The Sun.
London, England, 1818-12-26 00:00:00

FOR tr-ir, SUN.

INSOLVENT DEWIORS' AGENTS.
ABUSES EXEMPLIFIED.
" Better he a Mechanic, aliter, a Mason, or a Shoe-,
maker, if such is your Talent, or WOrlonan of Character in
some necessary Act or Trade, than an Ordinary Agent or a
Common Maker of Schedules."

MR. Enri-oß,—Finding that those who h9Vc
attempted to ADVOCATE THE CAUSE CF AGENTS
Practising in the Insolvent Court, are endeavour-

ing to embarrass the question by PERTINACIOUS
tliscussion, with a view to involve personal alter-
ta.tion, I take this opportunity of publicly avow-
ing that, as an individual, I hereby disclaim all
Personal feelini;s on this sobit.ct, exceptiog as a
member of the Community, and with a due regard
to the interests of the Legal Profession—both of
which, on this subject, are inseparably connect.ed.
Your Correspondent, ATroRNATus, has, wit,h
great credit to himself, boHly called upon these
Men, with accosations of gross PREPInY and MIS-
CONDUCT ; he has contented himself for the pre-
cent with disclot,ing one solitary rxaniple of per-
jury, FORGERY, and infamous fabrication in the
ahnie.of legal process. I allude to the case which
be ha., adduced tinder the Sperial Bailing System,
and wtlich is in confirmation of what I fully
treated of in a forwer. letter. It is the case of the
tintortunate tvoin:i, at Exeter., who employed one
'of these Aonits io bail her out of custody, and
S hich it appears he effected for a certain sum Of
Toney ; woman was afterwards retaken
by the phintil's A.tornev. and again incarcerated
at the suit of tile same p'aintiff, apt! a suspicion

Of FORGERY tit tlcileS to the proceeding . Thus

this poor woman is again IMMURED With Pl very
distant and improbable hope of release, if she
awaits the benvfit of legislative relief. The con-

Arection sl,e hat: formed, and her participation in
the trans:tction alluded to, will cause her exemp-
tion nuttier the Act, for having used, however hullo-

-centiv, FRAUD and injustice tot.yards her cheditors.
I would ask these Agents how she is to subsist in
ter confinement ; but it would be needless, for 1 c,in

anticipate their answer from what they hall for-
iDeri told me, namely, " a woman may fill up

schedule."

Anussa% of this !tort are, T apprehend, innu-
merable, :.‘rrcl sinless a stop is put to such practice,
.the consequences to the Cononnoity cannot be
v,titnatH The host of persons'who commonly
I;it, J.sdacs' Chambers, to' procure what is
trt wed hired hail. has nross,t;ht an odium on the
proit-s.s;o. .:.c law which ought solely to rest
I,'itl-0 those who .!buse its practice, and principally
.)f vtrsonS called IN'SOLVENT AGENTS, and
tint of 1)104c.,y,i0n. The vYtt. HAS IN-
INCR!,AsIN3, OUGHT to be DISII-
-I';ls!tEr• Ts, rescue she profession from the dim-
gt ace '.vh'srh s taches to such con.luct, and to pro.
tent cite l'obkc hoot itt evil effects, is a duly which
vvery Iv, wi•lser to justice, honour, and ci edit,
showd nronsss;e.
.As far ac iuv htllttble I ff!,rt,i nn,
. I 5..111 cheattully acute ill) TORNAiLS in pref.
111,1 in!!.. i,Ese eods, nnrestrained by t-ile declaa:a-
lion. and unglued by fear. In addition to 'What
Wtiter has adeassced, I 11, g• to state the 14)1-
• lowisits, c,se, occurred thwog the summer Of
Ltst yea, •,A ti ')tor in the Fleet for 20,0001 dp-
isli-r! tr: o,e of the Agents to procure or purchase
him hired bail. Bail were hired upon the
s and justified for twenty pounds. and a super-
teste,s issued it; 11,e usual form. Upon bring
ts..tolertql for the disch4r4e of the debtor, it ap-
re.srest to be a Supersedeas for 20,000/ , tire woND
btivma been introduced at she end of the
Lilt. or in :he body of the writ, by the &gent,—
The vi.ti!assre of the Itseper detected the forgery
its !inits to frustrate the design of the conspirators ;
the Agent received his CONSIDERATION Money as
Ilse WAGES ,if the FRAUD, end the debtor remained
in custody.

