The Sun. — London, England, 1819-04-16 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS, CON PINED. To repel obloquy, to mitigate sufferings, to in , enlcatr benevolent feelings, and to invite impar tial discussion, are objects of important concern, and not less a duty than a pleasure in the conduct of a Public Journal. With these impress;ons we readily accede to the request of a Correspon dent in offering to public notice the following Petition :-- " To the Ilieht Honourable the Lends, anti no ttoottible the Commons of the United Kingdom of Gyeat Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assenthlvd ; " The Humble PETfI'ION of the undersigned DEBT ,, RS and OrnEas, confined in Ills MA JESTY'S PRISON of the FLEET, " SnEwETH, That 'eve, your most humble Peti-; tioners, think it a duty. incumbent on its to ex essmr feelings of .incere and deep regret, that benet r certain Members of your Ihnourable: House have presented, in the course of this Ses sion of l'..irliament . petitions against the Renewal of the pfesent Insolvent Act, we have been held out to the country as men who have acted un fairly towards our Creditors, and come to prison with t! design of evading' p iyment of our just NVe allude particularly to a statement rn..ide by an Honourable Member for the City of tormlon, when lately presenting a poitints at the yerpie,4 of his Constituents. On seeing an ac ci•unt iu the public prints of the sentiments then -expressed in your Honourable House, we felt sin cerely alai med, arid, our mitids were overwhAmed With confusion and despair. 'plough unfortunate, our characters as men are valuable to 6 , and_ therefore we now address .your Honourable House with a view to remove , hose unfavourable impres sions which Seen] try'exist towards ri,t throughout the country, and to solicit you to listen pa tiently to such suggestions. as we may, here ad vance, as well as to such inhumation as may be 4erived from persons well acquainted.. with the merits and opemions of the present• Insolvent Law. " We'd() not here attempt to deny, that on many oecAsions the citizens of London . have evinced rite most liberal spirit towards their fel low-subjects ; bust in the present instance we *mild rather trust for protec , ion to the laws of our country, than to the liberality of Nvhich may be exercised at discretion. " Vire are t'eeply affected with grief at observ ing every where, among the more opulent, such n spirit of hostility towards us. unfortunate tors„ who are already borne dorm by misfortunes and distress. " It is a duty we owe to your Honourable "Luise, to our country, and to ourselves, to shetV that the distrust in trade, and the present want of demand, are not owing to the Llsolvent Act. It will be no difficult task to trace the &Aloes of those alarming evils 'to sources quite different. " Daring the late wars, the resources of Great _Britain :vere called forth in an extraordinary man tier otrr fleets and armaments were scattered over the Globe—to the , east and the west—in the -- north and the south Innumerable, , haeids were employed on those services, unacquainted with any other trade than war. Thus, when it pleased Providence to crown the strenuous efforts of Bri tain with success, and restore peace to our coun try, a multitude of people were thrown out of employment, and burst oti the, other orders of society like a vast inundation. Retrenchment Was loudly called for, and took place ; and in air dition to those of our warriors who were dis charged from military and naval service a num -1),..r of civil officers were deprived of their situa tions, and a general stagnation in our inland trade was a natural consequence. Whilst the expenditure of the country is diminishing, the trading, manufacturing, and labouring classes do not, as yet, feel any beneficial. effects', .be cause' the taxes are not reduced in proportion to the expenditure. The increased use of ma chinery in manulaCtories, although profitable to the capitalist and genet at merchant, is neverthe less injurious to journeymen, labourers, and even middling trades-people. From these causes have arisen, - we humbly apprehend, the evils com plained of. Far the greater part of us here have passed the meridian of life, and for