A SCANDALOUS INSOLVENCY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 651, 15 March 1879, Page 2

A SCANDALOUS INSOLVENCY.

(Wellington Chronicle.)

Cl Amelius Morland Smith," late Assistant Colonial Under-Secretary m the New Zealand Civil Service, is a highly ingenious young gentleman. He has only been a few years m the service, during which period he has always enjoyed an excellent salary, yet he has contrived to get heavily into debt, on two occasions to compound with his creditors — once for 2s 6d m the pound, and a second time for a somewhat better dividend — while no later than yesterday he had to face a meeting of the same ever confiding and deluded individuals, with a schedule amounting to £3240, and assests practically — Nil. This last time Mr. Amelius Morland Smith is not to be allowed to pull through by a nice little private arrangement. Indeed it is doubtful whether " Amelius" could stump up even the usual half-crown m the twenty shillings It is true that " Amelius" alludes vaguely to some " great expectations" which he has m England, and to a suppositions reversionary interest m £3000 but. this does not appease his creditors, who now mourn and refuse to be comforted. Of its peculiar kind, there is a certain philosophic wisdom displayed m the conduct of Mr. Amelius Morland Smith. . Many poor devils of clerks m the Civil Service earning a wretched pittance of £140 to £180 a year, and with wives and families to support — pinch, scrape, and screw to eke out an existence, and make both ends meetwearing old clothes and often denying themselves aven the modest luxury of a half -pint of beer, and a fig of tobacco — so that they may honestly pay their way, and owe no one anything. Mr. Amelius Morland Smith altogether despises such poor creatures. For years he has gone arrayed m broadcloth and fine linen. He has fared sumptuously and lived luxuriously. He has adapted the role of a patron of the turf. In fact, Mr. Amelius Morland Smith has enjoyed life and had a " good time of it." Now, tli at is not a bad philosophy of life. "Amelius" has taken as much m the shape of luxury, comfort, enjoyment out of life as any man could have done with £1500 a year. He has done this with other men's money, it is true ; but that trifling circumstance will not disquiet his noble mind. It is only filing his schedule after all and then "Amelius" will pull through the Bankruptcy Court, probably getting re-appointed to his lucrative secretaryship at £450 a year, and recommence life, freed from debt, as "a whitewashed man." It is an admirable plan of life, and we are lost m admiration at the o^taeummate tact, skill, and dexterity which "Amelius" has displayed m carrying it out. A shop boy who robs his master's till of a few shillings would probably get three months' imprisonment ; a clerk who embezzles £20 would m all likelihood expiate his offence by two years' hard labour on the roads. Amelius, the aristocratic and kid-gloved, is more fortunate. ,He has either lost or spent thousands of other people's money, yet suffers no worse penalty than " going through the Court." Verily law — is law.

To get into debt heavily, and then compound has been the constant principle and practice of this highly-talented young man. His career is interesting and instructive. " Amelius," we believe, came out from Home to Canterbury m 1861, and devoted himself to pastoral pursuits, as a cadet on a sheep station. "Amelius" had a soul above sheep, and despised horned cattle. He therefore soon hied him back to England, and his friends procured him a commission m (we believe) the 10th Hussars, and packed him off to India "to seek the bubble reputation, even m the cinnon's mouth." But, "Amelius" was not destined to achieve martial dories. In a few weeks, he left the service, and returned to England. Then once more he was deported to Canterbury, and when hanging about the club there m 1856, had the good luck to be picked up by Sir George Grey, who made him Despatch Clerk. Henceforth "Amelius" found that his lines had fallen m pleasant places. The well-bred, presentable, good-looking, and aristocratic young fellow found favour m high places. A better position was soon found for him as Record Clerk m the Colonial Secretary's office. Bye-and-bye he obtained the Chief Clerkship, at about £400 a year, and some three jears ago he was made Assistant Under-Secretary, at £450 a year" Verily "Amelius" had great srood fortune. He has always received an excellent salary, and up to some two years ago was unmarried. How, therefore, he could not contrive to live m what " Sir Julius" calls " a reasonable manner," on £450 a year, without "outrunning the constable," seems difficult to understand. That he did "outrun the constable," at most deadlong and reckless pace, is proved by his two previous private arrangements with his creditors, and his present grand smash for the modest sum of £3240. We are lost m wonder at the simplicity, the guilelessness, and the touching" confidence which must have been displayed by the creditors of " Amelius." Personal friends ,and tradesmen may be " let m" once by a reckless and extravagant spendthrift, but they usually take care not to risk a repetition of the same experiment. Amelius, however, has succeeded m bleeding the victims not once, but on three successive occasions ! It is quite clear that " Amelius" is no mere commonplace debtor. In his case the art of getting into debt and living upon the money of other people, has been practised with a degree of skill and originality almost rising to the real genius. There is, however, a serious aspect to this question. For any man not m business, with a fixed income of £450, a year, to get into debt to the amount of £3240, is, m a moral sense, a gross fraud. The law may not regard such action m that light, and the perpetrators may escape punishment, but the fdct remains that he has subjected honest men and women to the loss of money and of moneys worth. If the law cannot reach such cases, then it should be altered. As the late John Stuart Mill aptly observed, — " The law is bound to take care that insolvency shall not be a good pecuniary speculation, and that insolvents shall not find it answer to make themselvbs unable to pay their just debts by spending the money of their creditors m personal indulgence.