The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-07-06 00:00:00

BLANDFORD.
OA% AND BNoW'S RANICRUPTCE—THE
MEMORIAL IN FAVOUR OF MR. SNOW.

A memorial, addreeeed to the Commissioners of
the Bankruptcy Court, hal been taken to the ore.
ditors of Messrs. Oak and Snow for aignatures,
praying that a certificate may be granted to Mr.
Snow, on the ground of his slight culpability in
reference to transactions of wrong alleged against
the Firm. Personally °moldered, both partners have
some traits of oliamoter whioli may be thought ..ti.
ruble In. social point of view; but we canine fur.
get that, as a banking trio, they stood in a relation
to society hers, asking for public confidence, on the
grounds of their monetary soundness end strict iii.
tegrity of conduct, and that the disclosures already
mule, to say nothing of thou likely to be forth.
coming at their exemination, would lead the puhliu
reasonably to conclude that there wits an entire
shames if the former essential qualification, and a
frequent departure from the latter. That Mr, Link.
later, who had been retained for Mr. Snow, would
Ilk, to have his advocacy of his client's cause
strengthened by a numerouly.signeci memorial such
u we have described, may be thought but moon.
!Lai
amany ; but how many of those creditors who ,
It mid guild). roomette their doing on pre.
v7ro-ur to the examination, with their having origin.
ally u
urged bankruptcy proceedings for the @spree
objects that the undue-6 of the -bankrupts may be
fully investioUd, and Justly stigmatised by a unirt
of law, puede@ ne to conceive. If, however, bank.
ruptoy proosedinge ordinarily pressed with nitre.
hinting force on thou suldectad to them, such a
course might be deemed advisable by many if thou
who appended their signatures to the memorial;
but when both Uommisaiimer and ofSelal assignee are
known generally to take a lenient view of the son.
duet of Wtnicrupte brought before them, the signing
of such a memorial appears to us to be not ouly
uncalled for and itwonsietent on the part of many uf
the memorialists, but an impolite preluditlng of
guilt, and an unwise forestalling of the (Annuli/.
Mentor's decision.
We are dosiroul that neither Mr. Snow nor Mr.
Oak should be unnueeserily suldeeted to lurch
measures I but we are fully perouadoil that the
healthful interests of the commercial community, in
this district eepeciall, will not be properly vincli•
awl or advanced tinkles the wrong conduct of the
bankrupts, when pr,,ved in a court of law, be re-
garded se something more than that uhmecteriming
an ordinary cowmen:lAl fillure—iniire to be pitied
than condemned. Some few persons would urge
that the absence of a guilty knowledge of transact
tious, on the part of a member of a firm, ought to
absolve him hoin sharing with his partners in those
ounsequenoes which such transactions entail. Ni.
reasoning, in our opinion, would be so likely to
undermine commercial credit as this. The pecuniary
responsibilities' of a firm are equally shared, and so
should the cunsequenoe arising from commercial
guilty conduct be equally borne. A Firm has many
advantages over a single trader, not only in the
combination of capital, but likewise in the combine.
ti.,, of personal in Melee/ ; and it may be, that the
partner less cognisant of the truce transautions, and
for whom the plea is urged, has must aided, by his
social position, to give credit and influence to the
commercial status of the firm. Ted granting, there.
fore, an immunity to such a partn,r from legal and
social consequetioes, entailed by illegitimate transit!.
thins, and withholding a like immunity from the
single trader, would be under any circumstances,
but especially under the hat supposed, an anomalous
moils of equitably dealing with commercial responsi•
Laity. Let individuals, who join others for business.
purpoees, be assured that they have certified to the
public h.y v. doing a joint responsibility in the entire
transactions of the firm with which they have con.
Ileeeell themselves, ilia that they are amenable to
law and public opinion for the entire acts of their
trade colleagues whether they neglect to acquaint
themselves with some of them or not, then we may
hope to see trade respousibilities less carelessly
assumed, and inure carefully watched over.—Cor.
nuipondent,

MESSRS. BARNES' BALANCE SHEET.

The preliminary statement of these bankrupts
affairs, prepared by Messrs Butler mil Cannings, and
furuishml to Mr. Stang:dela, the udioial assiguee, is as
fullows
Da.

C. L d.
To creditors unsecured
Liabdities upon bill. bearing E. thu.th's
name 6,354 7 0
Note.—lt is expected tbet
E. Smith's estate will pay
I oomposition of Si. In
Mie 5
To creditor holding wool
consigned 1,441 4 8
Lars estimated value at
wool 1,400 0 0

Total

By stab in band
Dividend Warrant oo /540t0 of J. Halo
bard aud Son
By debtore good
By debtors doubt/al
&limited to produce dd. la
the It

75 0 0

1,405 16 0
13 5 0

By debtors bed
Carried to loam 1,420 1 0

By bill readeable on E
Smith
&limited to protium 2e. in
the R lBO 0 0
Proverly in possession 'etiolated to
nibs*
John Birius's siparato "Mate

Total

Among the proofs were the following :—Mmers.
Edwards (official assignee), Samuel Prone, of Balls.
bury, banker, and M. Fisher, of Blandford Forum,
draper, Made assignee under the Bankruptoy of Oak
and- Snow, two proofs for £1,077 11e. 4d., sad
£7,028 13e. 1041. ; Mr. W. Scott, of Lewis, gentle.
man, £6OO ; Mr. George Edmunds, bridport, wool.
stapler, £240 19e. Bd. ; Mr. Henry Edmunds, fell.
monger, Bndpurt, £497; Meagre. Glyn and Co.,
bankers, Loutbard•street, £2,818 ; Mr. G. Gal.
Doruheetar, factor, £283 19. e. Bd.; Mr. G. K.
Stanton, of Lad, Sumersetehire, cloth manufacturer,
£lB9 9e. 4d. ; Mr. J. H. Whitby, of Yeovil, wool.
stapler, £859 3e. 9.1. ; Mr. Richard Brute, of
Tarrant Crawford, Dorsetehire, farmer, £000; Mr.
Samuel Byrne', of Nether Cerne, Dorsetehire, yeo•
men, £425 Bs. ; Mr. John Hooper, of Bmadmayne,
Dorestahire, yeoman, £317 Se. 6d.; Mr. Henry
ILohards, of Winterbourne Kingston, Doreetabire,
auctioneer, £Ol4 15e.; Mr. James Spam of Win.
terbourue Abbas, yeoman, £274 18L ; Mr. William
Adams, of Mertook, Somersetshire, woolstapler,
£844 12. e., and a number of proofs by wholesale
London houses.

The creditors nominated MeWI. Edwards, Previa,
sad Riohards, to act on behalf of the general body as
Trade Assignees, and neon their acceptance of the
trust, the learned Commissioner confirmed their sp-
pointmenta.