United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 172
Chap. CLXXII.—An Act to provide for the sale of lands conveyed to the United States in certain cases, and for other purposes.
In all cases where the states of insolvent debtors have been, or shall be, assigned to the United States under the act of June 6, 1798, ch. 49, the agent of the treasury is authorized to sell such estate, whether real or personal.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the agent of the treasury be, and he hereby is, authorized, in all cases where the estates of insolvent debtors have been, or hereafter shall be, assigned to the United States, under the act of the sixth June, seventeen hundred and ninety-eight, entitled “An act providing for the discharge of persons imprisoned for debts due to the United States,” to sell such estates, whether real or personal, at such time, and in such manner, as, with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury, he shall think fit, for the best price that can be had therefor, and to make all needful conveyances, assignments, or transfers, of the same, to the purchaser or purchasers.
United States may become the purchaser of lands or tenements of a debtor, when sold at their suit.
Proviso.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, at any and every sale, on executions, at the suit of the United States, of lands or tenements of a debtor, it shall be lawful for the United States, by such agent as the agent of the treasury shall appoint, to become the purchaser of such lands and tenements: Provided, That in no case shall such agent bid in behalf of the United States for a greater amount than that of the judgment for which such estate may be exposed to sale, and the costs; and it shall be the duty of the marshal of the district in which such sale shall be held, in case such purchases shall be made, to make all needful conveyances, assignments, transfers, to the United States; and the agent of the treasury is hereby authorized, with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury, to sell and convey the said lands and tenements in the same manner as is directed by the first section of this act, in respect to lands and tenements assigned by insolvent debtors. Act to be construed so as not to impair any other remedy than the one intended.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained, shall be deemed or construed to take away or impair any other remedy which the United States may be now entitled to have against the person or property of debtors, to enforce the satisfaction of judgments obtained, or which may hereafter be obtained.
Approved, May 26, 1824.