Lords Sitting of 13 June 1822

BANKRUPT LAWS.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, that a bill had been brought up from the other House at the close of the last session, making some important changes in the Bankrupt Laws. But as it contained much unnecessary matter, and was otherwise highly imperfect, he had signified his intention, if the measure were allowed to drop, to introduce a bill, or bills, upon the subject. This engagement he was now ready to perform. The first bill he should bring in, would remedy a considerable hardship, occasioned by the law as it now stood. If a commission were issued against a particular firm, all the partners were involved in the same fate, whatever might have been their conduct. Now, men had different feelings, and there were some who would think it highly important to their character to have the commission of bankruptcy superseded, instead of being obliged to take their certificates as bankrupts. This, however, could not now be done. The object of his bill, therefore, would be to amend the law in this particular, and to enable the lord chancellor, or lord keepers in cases of bankruptcy under a joint commission, to supersede the commission against any one of the partners who had satisfied all his creditors. On Monday, he should introduce another bill to amend some other part of the bankrupt laws, and he hoped that, together with the present, it would pass before the close of the session. He should afterwards propose a third bill, but as he had not yet made up

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his mind with respect to all its clauses, he should not expect it to be carried into effect until the ensuing session.—The bill was brought in, and read the first time.