REASONS

Humbly offer'd to the CONSIDERATION of
Both HOUSES of PARLIAMENT;
For an ACT for the DISCHARGE of
INSOLVENT DEBTORS.

T is very evident, from the Viciffitude of human Affairs, That to be happy
and *unhappy* is common to all; it would therefore be as abfurd, to account
*thofe* who are really under Misfortunes, either *criminal*, or guilty of a *Vice*,
for their being *fo*, as to reckon the whole Species *fo*, feeing they are alike
liable. The *ROMANS* always deem'd their *LIBERTY* invaluable: They
accounted Imprifonment a lingering Death, and therefore never would abandon the
meaneft of their Countrymen, to the *implacable Revenge* of his Fellow-Citizen: The
Dictates of *Reafon* inform'd them thus, who were only guided by the Light of Nature;
and it is to be hop'd, we have not learn'd the Sublimer Lefons of *Chriſtianity*, to
praſtife a Cruelty abhorr'd by them. It is obvious, our wife *LEGISLATURE* had
ſufficient Reafons for affigning Imprifonment for Debtors, from a Necessity of in-
flieting Punifhments on the Profligate and Knavifh, that Perſons of Integrity and
Worth might be ſecure from the *Craft* and *Circumvention* of ſuch Rogues, and that
their Bodies might be reſtrain'd from going abroad to deceive others, (though it
certainly never was intended to ſtarve, even ſuch,) the Penance they underwent being
to terrify others from praſtifing the like Iniquity. But as it is impoffible to make
a Law that can obviate every Accident, here, the *honest, diligent* Man, too often falls a
Sacrifice to inconsiderate Cruelty; and what Subſtance the poor *unfortunate* Debtor has
left, he is forſd, by the Inhumanity of the Creditor, to expend in Goal (for the
Support of Life;) and when he is divefted of that, *himſelf* and *difſtrefled* Family are daily
perilihing for Want, which muſt offend human Ears to enlarge on: And as there is
neither *publick* nor *private* BENEFIT accruing from the *Imprifonment* of our *Fellow-
Subjeſts* for DEBT, but a *Loſs* to the *Nation* in general, as well as every particular
Creditor, *fo*, it is prefum'd expedient, that ſome Law ſhould be made, to redrefs *fo* great
a Grievance, and preſerve from ſtarving *fo* many miſerable unhappy Debtors.

It is therefore moſt humbly propofed,

I. That if the Debtor is willing to make an ingenuous Difcovery, and surrender up
his All, for the Benefit of his Creditor, and to feal the Truth of it, on the Forfei-
ture of his Life, to what End ſhould the Creditor be indulged to keep him in Pri-
fon afterwards ? for, if the Debtor has any thing, the Creditor is certain to have it,
if nothing, the Lofs is already made; fo that the diſcharging the Perſon of the Debtor
is no Lofs at all.

II. That the many Thouſands of poor Prifoners confin'd for Debt, and no Ways
capable of getting their Liberty, become a Charge to their Friends, and a Lofs to
the Nation, which muſt neceſſarily amount to an immenſe Sum Yearly.

III. That no Nation in Europe lock up their Subjeſts for Debt, but this, without
obliging their Creditors to ſupport them whilſt in Goal, looking upon it as unnatural,
to imprifon a Man, and there ſtarve him, if it be not in his Power to ſubſiſt himſelf;
and if he has any Thing left, when he becomes inſolvent, they think it much more
ſervicable, both for the Creditor and their Nation, to take it from him, and let him
have his Liberty, in order to get his Livelihood, than confine him.

IV. That

IV. That in Holland, and some other Places, if the Creditor perfils in confining the Perfon of the Debtor, they not only oblige him to maintain the Debtor during his Confinement, in fome Degree anfwrable to that which he lived in before, but make an Allowance for the Time he lies in Goal, and place that towards the Difcharge of the Debt; so that the Unfortunate in thofe Parts, are in fome Hopes of getting clear of their Creditors, by Servitude in Goal, and are provided for, at the fame Time, at their Expence.

For the foregoing Reafons, every Infolvent has Encouragement to hope for a remarkable Deliverance by an extenfive Act; when he confiders, how happily the prefent Parliament are attached to the Honour and Intereft of our Gracious Sovereign; and that to demonftrate their known Regard to his Majefty, they will chearfully contribute to embellifh His Reign, by fuch ACTS of MERCY, as we are affured are agreeable to His great CLEMENCY and JUSTICE.

Wherefore it is humbly hoped, that the Legislature will, out of Compassion, to so many thousand diſtressed Objeſts, make some Law, that they may either be kept from perifbing in a Goal, or have their Liberty, and not suffer so great Numbers of them to die daily through Want, upon their submitting to any Sort of Examination for the real Diſcovery of their Effeſts, as the great Wisdom of Parliament ſhall think fit to lay them under; by which, we doubt not but many of them, who are now burdenſome and chargeable to others, and of no Uſe to their Country, may in Time make an honourable Refitution to their Creditors, and become useful and beneficial Subjects to the Nation in General.

REASONS
Humbly offered to
Both Houses of PARLIAMENT.
FOR AN
ACT for the DISCHARGE of
INSOLVENT DEBTORS.
FROM THE
Prifon of LUDGATE.