years supported our ta .milies with credit to ourselves ; the pectiliar cir cumstances of the times have reduced us to po verty and distress, and we hope we rosy not be' made personally responsible for those evils -which are not of our own seeking, hot owing to causes not within our power to 'avert or alter, " Should investigation not take place, and the erroneous opinions, formed and ,set afloat by per sons ei , her interested or mistaken not be exploded, ivould appear that a great proportion of the subjects - of this realm set out in life with no other view than that of obtaining credit ,fo'r a few years, or a few . months, and then in ths . ,end withdraw ing to a miserable prison, there v to get rid.. 4 debts nefariously contracted, and tlrence return to contract more.. . We feel assured dial your J-lo pourable House will take a,more favoilrable ant true view of the case, and consider Allat:English- Info in general are not so corrupt in Kinciple, or so indifferent to the blessings of liberpy, as to settle their hopes on so weak and so uncertain a foundation. " We admit that the ev.il is great audgenerahatid calls loudly for a remedy ; but we disc o laim every intention of praying for the introduction .Of-a-ny law which shalt not prOdoe as_inuch re-al .good to the Creditor a's to the Del tor.; wi , di jus tice to be done to all, hut as , the law 'of the land would stand were thelTiThrevoked,.,that would be impossible. . _ " We ; catulot help 'suspectin* . .that far the greater nurnber.of person , wlq - 66,aee signed their 'mates 10 1()r various pvtiyttos'agaiiist the Re newal %of :he present Itluistpt4l Act, are totally tmacqttatittecl vrttlt the nwuntsof the Acct, and its veriwvi - ope;,ations.. to silutost every clause of that act. anin.e made agbinst every specie,: of frand 'and on'tlie part of a .Debtor; and though souse persons way Lace tvailea tl►e vigilance of the law, the instanzes are, we hope, rare, and then sufficient evidence has not been produced by the opposing Credi tors, and without proper evidence no man ought to suffer. We know that a general belief prevails, that Debtors often come to prison with a design of concealing their property, and seeking relief from the Insolvent Act but/we also know that this is seldom the case. The great majority of us here feel the keenest seirsa , ions of sorrow :—divested of property—imon,red in a prison—we look round us, and behold our wives arid families in want of the common necessaries of life, 'selling their beds from under tbem, that we nmy subsist, and defray the exorbitant charges to which we are subjected, before we can succeed in obtaining our liberation from the Insolvent Debtors' Court. We are ready to prove, on the clearest eviilence, that within these walls there are • not six pli sonersperssessed of more property than will mere ly enable them to discharge themselves,trom this place ; and when at length the prison-gates shall be' opened eo us, we shell be\,ent into the world without habitations and the means of support. We observed with on small degree of con cern and surprise, that the Honourable-Memher before alluded to, held out in your Honourable House, that the industrious and trading part' of the community had been stripped of property to the amount olfift , .en millions, by Debtors who had been discharged under, the present Insolvent Act ; awl the same Honourable Member, on a more recent occasion, merely estimated the amount ftom eight to nine millions :—sn vague ly, so loosely, so carelessly, are tire unfortunate' accused. We beg leave to remark, that were the law expences deduced, the disputed debts considered, and notice taken of the same debts tiled in.varions schedules, as well as the usurious transactions of Creditors who have- taken advantage of the ne cessities of those that were - Compelled to obtain goods on credit, and who have often laid snares for them—not more than one-third of • the latter slim could come under the denomination of tuna fide debts. The .greater p.roportion of us are.men who have ourselves suffeietl, as out• Creditors do now; from not having our just demands paid ; thon4h not to this cause do we ascribe the evils which have befallen us, but to_those already enu-, merated. " The present Insolvent Act - , chile it grants ample protection to the Creditor, is not so lenient to the Debtor, whose future - property is not pro tected: besides, !he Insolvent Court possesses not the power of, compelling a Creditor'to state how a debt was contracted. Creditor !nay here after seize on the property 'and effects of the dis charged Debtor to'iatisty his foriner detnand : this appears ro bear . 