DEBENTURE

A certificate given.by the collector ot a port, under the United States customs laws, to the efl'.ect that an importer · of merchandise therein named Is entitled to a drawback, (q, v.,) specifying the.amount and time when payable. See Act Cop.g. March 2, 1799, § 80. In ·English, law. A security for a loan of money i ued.bY a publle company, usually creating a charge on the whole or a part ot the company's stock and property, though not nece arily in the form of a mortgage. The3 are subject to certain regulations as to the mode of transfer, and ordinarily have · coupons attached to facilftate the payment of interest. They are generally ·i ued in a series, with provision that they shall rank E par i pa u in proportion to their amounts. See Bank V. Atkins,. 72 Vt. 33, 47 Atl. 17,6. An instrument in use in.some government departments, by which government is charged to pay to a creditor or his a igns the sum f found due on auditing his accounts. Brande; Blount.. ' [s. 339]