from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
BENEFIT OF DIVISION. In the civil law, which, in this respect, has been
adopted in Louisiana, although, when there are several sureties, each one is
bound for the whole debt, yet when one of them is sued alone, he has a right
to have the debt apportioned among all the solvent sureties on the same
obligation, so that he shall be compelled to pay his own share only. This is
called the benefit of division. Civil Code of Lo. art. 3014 to 3020. See 2
Bouv. Inst. n. 1414.