted to the individual bankrupt 'to free his faculties from the clog of his indebtedness,' and to encourage him to start again in the business pursuits of life with fresh hope and energy, unfettered with past misfortunes, or with the consequences of antecedent improvidence, mismanagement, or rashness. ”

“ By the act of Congress, the jurisdiction to adjudge such insolvent corporation as are described in the thirty-seventh section of the act to be bankrupts is vested in the district courts; and it follows that such a decree is entitled to the same verity, and is no more liable to be impeached collaterally than the decree of any other court possessing general jurisdiction ”

“ Words and phrases are often found in different provisions of the same statute, which, if taken literally, without any qualification, would be inconsistent, and sometimes repugnant, when, by a reasonable interpretation,-as by qualifying both, or by restricting one and giving to the other a liberal construction, all become harmonious, and the whole difficulty disappears ”

“ Good and sufficient reasons may be given for granting a discharge from prior indebtedness to individual bankrupts which do not exist in the case of corporations, and equally good and sufficient reasons may be given for withholding such a discharge from corporations which do not in any sense apply to individual bankrupts. ”

“ Such a decree adjudging a corporation bankrupt is in the nature of a decree in rem, as respects the status of the corporation; and, if the court rendering it has jurisdiction, it can only be assailed by a direct proceeding in a competent court, unless it appears that the decree is void in form, or that due notice of the petition was never given. ”