§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Lord Advocate, with reference to the case of Auld, the Aberdeen bank- 382 rupt, imprisoned for four months for alleged refusal to answer a question regarding a certain sum of money to the satisfaction of the Sheriff Substitute, Whether there is any evidence that the bankrupt has fraudulently concealed any portion of his estate; whether he is aware that Auld is 68 years old, and has repeatedly sworn that his memory has recently been very defective; whether the claims on the estate have been all lodged; and, if so, what is the amount of the admitted claims, and what the amount of funds in the hands of the Trustee to meet them; and, whether it is true that Auld's friends have offered, if necessary, to make up the cost of the bankruptcy proceedings, so as to discharge all claims against him?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J.H.A. MACDONALD) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities)The bankrupt in this case, at his first examination, swore that £10 6s. were the whole of his assets, and when pressed as to sums of money believed to be his, pleaded defective memory. When again examined, he swore he had made a present of £20 to each of three nephews and a niece, and admitted that he had said he did not remember this before, and that he did so because he did not wish to tell it. His answers were in so many instances uncandid and evasive, that at both examinations he was repeatedly cautioned, and the Sheriff was unable to give any credence to his plea of defective memory. The claims amount to £149 6s. 5d., and the funds to £90 19s. 10d. I answer the last paragraph in the negative.