BANKRUPTCY ACT, 1883—RECEIVERS IN BANKRUPTCY. (Hansard, 7 February 1884)

§ MR. DIXON-HARTLAND

asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is true that of the sixty-seven official receiverships created under the new Bankrupty Act fifty-one are Liberals, and of these fifty-one thirteen were Liberal election agents; and, if so, if he could explain why the assurance given to the House on the 14th August 1883, in the following words:— That if the Bankruptcy Bill was to be a success it would be so entirely in consequence of the choice which might be made in the first instance, especially of the officials who were to carry it into effect.…He hoped to avoid any suspicion of anything like improper party considerations entering into the selection of the officials"—

§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN

Sir, I have to call the hon. Member's attention to the fact that upon the first day of the Session I moved for a Report made to me by the Committee which I appointed in order to consider and recommend the candidates for the appointment of Official Receivers. That Report, I believe, has been distributed to Members to-day, and the hon. Member will perceive that I have fully carried out the assurances which I gave to the House, and that the whole of these appointments have been made upon the recommendation of a Committee appointed by me, and consisting of four of the chief officials entrusted with the administration of the 179 Act. I cannot say whether the statement contained in the Question of the hon. Member, and which, I believe, is extracted from a statement that appeared in a provincial newspaper, is correct or not, because I am personally unacquainted with the political opinions of the majority of the gentlemen selected.