The Lord Chancellorpresented a Petition from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Corporation of London, for an alteration in the Bankrupt Laws. He recommended this petition to their Lordships, as it came from men of practical experience, who had daily opportunities of seeing the ill effects of the operation of the present system. He would take that opportunity of correcting a misapprehension which had taken place, of what he said on a late occasion, in presenting a petition from the merchants and traders of London on the same subject. He was stated to have confirmed the facts detailed in the petition; whereas, he had only given the statement on the authority of the petition itself. He understood that he had been supposed to reflect on the character of the Commissioners of Bankrupts; whereas, from his own experience of those gentlemen, he was of opinion that any statement, generally speaking, against them, was without foundation.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.