美国宪法“破产条款”入宪考

A Study on the Incorporation of the “Bankruptcy Clause” into the US Constitution

美国1787年宪法中'破产条款'的入宪,是破产法史上不多见的里程碑,也是宪法层面规范破产法问题的范本。长期以来,我国学界对美国宪法'破产条款'的来龙去脉乏人问津。本文根据对文献和相关史料的爬梳,提出美国'破产条款'的入宪,更多是早期北美早期殖民地(邦)的破产法立法与实践的需要,也是保障美国建国初期债权人阶层经济利益的必然。在美国宪法'破产条款'孕育过程中,英国破产法渊源、北美早期殖民地(邦)破产立法与实践成为重要背景。但'破产条款'在联邦制宪会议上的入宪本身,具有一定的偶然性。

The incorporation of the'bankruptcy clause'into the Constitution of the United States in 1787 is not only a rare milestone in the history of bankruptcy law,but also a typical model echoing the issue of bankruptcy law at the constitutional level.For a long time,there has been little interest in the history of the'bankruptcy clause'of the US Constitution in the academic circle.Based on the review of literature and relevant historical materials,this paper puts forward that the incorporation of the'bankruptcy clause'into the Constitution of the United States is more of a necessity not only for the legislation and practice of bankruptcy law in early colonies(states)of North America,but also for the protection of the economic interests of the creditor class in the early period of the founding of the United States.During the gestation of the'bankruptcy clause'of the US Constitution,the origin of British bankruptcy law and the legislation and practice of bankruptcy in early colonies(states)of North America have served as important backgrounds.However,the incorporation of the'bankruptcy clause'into the Constitution of the United States in the Federal Constitutional Convention itself has a certain degree of occasionality.