§ MR. ANDERSONasked the President of the Board of Trade, If he has observed the statement of Mr. Commis- 407 sioner Kerr, that the Bankruptcy Act (meaning the small debt part)
Is simply a farce, and amounted to this. That if a man owed less than £50 he could be relieved by the County Court Judge on a petition for liquidation. If he owed over £300 he could avail himself of the Bankruptcy Court, in either of which, cases he was relieved of the fear of prison; whereas if he owed an amount between those sums he was liable to a committal;and, whether the above is really the effect of the Act, and if that was his intention when he passed it?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINI have seen the statement referred to, and I have come to the conclusion that the learned Judge must have been misreported, because such a statement would be entirely inaccurate. It is perfectly clear to anyone acquainted with the Act that all debtors owing less than £50 can be relieved by any County Court; and if a debtor owes more than that sum it is a matter of perfect indifference, so far as his capacity of obtaining relief is concerned, whether his liabilities are under or over £300.