180 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



year or more, and the hired man were to leave without good 

 cause, he could not recover for the period actually spent. 

 The death of either party of course terminates the contract. 

 The executor or administrator of an employer is not bound 

 to continue the emplo^'ment, neither is the one who takes 

 the farm under a devise in a will. So also the filino; of a 

 petition in bankruptcy by an employer dissolves the contract 

 with his help, and is intended to amount to a notice of its 

 dissolution ; but the employee may have his damages as- 

 sessed and prove the amount in bankruptcy, the measure of 

 damages being the difference between the pay which he was 

 to receive and the pay which he actually has received under 

 the new employment which he has been able to find. 



Bankruptcy. 



The constitution of the United States confers upon Con- 

 gress the power to enact uniform bankrupt laws. Under the 

 exercise of that power, four such laws have been passed 

 since the foundation of the government, the first in the year 

 1800, the second in 1841, the third in 1867 and the fourth 

 in 1898. These acts of Congress of course operate to sus- 

 pend the insolvent laws of the various States so long as the 

 federal legislation is in force. The act of 1800 had no vol- 

 untary feature, but certain classes of men, such as merchants, 

 bankers, brokers, underwriters, etc., could be put into bank- 

 ruptcy by their creditors. It is interesting to notice that 

 formers were not included in the list, so that they were not 

 affected in any way by that act, which was repealed in 1803. 

 The act of 1841, which was in force less than two years, 

 had both the voluntary and involuntary features, and under 

 it farmers could take the benefit of the act if they chose, 

 but could not be put into bankruptcy by their creditors. 

 The act of 1867, which was amended in important particu- 

 lars by the act of 1874, was in force about eleven years. 

 This also gave farmers the right to take advantage of the 

 provisions of the act if they chose so to do, and also allowed 

 their creditors to put them into bankruptcy if they were 

 found to have concealed their property, or had done certain 

 other acts in derogation of their creditors' rights. 



Under the law of 1898, still in force, any person, includ- 



