§ The bankrupt may at any time after the meeting held after his examination petition the Lord Ordinary or the sheriff to be finally discharged of all debts contracted by him before the date of the sequestration, provided that every creditor who has produced his oath as aforesaid shall concur in the petition; and the bankrupt may also present such petition on the expiration of six months from the date of the deliverance actually awarding sequestration, provided a majority in number and four-fifths in value of the creditors who have produced oaths concur in the petition, and the bankrupt may also present such petition on the expiration of twelve months from the date of the deliverance actually awarding sequestration, provided a majority in number and two-thirds in value of the creditors concur in the petition; and the bankrupt may also present such petition on the expiration of eighteen months from the date of the deliverance actually awarding sequestration, provided a majority in number and value concur in the petition; and the bankrupt may also present such petition on the expiration of two years from the date of the deliverance actually awarding sequestration without any consents of creditors; and the Lord Ordinary or the sheriff, as the case may be, shall in each of the cases aforesaid order the petition to be intimated in the Gazette and to each creditor; and if, at the distance of not less than twenty-one days from the publication of such intimation, and on evidence being produced of concurrence as aforesaid, where such concurrence is required, there be no appearance to oppose the same, the Lord Ordinary, or the sheriff, as the case may be, shall pronounce a deliverance finding the bankrupt entitled to a discharge; but if appearance be made by any of the creditors or by the trustee, the Lord Ordinary or the sheriff, as the case may be, shall judge of any objections against granting the discharge, and shall either find the bankrupt entitled to his discharge, or refuse the discharge, or defer the consideration of the same for such period as he may think proper, and may annex such conditions thereto as the justice of the case may require: Provided that it shall not be competent for the bankrupt to 1192 present a petition for his discharge, or to obtain any consent of any creditor to such discharge, until the trustee shall have prepared a report with regard to the conduct of the bankrupt, and as to how far he has complied with the provisions of this Act, and, in particular, whether the bankrupt has made a fair discovery and surrender of his estate, and whether he has attended the diets of examination, and whether he has been guilty of any collusion, and whether his bankruptcy has arisen from innocent misfortunes or losses in business, or from culpable or undue conduct; and such report shall be prepared by the trustee, upon the requisition of the bankrupt, at any time after the bankrupt's examination, but shall not be demandable from the trustee till the expiration of five months from the date of the deliverance actually awarding sequestration; and such report shall be produced in the proceedings for the bankrupt's discharge, and shall be referred to by its date, or by other direct reference, in any consent to his discharge; and the trustee shall forthwith engross, in the sederunt book of the estate, a copy of his said report.
§ Amendment made: Leave out the words "upon the requisition of the bankrupt, at any time," and insert instead thereof the words "as soon as may be."