'very "hard on tie Debtor. Our hopes ate blasted, our.energieS destroyed, be. , cense we are labouring - for others, and not for ourselves and families : yot that we wish to see our CredifOrS depriVed of what,they have a just right to dernand;, but it appears reasonable ,that, as We are compelled to in s ect in our schedules all debts due to us, the Assignees appointed mlO to use due dilig-ence- re c overing those debts,zand it g uilty of negligence in this respect, tbereshOuld be.sope mode of redress. And had ()roper exer tions. been made by Creditors and Assignees, it would then have been seen that the Debtors re lieved by the Insolvent Act have given up a very considerable sum, instead of nearly nothirg, as has been stated. " The heavy law expences incurred in the suits of small Debts is one great source of the evil so heavily telt by us. We say little of the privilege granted us, as appears •in the great bul wark of British Liberty; . Mirgnat'harta, that no •man shall be !Awl from his plough or habitation, that he may subsist his family ; for we rely with confidence on tile wisdom of our Legislature 4 that tile unfortunate Debtor, whO has neither coin- Mitred fraud or intentional injustice to his Cre ditors, shall no longer be exposed to the malevo lent spirit of persecution and .avarice., The le suit of our observations leads us to think that should a kind of minor Bankruptcy he allowed to Debtors, and imprisonment for debt _abolished under certain modifications, the benefit of such, a measure would soon be felt thninghout the coon tiy, give universal satisfaction to Creditors, and restore vigour to trade and credit ; as many men, fearful of imprisonment, will incur heavy ex pellees to put off the evil day as long as possible, and, thus the Creditors will in the end lint receive that dividend_ which otherwise. would have been paid. " We know—we feel—We are sorry- to be com pelled - to admit—•-but we cannot injustice suppress our opinion, that Imprisonment fur Debt is at tended with the most injurious consequences to the morals and dearest interests of a country. — A prison is a school for idleness,where the energy of the mind is gradually subdued, and the habits relax; If there be any who have evaded • doing justice to their Creditors, and have- delivered in fraudulent Schedules, the cause, we believe, may chiefly be traced to' the lessons they have received after their imprisonmeini which lessons would never have been taught or acted - npitn haul they remained among their friends and neighbours till they 'gave up their ir:iperty. _ ‘.• We could here enter into numerous doails, in order more folly to illustrate the necess►.ty of passing some law on the above• principle, but we desist ; t.Ve put our trust in tl►e wisdom, food sense, and humane feelings of the Legislature.. • " We cannot conclude without calling the at tention of your Honour able House to the tiepin.. rable situation of a number of persons confined here for contempt of the Court of Chancery, chiefly owing to their ignorance of law proceed ings„ and the negligence of Attornies. We see men dragging out a miserable existence ; linger ing under sickness and, poverty y forgotten by their former friends, and neglected by the world. Some have not seen the outside of these walls for . neatly thirty long years, whilst others expect every day to go the same way as many have gone before them—leaving the prison for their grieve. We therefore most humbly and earnestly pray, that before the Petitions are taken into 'consideration, which pray for a repeal of the pre sentlnsolvent Act, your H;mourable House w;11 be pleased tits , appoiut a Committee to investigate most fully into the situation of Debtors, and the relative to trediinr and Debtor ; anti that all the necessary information may be called for which so important a subject !quires,. so that nothing may hastily he concluded upon, but the interests of all-parties concerned maturely Weighed, mid a law framed which shall answer all the ends of justice-arid humanity.. " And in that hope we shall, as in duty bourn!, ever pray." SUPERSTITION. FLINTSHIRE GREAT SESSION. BEFORE MR. SERJEANTS COPLEY AND MARSHALL. THe KING, oN TIIR PROSECUTION OF EDWARD PIEIiCE, AGAINST JOIIN EDWARDS, FOR OBTAIN ING MONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENCES. The nature of the case will be best understoOd from the evidence. - Edward Pierce examined by Mr. TemPt.c.