§ Mr. Bainessaid, he wished to ask his hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General, whether he were aware that, notwithstanding the passing of his act of the last Session of Parliament, abolishing imprisonment for debt, there were at present in the country gaols of this kingdom hundreds—he might say thousands—of poor debtors kept in confinement, owing to the necessity which existed for their sureties appearing personally to justify their bail in open court in London: and whether he had any objection to introduce into his bill, now before the House for amending the Imprisonment for Debt Act, a clause empowering the Insolvent Debtors' Court to appoint proper persons in the country, as commissioners, to take the recognizances of the sureties under such circumstances as would render the personal appearance of the bail in London unnecessary?
The Attorney General,in answering the question, would take the opportunity of stating that he had received from all quarters the most gratifying intelligence of 573 the operations of the bill for the abolition of imprisonment for debt. So beneficial was it found, that those who had been most opposed to it were now loudest in its praise. He was aware of the defect to which his hon. Friend had referred. The moment he heard of it he had consulted the judges, being anxious to have their opinions. Lord Denman had been good enough to say, that he would take the opinion of his brethren on the point. Whenever the result should be communicated, he (the Attorney General) would be most anxious to carry into effect the object of his hon. Friend, by introducing a clause into the bill now before Parliament, or by bringing in a substantive bill for the relief of the grievance.