§ MR. SEAVERNS (Lambeth, Brixton)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the desirability of amending The Loan Societies Act, 1840, Section 16, so as to provide that proceedings for the recovery of loans made by such societies may be taken before a justice of the peace in the district or place where the registered office of any such society may be situate, instead of, or in addition to, the place where the party neglecting to discharge any note for the repayment of a loan from such society may happen to be or reside.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I do not think this amendment of the law would be desirable, as it would give these loan societies (who, I am informed, already possess a privilege peculiar to themselves in recovering their debts by proceedings in a court of summary jurisdiction) powers which are not allowed under the ordinary law relating to the recovery of debts in a county court. Moreover, such powers would lend themselves readily to abuse.