The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-23 00:00:00

VERY SMALL DEBTORS.

A return relating to county courts, issued at the instance of
Mr Bass, gives some curious information about the jurisdic-
tion exercised by these tribunals (says the Pall Mall
Gazette

In 1870, the year which the return covers, the
number of plaints issued throughout England and
Wales was in round numbers 911,000. Of these no
fewer than 526,000 were entered for 8111118 between is,
and 405.; 67,000 for sums between Is. and ss. ; while
in 1,304 cases the county court was actually made the
means of recovering debts of not more than Is. Two
or three columns of statistics illustrate the working of
the credit system, for the sake of which mainly our ,
county courts appear to exist. It is shown that !
85 per cent, of the plaints entered for sums of over
Is. and under 40s. were " for goods sold and
delivered, or money lent, or where credit may be
inferred to have been given voluntarily ;" while
82 per cent, of the plaints under 58. and 69 per
cent, of the plaints for the sum of Is. and under
were of the same character. These being the
circumstances under which by far the larger pro-
portion of the debts sued for are incurred, the working
of the county-court machinery for the recovery of
these debts is equally suggestive. The number of
executions against goods issued in 1870 was about
180,000. Of these 60,000 were issued for sums ex-
ceeding 408., and sales were made in 2,900 cases. The
bulk of the executions, 109,000, were issued for sums
between 5.. and 40s. ; but sales were only made in
1,750 eases, The number of executions for sums be-
tween is. and .ss. was 9,900. The fact is hardly
credible, but so it stands recorded, and when we also
find that only 35 of these debtors were " sold up," the
result may be owing largely to the circumstance that
there was nothing to sell. But there is still a lower
deep, 152 executions were issued for sums not ex-
ceeding is., but only one poor wretch suffered his goods
to be sold, or, perhaps, had any to be sold.

Viewing the judicial time wasted, the public money
spent, and the costs inflicted on debtors in the re-
covery of these paltry sums, some of our Law retormers
may perhaps begin to question the truth of the legal
maxim Dc minim is, anti may also begin to doubt
whether the maintenance of the credit system is worth
snob sacrifices. Ent we are not yet at the end of the
chapter. Another incident of the credit system is the
gaol, which hucksters and tallymen still help to fin.
In 1870, 6,700 persons were imprisoned by county.
court judges, and of these contumacious debtors, 2,900
owed more than 408. ; 3,790 owed sums varying between
Is. and 405.; and 37 enjoyed perhaps to them the
luxury of board and lodging at the public expense,
"where the sum in respect of which default was made
did not exceed 55." This is imprisonment made easy.
It is sometimes said that the prospect of comfortable
quarters in a gaol, especially during the inclement winter
season, gives a stimulus to vice. But it is only fair to
admit that the poor but honest man who does not
care to qualify himself by crime for the interior
lof a gaol may obtain warmth and regular food
there with little difficulty, by running up a score
of Is.. or even less. This is a highly considerate
arrangement, placed within reach of the poorest classes;
and when we finil that during a single year six or seven
thousand small debtors took advantage of it, we cannot
deny that it is largely appreciated. Whether the rate-
payers appreciate to the same extent the privilege of
feeding and lodging those persons is perhaps more