I give ihis moothei instance among the many
could adduced to corroborate the sista-
went of ATTOaNATUS-10' has truly tit dared that
11,tie are Insolvent Aizehis for every Debtor's pri-
son in the kitwdont, who do all the business of
Debtors, to t‘‘e rXeIOSI,,o of Kolessiobal MOO,
and in ',pen of the Liws, and this wide
not any due or discriminate con;;deration on the
part or rue Debtoi's ,Vho are led to employ these
Agents solely tinder the influence tj delusion: for,
. by the ,-,l.coura.,.4ement which has been afflrf!ed
them, ti,cy have aired an aiecudancy
,tmost of yoor Readers shill appear extraordinary
, or unaccountable. The facility which the Court
is laudably disposed to give to the discharge of
Debtors "nder the Act, induces the kohnissku of
Agents, to exrdi the business of the Co,trt ; and
it it was not lot that facilify professional men
would be equally-ready and willing to render their
2erviees with f.titnal cheat-it:loess as the Agents,
• and with less disposition to rapacity ; bor. the
fact as soon as an Agent obtains his order of
ad.mksion, at the ex pence of a lee, he thinks
Liniself protersionally armed to PRACTICE LAW
geuerally for prisonv:s.
Thus it is that these Agents have created or
encouraged a equirt through the pui,,us of the
I,olgdoin ttott.they alone .ire the Lcw iigf,,;ts of
• D-b!ors, and That Attoroie,: Win irot act for theta,
Ivb;C11, althoogh it be a base, malicious,
and do, germ's fal,ehood, has not failed to
npors • be cretiotty of certain rtisoners to
Illeft great iniury—to the loss of their Creditots,
the rktriment to •the Public, and the violation of
lbe LEGITiNIATS PRACTITIONeRs —For
the Pre,eol tokowinginstanee suffice
A CeuilvAiin in lite Mitch, wito had entitloyea
a rekuiar S,diettor pre ions to his commitment,
• lipid whose services wete continued during the
terra of these months of hip imprisonment, sent
Sol ci!ot at the expirhtiott of that time, and
consulted itinu piofes4ionally as to the mode of op

plidtion of iliscl,ar 4 under the Act. The ne--
ress,iry arrtigerne'\, was tnade, and the Solicitor
waittd the prisonet's ,re for rite purpose.
;'.f titers /)at proe,pded I,;r. the sonci-
tor wos very tinext.;.--.' visit
Irmo a fv.tl-111 of itte prisonet , static to him, that
Mr. G. Ilan b. imprc,sed by do. asset tion of one
of these Agents, living in the neighbourhood of
the prison, that it would be Ell Ore proper and rc
r
recr to employ him titan his own Solicitor, for that
AGE Nits of tile Court were alone qinalified to do
AlthOngh this is a palpable imprisi-
t ton on the prisoner, it is not withstanding an im-
position constantly practisrd. it is likewise
species of injustice to the Solicitor, and will be
ittjurioni in its consequences to the general Cre-
ditors.

In cases like this, the Soliciter may have been
employed for two or three years, if not more, in
arranging and conducting the affairs of the pri-
soner, with a view to prevent him from the dis-
grace of confioement, and wter the occurrence o
that event, L•tends him for the purpose of Mar-
shalling his Affairs, wit a due regard to the just
claim.: of CrAitors, in a candid and just dis-
elosin,-, aid, in the result, finds himself described
as a Creditor to the Schedule, and is paid for all
his former earniogs with a notice tinder the Insol-
vent Act , rsithout even she satisfaction of the least
reward attendant on his prolessiooal endeavours
to extricate the Debtor by honourable means
under the Act. The Creditor also loses the be-

nutit of !hat HONEST disclo9ure which his duty
would have influenced him to recommend to the
prisoner, who in his turn hi:comes influenced by
such advice as such an Agent may chose to give
hilt on such disclosure.

It will be seen, that artifices, evasions, tricks,
•übtilty, and chicane, are resorted to by these
Agents, and by their weans many fraudulent
Debtors escape the Law, and baffle the exertions
of Creditors.

It would be a task of extreme difficulty to de-
vise a law, which, whilst it operated as a punish-
t►►ent to fraud, should be more lenient to ilia&
vcrtenee and misfortune, so as to distinguish he•

I wren Agents who persevere in a coot he of ATRO-
CIOUS VII LAINIC.

If the principle shoal be adopted of expelling

these Agents, t e will he less fraud and iniquity
practised by Debtors under the Act, and by such
weans the Creditor may expect a fair surrender
of the Debtor' means, This is the only principle
upon which i: is conceived tegt►lations must be
established to secure the Profession and Creditors
trout injustice.
StmoN has mentioned his dislike to the whol-
some maxim of know thyself, but he has been very
inquisitive in gaining a knowledge of others.
fear his information will not extend iu either case
by the mode he has adopted. The probability is.
that his intellectual obscurity will long render

him- also a stranger to the beauties of SHAKS-
PHARE, and, the understandin4 ut ttte Roman
Classics. I will, therefore, give him an illustration
from English Writcrs as forcibly applying to this
subject.
" The many hitter reflections which every had
action tests a mind in which there are ANY re-
miins .4.goodoctis, are not to be compensated by
the highest pleasure such an action can pro-.
duce."—FtELDING.

tryselt,, I will add, " he that wrestles with
us, strent,t hens our !het yes and sharpens our
for Poetic variety I ciniclude—
" Th, n::to resolved and steady to his trust,
lutlvxiale to iil, ;:nil onstioately just ;
Mal the rude Rabhi's" in*o4.nee de rise,
Their senseless clamours and tumultuous cstr,s,"
SCHUTATOR.

