Mr. HOWARD. After the proceeding has been finished, resulting in the granting of a discharge to the bankrupt, which is a formal paper issued by the court under its seal to discharge him from his debts, there is a privilege E. to creditors to contest the validity of the discharge. Otherwise, I suppose, that the bankrupt's discharge would be binding and conclusive upon all creditors, and would prevent them forever from questioning the validity of the discharge upon the ground of fraud. There are numerous causes which creditors may allege by way of setting aside the discharge and having it canceled. The bill itself spreads out before us this field of objections. J read from page 42 of the bill: No discharge shall be granted, or, if granted, be yalid, if the bankrupt has willfully sworn, falsely in his affidavit annexed to his petition, schedule, or inventory, or upon any examination in the courseof the proceedings in bankruptcy, in relation td any material fact concerninghis estate or his debts, or to any other material fact; or if he has concealed any part of his estate or effects, or any books or writings relating thereto, or if he has been guilty of any fraud or negligence in the care, custody, or delivery to assignee the of the property belonging to him at of the Presentation of his Ho and invthenettoimrye, cxcepting such property as he is permitted to retain under the provisions of this act, or if he has caused, permitted, or sufferedany loss, waste, or thereof; destruction or if, within 4 months before the commencement of such proceedings, he hasprocured his lands, goods, money, or chattels to be attached, sequestered, or, seized on execution: or passage if. since the of this act, he has destroyed, mutilated, altered, or falsified any of writings, or securities, ohrishabsoomkasd, deoocrumbentsppriavpyertso, the making of any false or fraudulent entry in any book of account or other document, with intent to defraud his creditors; or has removed or caused to be remoyed any part of his property from the district with intent to defraud his creditors; or if he has given any fraudulent preference contrary to the provisions of this act, or madeany fraudulent payment, gift, transfer, conveyance, or assignunentof any part of his property, or has lost any part thereof in gaming, or has admitted a false or fictitious debt against his estate; or if having knowledge that any person hasproved such false or fictitious debt, he has not disclosed the same to month aftersuch knowledge h:isoraifs, sbigeninege within, one a merchant or tradesman, hehasnot, subsequently to the passage of this act, kept proper booksof account; or if he, or any person in his behalf, has procured the assent of any creditor to the discharge, or influenced the action of any creditor at any stage of the proceedings, by any pecuniary consideration or obligation; or if he has, in contemplation of becomingbankrupt, mcoandveeyaannycpeledge, payment, transfer, assignment, or of any part of his property, directly or indirectly, absolutely or conditionally, for the purpose of preferring any creditor or person having a claim against him, or who is or may be under liability for him, or for the purpose of preventing the property from cominginto the hands of the assignee, or of being distributed under this act in satisfaction of his debts: or if he has been convicted of any misdemeanorunder this act, There is a vast number of causes which may be alleged by the creditors against the validity of the and these causes cover almost every transaction connected with the bankrupt's estate, the entries in his own books, and 1000other matters, which it will be very difficult for the creditors, or anyone of them for a considerable length of time to develop and expose. The policy of the bill, as it passed the HoRep, was to allow a reasonable time for making the necessary inquiries, with a view to contest the validity of the discharge, and they fixed the time at 2 years within which this was to be done. I think that time is quite short enough for the benefit of the creditor. The great creditor classes of this country reside chiefly at the East and in eastern cities. It is not to be Presumed that they or their attorneys can within any very short time make a full and thorough investigation into the condition of the affairs of a bankrupt who lives at a distant place in the far West; and the same may be said of every section of the country. non-resident creditors, whose claims and rights are as dear to them as to any other class of men, certainly ought to be allowed a reasonable length of time to contest. the validity of the discharge, and to show the court that the discharge was based upon false hood or upon fraud; and it seems to me that one year is quite too short a time within which to confine the inquiries of the creditors. I hope, therefore, that 2 years will be retained. I do not remember what the fact was in relation to the act of 1841, whether the time was one year or 2 years.