5. Every person who has been or has acted as sheriff for any district, and the heirs, executors, curators and other legal representatives of any such person, shall forthwith deliver and surrender unto the sheriff of such district all deeds of sale of immovables, which have been made by such person as sheriff, or transmitted to him by his predecessor in office, and all writs, public books, registers and papers appertaining to the office of sheriff, as the case may be, in matters of a civil nature, in his possession, custody or power (judgments of distribution, receipts and vouchers for the payment of money and other legal acquittances and discharges and rules for the discharge of prisoners always excepted), together with a list of such deeds, writs, books, registers and other papers, duly attested upon oath by the person delivering the same.