The famous• Captain LANG IS at last in custody.
He was on Thursday night seized at Anderston,
and was lodged in the Police Office. On his per-
son a silver watch, 8398, as well as a number of
other articles, was lonia Against this .swindler
there is a number of charges. He is a most au-
dacious and adroit fellow—fit for any thing, and
match for any hotly—and has as correct x mili-
tary air as if he had belonged to the Army ot Oc-
cupation.---A few months ago, he, in a tavern in
Glasgow, pretending to be a commercial traveller,
ingratiated himself into the good graces of a Pais-.
ley 6entlesuart,'whoM he invited to take a ride in
his gig, when a hired gig was bi ought to the door.
Ile reached however no farther than the five-mile
stone, where he left the Paisley man to trudge
!nne on his feet, atter having deprived him of his
money. For this captain-like trick, he was ad-
jadged to Ilridewell, and sentenced so banishment
!rom Glasgow. It is said that • this Captain has
beet.) a private in the Lanarkshire, Dumfries-shire,
and lientreveshire Militias., Glasgow is not the
only field of his erowess. Edinburgh also hears
witness to his exploits. A precognition is going
on. In his wardrobe were found some excellent
speck ns of Dandy embroidered shirt-necks.—
( Greenock Adrertiser, Dec 2i2.)
AhLANCIAOLY AccIDENT.—OiI Thursday last,.
a guarder of the name or met with his
death at a (parry near StOnehouse, tinder -very
distressing circumstances. He had been at vvoik
the whole of the day, and was about to leave the
trialry, haying nodermined the rod: considerably,
with tie expeetation-ot it, falling to the course of
the night r its own accord: It would appear
-that he had mined too deep, for an immense mass
of earch,and sti.ne suddenly lell' in and enveloped
him, 14is wife, anxious at his not returning home
when it became davit, went iii search ot him with
a light and some assistance, whet!, melancholy to
she discovered the corpse o; her husband in
a horribly mangled state. The head and one arut
was severed from the body, and it was otherwise
mutilated it a tilloddll4 Mlliner. The unfortu-,
nate titan has lelt,,besides his widow, six children
to lament his untimely and melancholy late.—
(Greenock. Adverther, Dec 22 )
The three sons lately &livered at one birth by
the wife of Air. Thomas Baxendlle, of Prestoo,
have all fallen a sacrifice to the sonatt-pox.
A poor man, named 301m'Cross, a boat-Wright.
of Marsh, in Lincolnshire, has within the fast
fifteen clays lost his wife and six hue children by
.that dreadful disease, the small-pox. -
In the course of last Aloud) eighty persons dud
of the small-pox at the [live, Ivhcre it eun:inues
to 'make great tavaii;cs,.

POETRY.

A SLY ROGUE IN A HAT-FIELD.

'Twas four-rand the jangling dull village clock
Procla:M.(l it ail over the ,
Up trotted a boy in a little smock-frock,
With a big. brown bottle of ale.
The hedge-row was shady, the grass newly mown;
Wheru the haymakers all assembled, [thrown,
Sweet brOwn bread and cheese round the circle were
And the ale in the fall horn trembled :
Ah me''. what a sweet repast,
Nobody could doubt,
AS the burn went abcni,
That their little half hoUr aid scaMper too fast:

In stioth so it did—lnit cash man had his fill,
High Makin4- his spirits up leap,
'Till, by time freihening breeie from the hill,
They sank hi the amts of sleep
But, 0! what a sly one among 'cm did lurk,
A rope for his greedy throttle!
ke sleep, i'faith I he was Inisy at work
With the dtrizost empty bottle:
Sad marl be can hardly stand :
Look there how he goes ••
1.,
On his tottering toes,
Like a poor struck bullock whose death is at hand•

Said I, " this is just like a pitiful thief,
Who finds ye where dark woods are,.
"and begs a few pence,"—! low? you grant hint relief;
He sees ye have more to spare ;
So, what does he do ?—Sly as hint that's drunk,
He ryes ye more cunning than kind,
And etas from your carriage your travelling trunk,
And "!caves not a wreck behind,"
A cowardly, pitiful chap !
Give, give 'rue the gallows,
For these are your• fellows
That pluck out the feathers of Charity's cap.

BEPPO.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.