ELIHU E JACKSON, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

lectors, sheriffs, clerks of courts and registers of
wills, and other collectors or receivers of public
moneys, and their securities, incorporations and
individuals, who may be indebted to the state in
all cases where said claims accrued prior to and
including the year eighteen hundred and eighty-
six, and whether said claims be now in the form
of judgments or otherwise ; and for the purpose
of closing all such cases the comptroller is hereby
fully authorized to compromise the same by
abating the interest that has accrued, or any
portion thereof, or any part of the principal
debt, in his discretion, so as to subserve the
interest of the state, and shall grant discharges
to the said parties and their securities upon the
payment into the treasury of the amount re-
quired by him to be paid in the settlement as

871

aforesaid ; provided, however, that the governor
and treasurer for the time being shall each ap-
prove, in writing, any such abatement before the
same shall be effective ; and provided, further,
that no discharge or acquittance under this act
shall be effective unless the party or parties to
be benefitted by the same shall first pay the at-
torney who shall have the case in hand the legal
fees, and all fees of clerks or sheriffs.
SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That for the purpose

Proviso.

of bringing all unsettled balances due the state
to a speedy settlement the comptroller is directed
to employ such attorney or attorneys as in his
judgment will best subserve the interest of the
state.
SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That in, all cases
where the comptroller shall require the services

Employ attor-
neys.

of an attorney or attorneys to assist him in exe-
cuting this act, he may allow such attorney or
attorneys, as compensation, a commission of ten
per cent, on any state claim such attorney or
attorneys may collect, or assist him, the comp-
troller, in collecting, where the amount of such
claim does not exceed the sum of five hundred
dollars; and a commission of five per cent, on all
sums such attorney or attorneys may collect, or
assist in collecting, as aforesaid, where the claim
exceeds the sum of five hundred dollars.
SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That whenever the
claim of the state shall be compromised or set-

Compensation