IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2769, 26 March 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

A London journal reports that Judge Rentoul, K.C., in the City of London Court, recently said he regretted that during the. past year it had been proved to his satisfaction that the court had boon misled in regard to making comcommittal orders. The court lias made 490 committal orders during the year, of which. 349 wore issued ; and out of those fourteen went to prison, which showed that fourteen orders, were improperly made, because imprisonment for debt was not allowed in England. No man went to prison for debt unless be could not help it. Each of these fourteen men was wrongfully sent to prison.

Therefore, the Judge continued, he must bo very cautious in making such orders. There wore many retail firms in the area of that court who had never once asked for a commital order against their customers' during the eight years he had sat there : while there were others who obtained orders against sixty or seventy of their customers every year. It would he well if the Press published the number of committals applied for by each of these business houses, in order that the public might see where they were, and the risk they -ran. In future he would make no committal orders without the clearest possible eyidence of means. Seme firm.* were so perpetually rniniwr that court that the-- mrr+ he doin" a eln c s of business that could not bo defensible or proper.