HL Deb 15 December 1837 vol 39 cc1115-6
Lord Brougham

presented a petition from certain prisoners in the Fleet, some of them clergymen, comprising many names highly respectable in themselves, and equally so from their professions, praying their Lordships to pass with all convenient speed the bill for abolishing imprisonment for debt. He begged leave to avail himself of this opportunity to correct a mistake made the other night when the subject of imprisonment for debt was under discussion. He understood it was not consistent with fact to suppose the bill now before the House had been drawn up by the law commissioners, or even that they had any great hand in the preparation of it. They had in the former bill, but not in the present.

Lord Abinger

was perfectly satisfied the majority of the commissioners had no hand in the preparation of the bill. He knew one considerable authority among them who did not approve of it. With respect to the petitioners in this case, of whom there were 105, there was hardly one, he believed, who was not able to obtain his discharge under the Insolvent Debtors' Act before the abolition of Imprisonment for Debt Bill could pass the Legislature, if they consented to make a full disclosure and assignment of their property for the benefit of creditors. He was afraid, however, that the vast majority of them would derive no relief from the bill if it should pass, because they were likely to prefer the imprisonment they now endured rather than submit to the rigid inquiries the bill would establish for the discovery of their property.

Petition laid on the table.