The Torrey Bankrupt Bill, Mr. Mitchell, of Oregon, Presented...
A Rare Document Relating to the 1898 Bankruptcy Act: OCLC Locates 5 Copies, None in Law Libraries [Bankruptcy]. [Senate, United States]. The Torrey Bankrupt Bill. April 30, 1896.- Mr. Mitchell, Of Oregon, Presented the Following Papers, Which were Laid on the Table and Ordered to be Printed.... [At head of title page: Senate, 54th Congress, 1st Session. Document No. 237]. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1896. xiii, [1], 316 pp. Octavo (9" x 5-3/4"; 22.86 x 14.60 cm). Later cloth, calf lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed. Light rubbing to boards and edges of lettering piece, light toning to interior. A very good copy. $250. * Only edition. Preceded by three short-lived federal experiments in 1800, 1841, and 1867, the landmark Bankruptcy Act of 1898 endured to become the framework of modern American bankruptcy law. The act was largely based on a bill drafted and relentlessly promoted by Jay Torrey [1852-1920], an energetic corporate lawyer and lobbyist. This substantial volume contains the foundational papers, arguments, and testimony for the Torrey Bill-the critical legislative predecessor to the 1898 Act. Following decades of chaotic, inconsistent state insolvency laws and the repeal of previous federal statutes, this document represents the definitive push toward a permanent national bankruptcy system. Produced during the intense legislative process that crafted the final 1898 act, this text includes the full proposed bill, meticulous comparative analyses with existing laws, and petitions from major national commercial bodies. It offers an unparalleled window into the economic anxieties, commercial lobbying, and legal debates of the late Gilded Age. Distinctly uncommon in commerce and institutions. OCLC locates just 5 copies (Johns Hopkins University, Newberry Library, New York Public Library, New York State Library, State Library of Iowa). Remarkably, none are located in law school or dedicated law libraries.
Price: $250.00
Book number 85272