subsequent to their marriage, not being at the time of their marriage, of any determined profession, but whose father was then a merchant.

Art. 553. The wife, whose husband had, at the period of their marriage, a determined profession, other than that of a merchant, shall be excepted from the provisions in articles 549. and 551. and shall enjoy all the privileges of lien and right of mortgage, granted to married women by the Code Napoleon; nevertheless, this exception shall not be applicable to the wife whose husband should engage in commerce, within the year next succeeding the celebration of the marriage.

Art. 554. All the furniture, personal property, diamonds, pictures, plate, and other articles, as well for the use of the husband, as that of the wife, under whatever regulation the marriage contract may have been formed, shall go to the creditors, without reserving for the wife any thing but the necessary clothes, and linen, which shall be granted to her con formably to the provisions of article 529.

The wife may, however, retain the jewels, diamonds and plate, which she can prove, by a legally certified list, or by good and creditable inventories, to have been given to her by the contract of marriage, or to have come to her solely by inheritance.

Art. 555. The wife who shall have conveyed away, secreted, or concealed, any of the effects mentioned in the preceding article, any merchandise, commercial bills, securities, or ready money, shall be compelled to restore the same to the creditors, and be prosecuted besides as an accomplice in fraudulent bank ruptcy.

Art. 556. The wife who shall have lent her name or assistance to any acts done by the husband, to defraud his creditors, may also, according to the nature of the case, be prosecuted as an accomplice in fraudulent bankruptcy.

Art. 557. The provisions contained in the present section shall not be applicable to the rights and privileges of married women, acquired before the publication of the present law.

CHAPITRE X.

DE LA REPARTITION ENTRE LES CREANCIERS, ET DE LA LIQUIDATION DU MOBILIER,

Art. 558. Le moutant de l'actif mobilier du failli, distraction faite des frais et dépenses de l'administration de la faillite, du secours qui a été accordé au failli, et des sommes payées aux privilégiés, sera réparti entre tous les créanciers, au marc le franc de leurs créances vérifiées et affirmées.

Art. 559. A cet effet, les syndics remettront, tous les mois, au commissaire un état de situation de la faillite, et des deniers existants en caisse; le commissaire ordonnera, s'il y a lieu, une repar tition entre les créanciers, et en fixera la quotité.

Art. 560. Les créanciers seront avertis des décisions du commissaire et de l'ouverture de la répartition.

Art. 561. Nul paiement ne sera fait que sur la représentation du titre constitutif de la créance.

Le caissier mentionnera, sur le titre, le paiement qu'il effectue ra: le créancier donnera quittance en marge de l'état de répartition.

Art. 562. Lorsque la liquidation sera terminée, l'union des créanciers sera convoquée à la diligence des syndics, sous la présidence du conmissaire; les syndics rendront leur compte, et son reliquat formera la dernière répartition.

Art. 563. L'union pourra, dans tout état de cause, se faire autoriser par le tribunal de commerce, le failli dûment appelé, à traiter à forfait des droits et actions dont le recouvrement n'aurait pas été opéré, et à les aliéner; en ce cas, les syndics feront tous les actes nécessaires.

CHAPTER X.

OF THE DIVIDENDS AMONG THE CREDITORS, AND THE LIQUIDATION OF THE PERSONAL PROPERTY.

Art. 558. The amount of the personal property of the insolvent, deducting the costs and expenses of the administration of the estate, the allowance granted to the insolvent, and the sums paid to the privileged creditors, shall be divided among all the creditors ratably, according to their respective demands proved and confirmed.

Art. 559. For this purpose, the assignees shall deliver, every month, to the commissioner, a statement of the situation of the insolvent's estate, and of the money existing in the chest; the commissioner shall order, if there be occasion, a dividend among the creditors, and shall fix the proportion.

Art. 560. The creditors shall be notified of the decision of the commissioner, and of the time of making the dividend.

Art. 561. No payment shall be made but on the production of the document attesting the debt.

The treasurer shall endorse, on the document, the payment made, and the creditor shall give an acquittance, on the margin, of the statement of the dividends.

Art. 562. When the liquidation shall be finished, a meeting of the creditors shall be called, at the instance of the assignees, under the presidency of the commissioner; the assignees shall render their account, and the balance shall form the last dividend.

Art. 563. The union of creditors may, on every necessary occasion, be authorized by the tribunal of commerce, the insolvent being duly notified, to make any composition for the disposal and transfer of any debts, or rights of action due or accrued to the insolvent, the recovery of which has not been effected in this case the assignees shall execute all the necessary instruments of writing.

CHAPITRE XI.

DU MODE DE VENTE DES IMMEUBLES DU FAILLI.

Art. 564. Les syndics de l'union, sous l'autorisation du commissaire, procèderont à la vente des immeubles, suivant les formes prescrites par le Code Napoléon pour la vente des biens des mi

neurs.

Art. 565. Pendant huitaine, après l'adjudication, tout créancier aura droit de surenchérir. La surenchère ne pourra être audessous du dixième du prix principal de l'adjudication.

TITRE II.

De la Cession de Biens.

Art. 566. La cession de biens, par le failli, est volontaire ou judiciaire.

Art. 567. Les effets de la cession volontaire se déterminent par les conventions entre le failli et les créanciers.

Art. 568. La cession judiciaire n'éteint point l'action des créanciers sur les biens que le failli peut acquérir par la suite; elle n'a d'autre effet que de soustraire le débiteur à la contrainte par corps.

Art. 569. Le failli qui sera dans le cas de réclamer la cession judiciaire, sera tenu de former sa demande au tribunal, qui se fera remettre les titres nécessaires: la demande sera insérée dans les papiers publics, comme il est dit à l'article 683. du code de procédure civile.

CHAPTER XI.

Of the Mode of Selling the Real Property of the Insolvent.

Art. 564. The assignees of the union of creditors, under the authority of the commissioner, shall proceed to the sale of the real property, observing the forms prescribed by the Code Napoleon for the sale of the estates of minors.

Art. 565. During eight days after the adjudication of sale, every creditor shall have a right to bid. The bids cannot be less than a tenth part of the price at which the property is set up.

TITLE II.

Of the Assignment of the Estate.(60)

Art. 566. The assignment of the insolvent's estate is either voluntary or judicial.

Art. 567. The effects of the voluntary assignment are determined by the agreement between the insolvent and the creditors.

Art. 568. The judicial assignment does not extinguish the claim of the creditors to the property which the insolvent may afterwards acquire; it has no other effect than to exempt the debtor from personal imprisonment.

Art. 569. The insolvent who shall be in a situation to claim the judicial assignment, shall be required to make his request to the tribunal, who will cause the necessary proofs to be laid before them: the claim shall be advertised in the public papers, conformably to article 683. of the code of civil procedure.