Lords Sitting of 5 May 1820

INSOLVENT DEBTORS.
Lord Aucklandrose to move for a committee to take into consideration the state of the Insolvent Debtors laws in England. It being understood to be the wish of their lordships, that such a committee should be appointed, he thought it unnecessary to trouble the House with any observations upon the subject. In consequence of an unfortunate omission in the act of last session for continuing the expiring laws, the operations of the Insolvent act had been suspended, and the effect had been the filling of the prisons of the metropolis to an extent frightful to contemplate, and producing an imminent danger of infectious diseases. If to avoid this: evil it should; be thought expedient that the debtor, I through misfortune and not fraud, should not be liable to the imprisonment to which he was now subjected; it would of course be considered just, that the creditor should have additional means afforded him of making the property of the debtor available, as a security, instead of that which he now had upon his person. It was chiefly to this point that he intended to call the attention of the committee. His lordship moved for the appointment of a committee, which was ordered.