The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-26 00:00:00

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

(Prom a Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
By a recent direction of the commissioners of the I usolv,ent
Debtors' Court the proceedings of persons applOng to be dis-
charged under the act can be greatly facilitated. The public
should be informed of the circumstance, as parties about to
petition will be in a situation materially to lessen their ter in
of imprisonment. Under the old rules no person who intended.
to apply under the act was allowed to retain his attorney until
after be was in prison, or to prepare the several documents
required by the court. They we.re prepared and tiled afterwards.
These preliminary steps generally took some time, and the
schedules, in the majority of cases, were not filed until three.
weeks or a month after the incarceration. The order for hear-
ing issued soon after the filing of the schedule, and from the
length of time afforded of creditors to get up their oppositions,
the poor applicant could not he heard until the expiration of
six, seven, or eight weeks. There has, however, been au alter-•
ation in all these matters except the notice to creditors, and it
is hoped that the commissioners will take the subject into their
consideration. Under the new rules an attorney can be retained
out of prison, the petition and schedule prepay ed for tiling, and
the other documents obtained. A notice has been issued autho-
rizing the brokers of the court to value the property and clothes
of persons who are about to be taken in execution, and in the
notice it is required to be stated the name of the creditors at
whose suit a verdict has been obtained, or judgment recorded.
And if the persons do not petition within fourteen days after
such valuation, then another valuation to he made at half the
charge. The benefit conferred is obvious to those acquainted
with the matter. A person about to be taken in execution
(and he must be aware of the circumstance) can employ an
attorney of the courts get his property valued to the amount
of £2O, as allowed by the legislature, and his petition and
schedule in a state of preparation. On being taken to prison.
the several documents, including the appraisemeut obtained,
his schedule can be filed, and the order consequent on the
filing issued, he can, in a few days afterwards, obtain his
liberty on bail, and remain out of custody at his business or
profession until the adjudication noon his case. By these
means an applicant need not remain in custody but a few
days. With those who cannot procure bail the case will be
very different. There are many who exhaust their friends
before they will submit to a prison, and these are in some in-
stances neglected. Their imprisonment is prolonged by the
long notice required by the court to be given to creditors
above I:s—twenty-one days' dear notice to creditors, whether
they reside in London or the country, and yet but compara-
tively few persons are opposed. At least one half of this pe-
riod might be taken off, and the parties who have creditors in
the country be called upon to insert en advertisement in a
newspaper circulated in the county in which such creditors
live, apprising them of their intended applications. - An al-
teration in this respect would be a great improvement, and
the commissioners, with the regulations mentioned, would
unquestionably be working out the spirit of a measure which
will, no doubt, lead to other improvements in the difficult law
of debtor and creditor.

THE BISHOPS OF DURHAM AND NORWICH.—In several
diocesses the clergy are signing a requisition to the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, requesting his grace, in conjunction
wi►h the Archbishop of York, to institute an episcopal com-
mission to inquire into the conduct of the Lord Bishop of
Durham and the Lord Bishop of Norwich, in having sub-
scribed to a work intended to promulgate the infidel heresy
of Socinianism, with a view, when the fact has been legally
announced, to future proceedings. We believe that before
those proceedings for the suspension of the prelates can he
instituted, the archbishops must obtain the sanction of the
crown. We shall see whether ministers will dare to uphold
convicted heretics (supposing the fact to be proved) in their
sees, by advising the Queen to reject the advice of the'Arch-
bishops of Canterbury and York. One point ministers have
already- gained. The conduct of these two bishops will do
much to undermine the establishment, and will, perhaps,
make some high churchmen willing to unite with those who
desire to separate church and state.—John Bull.
DREADFUL FIRE AT HARROW-ON-THE-HILL.—At a late
hour on Monday night intelligence was received at the seve-
ral fire brigade stations in the metropolis of a heavy tire raging
in the village of Harrow-on-the-Hill. The first information
was brought by the passengers on the Birmingham Railway,
which was about nine o'clock, and,afterwards by four or five
persons. The engines of the King-street station, with post
horses, and a party of firemen, under the superintendence of
Fogo, the foreman of that district, immediately proceeded
to the spot. The tire, it appears, originated in the school-
house of Harrow-school, in the occupation of Mr. Culenso,
the mathematical master of Harrow-school. which speedily
communicated to the house of the Rev. Dr. Wordsworth.
On the alarm having been given, every assistance was af-
forded by the inhabitants of Harrow, and the flames having
been visible from East Acton, labourers from that place has-
tened to the spot, but no water could be procured from a
shorter distance than a quarter of a mile, and thus the flames
extended their ravages with such uninterrupted fury, that the
buildings, together with their contents of much valuable pro-
perty, consisting of paintings by the most choice masters,
household furniture, &c., were destroyed. The amount of
the loss is estimated at about £3OOO, most of which is insured
in the County, Westminster, and Phoenix Fire-offices. Se-
veral accidents happened to the labourers assisting during
the conflagration. How the dreadful catastrophe happened
is not precisely known, nor is there any probability of obtain-
iog information on the point, from the state of confusion at
present existing. It is stased that Mr. Colenso only com-
pleted his insurance in the.Connty Fire-office on Thursday
last, his premises having undergone several improvements
and alterations.—London Sun.