—l live at Llandyruog, in tl:e County of Denbigh.—"- I saw John Edwards, at his own house, called Berth &lit, in the palish of Northop, i,n the month of April. 1813. 1 understoodi had .been pot in Fyrinon Elian ; T mean my name had beep put in. I thought something was the matter saw e..ery thing going cross.. 1 was informed that John Edwards polled people out of the 1 went tm him in order to be pulled out. _I told him something was the matter. wiqi me. He 'Mt: , mediattly observed my name was put in Fynnorr Elian. I trembled I .4He said it was •isot then a fit dose to-take my name out, but desired me to wait till the next full moon, when lie would take me out. He requested me in the interim to read then following psahns6, 7,- 20; 68, 109, and HS; afterwards he would let me know when to go to Fynnon Elian, as there were other people to go with us—it was absolotely necessary to go there., went to his honie in May following, to inquire 0 1 ) ,, ot the proper time to go to the well. Ile said he would go the following Sunday, and desired the to tweet him at s't'. Asaph. We met there at seven o'clock on the Sunday evening ; it was then, full moon ! Edwards flied the day. When I saw' . hint at St. Asapti, he desired the to go on one side, with him to pay the money, which he bail was to be given to the Woman of the Well, for taking my name out ; he said, if 1 paid hins,:my name would be taken out ; 1 was to pay 15s. ; hut told him I had only 14s. 6d. by me, .Which he accepted ! He then togagest to take my name out, and pay the money to the Woman of the He told me, that in consequence of having my name taken out, I should have my health and au thority as i wished to,have ; I ant sure he told me so ; I paid the money in 'order that my name might be taken out.. John Edwards, myself, and two otheeinen,oO the same business, then started for "the kVell ; we arrived there front 12 to half past. 12 on Sunday night ; I never saw- the well before ; Edwards called me to• the well, and showed it me ; we went to a stile near the well, he bid us three go over and renrain ther-e till he fetched the key from the house where - the-Woman of the Well lived. He told Inc he would - then pay the woman ;, he did not say where the house was : the well was inside a fence ; I did not see a key ; there was no door on it to my knowledge. Edwards •was absent about 10 minutes ; when he returned, he desired one of she men to follow hitn ; one of the strangers went with him ; they were absent about H quatter of an hour :or 20' m inutes ; when the malt returned, I went in his stead. I found Edwards at the well ; he bin me stand on one side of the well, and say the Lord's Prayer ; I did so : be then emptied- the we ll with a small wooden cup ; when emptying it,. be prayed to Fattier, Son, and Holy tii.ost ; the well then filled again. He' then put sonie.lV4.' teriuto the clip, and desired me to drink sorne-of it, and t hrow the remainder a ver m y h ea d ; he said I must do so three times ; I complied : after this, 'Edwards said, now we will look for your name. He_put his hand a little above near where the water goes into the we'.l; he found something immediately, and said, " Here is something,'' which he gave to me. He desired me to put my hand in ; I did so, but could find nothing. What he gave me was a piece ‘of slate, s cork, a piece Of sheet-lead, rolled up and tied together with a wire. Laid not open it till I got home; it was in my possession till then, • When I opened the sheet-lead, I found a piece of parchment with the letters B. P. upon it; there were also some crosses. It was too dark to read at the well.. When Edwards gave it me, be said he I bought it was my' name, and said every thing would be right and go on well with me, and that I should come on better than usual. I.gave the slate, to Mr. Edward ThelWill ; 1 had them in my.pos, session till then. Cross-examined by Mr. MANLEY.