BANKRUPTCY.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 204, 30 August 1888, Page 8

BANKRUPTCY.

MEETING- OF CREDITORS

The first meeting* of the creditors in the estate of Robert Stevenson waa held this morning at 11 o'clock. Present : The debtor and his solicitor, Mr. F. E. ( Baum^ Creditors: Messrs Hermann Brown (BrowDri Barrett and . Qg), Kingswell (Binney and Son), F. Auckland (A. Bucklahd and 'Soua), G.: W. Owen, Patterson (Patterson and Co), Brassey. In the absence of the Official Assignee, Mr Hermann Brown was voted to the chair. Mrs Stevenson/ 'who was present, was sworn, together with her husband. In reply to the Chairman, -Mrs Stevenson said that three horses that had been at their place during,?the . past eighteen, months did, hot belong to her' husband. . A statutory declaration- by Mrs Stevenson was read, claiming the furniture as hers. ; The ■ statement ■of the '■bankru^i: as already published was; . also . read. In reply to Mr Brown, the bankrupt, said that Mrs Stevenson had assisted him to start: in business -after he, had nSade his assignment; He, would- not have been able.to star/t without Mr Brown's assiataace, nndt he had dealt with him befoi»3 he \'aoA opened. He might have told, •;Mr--aid*fS :>iii'jit:;.fie would lose nothing by trusting him arid that he was almost the only creditor. He had never said that he ■ was paying off the principal of the mortgage on his place) but had said that he was paying fche'interest on it. He had never told Mr Brown that he: owned three or four horses. The large amount of book dobts were not partly made up of,book debts from the did estate. Mr Brown : '' No\v,Mr Scevenson, I auk you as a man, do ! v v think it fair to come before ub with an >. c- i-ito that Will pay next to nothing after i, !■ >< c.m > ile ofyears' business? if you had wfaliryou were only a few shillings to Si°'' 'a'1 i- would not have mutteroa-'Eo Ilio a _ e an intellectual man, and "'a"j:", ; ; jipYthinj? on the score. of 'r'T''''' y?« think it ft fair thing to j^ riiaoi) made no reply. Inrwly * o °\ ; ';:»<! the bankrupt) «bftt<sd tbM

he at first disposed of his butchery business bub had since withdrawn it by advice. Mr Eustace, who had been with him for two years,had boughtthe shop and its businessat the auction. In reply to Mr Hunt the bankruptsaid that at the private meeting held.he had said that the interest on his mortgage went as rent. It was now shown that Mrs Stevenson had since proved for £63 10s for rent due. Mr Patterson said that this would not give a penny to be divided by the creditors if it was allowed. Mr Bnckland strenuously objected kto the claim being allowed. Mr Brassey thought that if they could get MisStevenson to withdraw the claim they might wind up the estate. Mr Brown said no ; if the claim was a just one it should be allowed, but he would t«kt> no gifb from Mrs Stevenson or her husband. The bankrupt had given them plainly_ to understand that there was nothing owing for rent on the estate, and now this cla.iui was brought in. All the creditors expressed great surprise at it, and Mr Buckland hinted that there might be more claims. Mr Baume said that there were no more to come. Mr Brown reiterated what he had previously said about it not being a fair thing of the bankrupt to do, and said that this claim for rent made the case far worse. Mr Owen then proposed as a resolution, " That this meeting be adjourned until next Wednesday at half-past two p.m. in order to allow the Official Assignee to request hisl solicitor to thoroughly investigate the whole of the circumstances connected with the estate, especially the claim of Mrs Stevenson for a63 10s for rent." " : . Mr HuDt seconded and the resolution was unanimously carried and the meeting accordingly adjourned. ■:.!