Star.
London, England, 1801-05-09 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS.

The order of the day being read for the Houfe
to refolve itfelf into a Committee upon this Bill,
and the Houfe being in a Committee accordingly,
Lord Walfingham on the Chair,
The Earl of Moms laid, he had intended to
have fuggeßed averal amendments to this Bill;
but upon due refleetion, and upon the fuggettions
of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolfack,
and confidering this Bill of a temporary nature, be
deemed it better to let it proceed nearly as a tranf-
cript of the hit ad, fubmitting onl a few altera-
tions. With regard to the preamb , of the 'Bill,
ite
his with certainly was to have that red, for he
never could content to that preamble. It Rated,
that, " Whereas, notwitblianding the great pre-
judice and detriment which ads of Infolvency pro-
duce
to trade and credit." Now this was not only.,
a very general averment, but, in his opinion, a
very untrue one, he was defirous to prevent that!
untruifm becoming a part of this Bill; he fhould
therefore fubmit the propriety of introducing, af-
ter the word " which," the word u cafual." As,
in his mind, the want of fome permanent law,
which could relieve thole really infolvent, and pu-
nifh thole who were really fraudulent, and which
adually caufed temporary laws of this kind to be
injurious to fociety, by enabling the defigning and
the fraudulent to take advantage of them, to the
irreparable injury of the hona and unfufpeEting
creditor—he was therefore of opinion, that when
once an individual becomes lama Pe infolvent, and
in c u Rody for debts, which he unwarily contratled,
or contraCting, incurred without fraud or snifter
defign, there fhould be fome tribunal of appeal, as 1
loon as be becomes charged in execution, which,
upon an accurate and fair manifeßation of hi*afe, 1
fhould be endowed with power to let him at li- 1
betty ; but camel, howeverk as he was, to accom-
plith fo defirable an (Nett, yet he mutt for the pre.
fent forego k, under the temporary embarraffments i
and preffure of the times. His Lordatip then pro.
pofed the Amendment, to which the Houfe agreed,
and it was adopted.
He then Rated, that from the advice of his No-
ble and Learned Friend on the Woolfack, he had
taken into contideration the circumftances of 1
indi-
viduals confined, what!, at the fame time, he ad-
verted to the necetlity of preventing artful or de-
figning perfons taking advantage of this Bill, by
an ex ypg fa 9. date to it. To counteract that, he
&could now move their Lordfhips, that the blank
left for the period when the operation of the Bill
was to commence as a law, fhould he the' firlt
day of March laR ;" and having mowed accor-
dingly. his Motion was agreed to, and the blank
was filled up with u the firft day of March, ;Sot."
The next motion he had to fubmit would be that
of the furn to which it was his with the law
fhould extend; with that view he had taken into
confideration the AEI of the 37th of his Majefly,
which limited it to i soot. and Judging from the
increafing formws and exigencies of the times, that 1
it would be humane and wife to extend it fome. I
what beyond that furn, he would now fuggett the
propriety of advancing it to I soot. and isaving I
moved to that effect, his motion was carried, and,
the blank was filled with ;cool. His Lordfhip
next called the attention of the Houfe to the clank,
which regards perfons who had taken the benefit
of any former Ad, and who are now in cullody ;
and having Rated, that even fuch perfons might
now he in cullode for debts incurred without any
evil or fraudulent defign, fignified the policy and
the jnflice of the fame being enquired onto, by em-
powo ing any two Julloces cf the Peace to rum-
mon the two parties before them ; and, wilds they

faw juf caufe of &mining the prifuncr, to dif-
charge him, otherwife to to remand him finally.
After a few other obfervations to this effal, his
Lordfltip moved that two or more Jullices of the
Peace be empowered to that effat, and the mo-
tion was agreed to.
The feveral alterations, as they attached to the
principle of the Dill, being arranged and agreed to,
his Lordfhip next moved that two perfons, whom
he named, (indiwiduals, as far as we could learn,
confined in rift* in Dublin on verdias for adul-
try) fhould be particolary exempted from the be-
nefits of this Bill. In this alto their Lnrdlhips con-
curred, and the Committee on the Bill, after re-
porting progrefs, was ordered to fit main on Mon-
day, to which day the Hoare adjourned.