-1 can't tell, I was better after going to the well. One of my daughters ties ill before I - went- there ; she was better after I came back. My cows, hot ses, pigs, sheep, cats, nor dogs, ,were not ill, nor %% as my wife cross, but I thought something was the mat ter ivith me ! Edwards toff me my name was put in the well ; he said if I would pay him 15. he would take my name out: I don't know what you mean by ghosts. No. I saw no cows with out heads,_nor did 1 see black pins. By the CHIEF JUSTICE.-1 thought if my name was in the well, 1 should not pr6sper. Thought my name was put in, and that I wasgoi:ig : worse in consequence.- Thought by hearing other peo ple talk 1 should sillier bodily pain, dud go on badly in' thi world as long'as I was in the tell. By J utlg'e MARSHALL—Edwards told the it my name 'continued in the wea, I should go on wotse and worse every moon after another. Margaret Pritchard, examined by the AT.ToR NLY-GErt ,RAL.— , -1 now live at Row, in Carnal.- vonshire ; resided tit Cefn y Fynnon (the faun where the well is situated) in May last. I was called "The . Woman of the Well." I know John Edwards, 1 diti not see him in May last, nor tor three yeirs before ; he did not ray toe 144. Gd in May las; , no, nor a - halfpenny I am Sure I did not Ste Itim since the time I mentioned, There is , to,lock 'or door to the wtll. The Rev. E Thelwall prodticed . the slate, cot k, and. ptirchtnent; which he said were delivered qo him by Pieree—they had been in his costody ever since. ".Edward Pierce'," and the letters E. P . were written can the parchment, and E. P. was cot orrm•the slate. Edward Pierce then said, he rectived the ar tides prod:teed by Mr. thelwall from John wards. - --; • CHIEF JusTlce.Who proves the well to be in Cartiorvooshire ? • - Margaret Pritchard Was . then called, and “1 1(1 ' the well was situated in the township o f - that part Of_ the parish of LlandriHo in ab °s which lies in the . t (runty of Carnarvoil '[he case for the prosecution being •closed, Yir. M A NLEY addressed the Jury on behalf of 016 detention, , but rolled no witnesses. , 4 The CnIFF JusTicß then proceeded fo styli ur, the evidence, anti animadverted much on the en or. miry of the offence.. . Tire Jury, atter a few minutes. deliberaiient found .the defendant Guitty.,-41e was Bien re; mouded, and ordered to be Drought up for i"dg. milt the following ; dAy ; when The Court Intl' tooted, that the offence of which he had been co.: Y!'cied subjected him to transoortation but df consideration of. its .being the first offence, and his imprisoninen. since last Great Session, S erl i tenced hint -to be confined in the county 1° Twelue Calendar Months. • POLICE INTELLIGENCE. • MANSION-HOUSE. ne .l I,I.2:VateI6US RoßßFAllt.—Yesterday @ case 01 u - r cnhar inlet est, as well as of aggravation, tvas l' ef 'a" Ist office against William Hales, a discharge sailor, and who has lately employed himself i , cl sweeping I , the streets. 'lke comp lainant ryas 11, -, inter , sting little girl, napped Mary Cames, vvh°s- , story was as follows :—She had resided lot sol i) ; time with her father and mother at Chatham, b"` 110 - recently lived in town, and while in ser vice ; saved a few clothes and a little money. 6°ln short time since she received a letter announciog, the.death of her father, And requesting her a t; " tendance at Chadian), for the purpose of p a Y"' i r' e , the last tribute to his remains. Knot.ving " • poverty of her parent, she d e t,„,•„ s i t i e d.ition etli ' ately upon collecting all her clothes and monleY)ri and "setting off- without delay to busy hint. (.0 this purpose _she packed tip "'her little al l a' basket, which was to he forwarded I rons te Cross Keys Inn ; but b -ing unable t o cArry d i e load herself, she hesitated to think wh° llls n b would employ to carry it for her. Her, reeone r tion was immediately flied irpon the pr i '" " . e: ~,, %Own) she had frequently seen sweep the Cro'''' of the street by the Mansioo-lifoose, and, to „ she sometimes gate a penny. 