The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-03-27 00:00:00

linnet Conti' Exprtoo.

DOROEIBBTEB, MARCH Vela. 1883.

BANKRUPTCY B.XFORbi.

The membere of the House of Commons saddled ,
their ormschrooss by reading the Bankruptcy Bill
seined 800 bit ore thoy overlaid for tho Hooke
Name. Arad Yr. Chamberlain may congratulate
himself on having encosecied so far in rendering his
proposals acceptable. The details are not perfect, as
massy members who are moo of basis'ss pointed out;
but them can be altered before the Bill bowmen law,
end it is a fortunate cdrcuastanos that the Standing
Committee having control of the manure will be
presided over by bk. Gkechen, than whom no one is
more capable of judging what is needed to notify
existing evils. Mr. Chamberlain sets out with two
objects—an economical and honest administration of
or
eta and the improvement of the general tone of
commercial morality. It I. diSoalt, hewer, to
imagism what &signs other than Chess could have been
ombertaised by meeker' bankruptcy reformers, and if
we haws any doubt as to the practicability of the latest
theme, it seism from an apprehension that
banksuptoy abuse might be • kind of will•o'•
the • wisp, seemingly reprehensible bore, but
not unlikely to elude our grasp and to
crappies in soma other dirootioo. There win be no
doubt Lords Brougham and Westbury and others
were animated with the best intentions. Their
knowledge, moreover, of bankruptcy procsedinge
most bay. seabird them to perceive what was nee led
to monody the evils attending Insolvency. And yet
we Gad that their schemes f allecis—chi•fiy, it may be
admitted, from causes beyond ordinary control For
instates, how could it have been forenoon that creditors
would neglect their own interests. and unconsciously
mist the dobt se by their iodation°, and delay?
Row, again, could it have been anticipated that
algal artangesnants, although based on the purest
principles of law, would have failed to meet the mods
toe which they were inteadad ? Mr. Chamberlain has
gernatly possessed the &dramas of profiting by
the misoalonliations of those who have gone Woos.
remains, however, to be men whether his proposals
egg ogOloiently comprehensive to ours every possible
evil. They certainly go • good way towards preven-
tion. Insolvents will think twice befog* they throw up
their books foe frivolous rearms, or for the purpose of
making • purse. The ordeal of publio examination
and the power of withholding discharge, oxeruissod bye
perfeetip impartial official, will do wools towards
irestesiniag • man from simply getting, as it is termed,
" widtswashod." But the masseur would be inoom•

pleb, if it want no farther than this. There is an equal
nesessity for economical administration of estates, and
So this end trustees in S, be altogether different from
Skis who have hitherto acted in that °opacity. They
we to be approved by the Bmrd of Trade, and
will be called upon to give wordy to that
deportment. They will be bound to declare
She first dividend within four months and subsequent
divides& at intervals of no more than six months.
Their remuneration is to be decided by creditors
gabled to the department before mentioned, end—
ows, important monies reoeived are to be
void Into a public *mount, instead of being retained
by themselves. or would all them arrangements be
quite estldactory nukes accompanied by some pro.
visions of punishment. Bankrupts are to be precluded
for a tiom from filling certain public officse—p o sibly
they may low for • while all electoral prlvileps. It
would be • mistake, perhaps, te carry harshness too
far, and we hope there will be found in Mr. Chamber.
Inseenve WM. recognition of the principle that
misfortune no:less than carelmeness, may be the cause
of insolvency.