§ Mr. Hornerpresented a Petition from a number of persons imprisoned for debt in the Isle of Man, (of which place they were not natives), praying the intervention of the legislature in their behalf. The hon. and learned gent. stated, that the Petitioners were the same persons whose grievances had been laid before the House in the course of the last session. When the Bill for the relief of insolvent Debtors 103 in England and Wales, was in its progress through that House, a clause extending its provisions to strangers in the Isle of Man, had been inserted. The other House had, however, rejected it, on the ground that they were not sufficiently informed of the state of the law in that part of the empire, to authorise them to legislate for it. This, he conceived, was a very hard ease, and contrary to the first principles of justice. Persons, who were natives of the island, and were imprisoned for debt, had a right to demand their liberty, on giving up all their effects; but strangers, who contracted debts there, did not partake of this privilege; they must either liquidate them, or lie in prison. The object of the petitioners was, either to have the local law of the island extended to them, or to be protected by the provisions of the acts passed for the relief of the debtors of the United Kingdom. He submitted to the House, that this was a case on which some particular provision should be made. It was his intention, therefore, to introduce a bill on the subject; but he would previously furnish the House with such information, as would serve for its ground-work.
§ The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.