0 0 such 0 cc3... 1.° 1; . the, prisoner used to say, " God laless y°'' dill( the rich would not do so miich . for me as Y au. if TO this man she ran in _haste, and aske d I ' llll. he would carry her basket' to 'the ,Crtiss fieY", as she was just going t.ll' to. Chath , rin " t° 1 1 “, 1 , 1 1.. her poor father."—The prioner allP earr e i c . fected, and readily said _ll,- would. Sh e 3-- ; ) ,1 1 0 ingly entrusted the basket to his care, ga ha ve d oot Iwo shillings for his trouble, a nd lest food sufficient that morning, pressed " c " something io order to s:renottewhito Soo" ?"` critt wards she follsowed to the where, to-fir 'i expressiblesurprize; skie learnt that her - bask el." ' not at rived, noi initAligei.Ce be had, °, O Hates. A;most distracters:, she returoed - t" sweeping spoG' bits its ..tint waited for his re - e' ' pearance. She at le,l4;,(.l)„.tveas_lo-444.e•7 . :11ans i q i' House, and related het sttory •T, her grief and te" l . : naturally excit;d .compaysion, , and . or ders be i " t ' given to secure I - lales,• she 'receiveit,.,sonie .te" porary assistatitTe„ tvi!ir sYirit!it . , in the `, i ' e ,,, ( e time, she set off to Chtillram, walkiog ! Upon her arrival there, besides the &fi lo of her father and Othrit•nlistort tint sr she l' 4 ' l llo . still greater misery . to find her -ttuoar.,,rtil " t : j :„ e (1 diving with tiotith7r matt. 1, t!lt thus" rev` i 1 an her : in tile most cruel and tolf,..eling, aeY , . r e fact, threatened to merrier her she CAM' : • 1 - 1 ' 0 ,„1 agkint !, During her absence, Hales (`vi` u now (rscovered :was in the re 'Ol a (:)1 ,1 sion) was apprehended. Upon--Ai Visa or immediately di,patelted.anOificer " i v% the girl back, and- yesterday, being ed wills the prisoner, she related th e pv goittg story. *The _:prisoner ackii,iwte" c ` • ing received the basket, froth the litil,,,giri. l l o "for' that on his way to the Cross Keys he bit' l t re tunately J;astened it to7some Vrtt b l e o pn'' was accustontea to sweep the siren, fowl looking round for it,, its a minute or r` vr '' hatue , d iit halisappeat ed. - -H r e lien rail: away lA')iresioo 0' - not •Icnowing wriat, to say. In 'contr" )( i s one r this, 1,0:i-ever, it Was ascertained that the had applied the - property of the girl to d h c ' 3 „ t •V• and other extrar k agitnvs. - Her loss wa s a ", 00 The Lorip MAYok said, he tie vet kneW the wicked and deprav'ed case, but under all t , c ore cimistances,:thought.it would he better 1° sviiielt the riet pym pens ion , ' , of the prisoner's pension,: por while it would be soak retribution t() 1;' girl, might prove as - g - teat a ,t»ortificati"" 81,12 e thiishinetft 10 the iffisoner as could Tel -harts 0.„01 flicted. His Lordship thensees() se I t he - Pt fice 0101 article whence the prisoner derives his pet{ , i o "' rl,e paY: arrangements (liales' conserst(og) 3 "' orient.of the money. Finally,- his - . 14 ` ) " . pr° - vised her against' !cunning to Chati'a n 'i - na mised her h,is assistance tot,vattls obt" 111 ' • • si:uation. GUILDHALL. 9peCto trot b r° Yesterday, Charlotte 'Gripths, re- ' looking gin, about 17 obl, Was in l"'"vfirdenref no a charge of felony. It ap'p , arell that she hail lived for , some time " s a - diO in with Airs. Aat y, - who ha , a trimming7'.-10,11. o f Cloth -Fair, and that she had_been in the . 1 t u icb , selling to a piece-broker of the name ot did n oG ° pieces of goods, the prodnce of which s ite , f 0 01 corom Mind over to Airs Bar ry.—She was t BDITHq. tot er, Yesterday, the Viscountess FoNestone, of a dat Qn the 14th inst. at his l i o u se,.in s l e -st Lady of Robot Ficate, Esq. via still-p o rn ti4L-LO___/ -- • -- , MARRIED. Ycsterriar, at St. Gt'r,rge's, ( o ; : d o,,ilit s sb x l ; l o, r , unlc.ehild of Richard harries, ci square. t. at ech r l ) o l t E in r 7 L OnlVlrs. Sara I : e4 lief f the► ins Shovel Plat: P Esc. of Petreavieh , North 13,1""" and Craylord, Kerr, ; t e 90th Year or her age.. (Provincial Births, T:1-11/01TONV: „ e 0 LONDON: Printer) byJ. B. CA RSTAIRS, of ‘4O• tt• Ormond-street, Qucen-squaret an d publio ,l aiy RiPPS, of No. 7, South Nt;)lton-street, TF" °dice, No. 112, Strand ; where Advt.' tisem Oi" Letters, eic. - (post-paid) triust be addressed. 1 r