The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 29, 16 June 1868, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1868.

Mf a roconl) mooting of tho Chamber of Oommoroo, a lotfcor wa« rocoiyod from Mohhi'h Bhonpard and Co., calling tlio fl,tfcon(;ion of tho Ohamboi 1 to tho unßftti«factorv > working of corfcain olniifloo in tilio Roaidonli Mapiotraioa Act, and oxproooing tho opinion that, as a gonoral rulo, tradoHmou do not rocoivo'ilio caro and .attention from oovornmont whicli thoy havo a right to oxpoct. Thp,flpcdal objootiona urgod. by tho yiitora in this caso ajpnly to oovtain olauoeH of tlio Act, whicli provido that absconding dobtora must bo brought back for trial to tho placo wlioro tho dobt lin« boon! contracted, and that no creditor may intprifson a debtor tor a dobt leflfl than ton pounds in amount, T3nning thoif allegations upon thoso points, MeHfli'fl Shopjmrd and Co. do» cloro that tlio Act is unjust and an onnoyanco to tradonmon, and pray tho

Chamber tdintbrfero bo aa to proouro of fchq Jaw in question. "Wp hardly^ think' 1 tlmO tho authors of 't\iia, lottor 'hayo given sufficient attontib'n id fcho > ; moritfl of tho Act which 8 they havo ho awooningly condomnod, • Even .!■ upon tho flpocial poiivta* whereon- thoy fool most aggriovod, it, appoara to uo that tho law in right and Moaoni Shoppard and 00. wrong. II) must bo borno in mind that tho colony has already to pay vory lar^e Btima undoi' tho hoad fof "juatico." And a conaidorablo portion of tliofio io cauaod by tho oxponao of witnofiisofl. If absconding dobtors are allowed to bo tviod wherever thoy arc caught, tho oxponHos, in moat caaea, would bo Lirgoly.incroaaod, and would fall generally upon tho Govornmont. And fchia if) a auffieionl; reason why they fihould bo brought back to tho spot whoro the debt io contracted. Again, with regard to non-impriaon* mont for small debts, wo entirely agroo with tho law mit fltarnk TI»O f whole tondonojr of modern logiolatlon in againat impriaoninont for dobt altogether*, What tho law now aima at, and what it is gradually offoofiing, is, to givo largor powers for' tho puniahmont of fraud, whilo it tnlcoo away tho power' to puniali inuoeonl; misfortune But tho law noror protonda to protect men from tho offocta of thoir own imprudonco. Ab a rule, it proaunaoa thai; tradesmen will oxorciao duo caution in tho conduct of their attorn And it 10 booauao tho ruloa of common prudonoo aro ao froquontly forgotton in the tranaaotion of ordinary bußinofla, that wo hear ho many crioa for tho help of the law, Mon aro prone to cry out to Jupitor inatoad ot putting thoir shouldorfl to tho wheel. Wo do not way that this is bo with Mobbm Shoppard and 00. j but wo do Bay, and we appoal to tho annala of the Bankruptcy and Magistrates' Courts to prove tho corroctnoaa of our assertions, that tho moot culpable careloHanofla w constantly evinced by tradoamon in Now Zoalanu, in giving credit to mon who aro ovory way unwoi'thy to rocoive it. Why, there aro men in OhfistchurcH who havo for yoara tradod upon tho folly and imprudonco of their follows, who havo the law ab thoii' Angora' ends, who know how to obtain then 1 neighbours' goodn with tho greatest impunity, and at tho amalloat poaaiblo oxponao. It ia quifco unuoeooaary to parfcioulariao oasos. Any one who roads the proceedings of our Oourta can find plenty of them. Indood, aa long aa thoro aro foola, thoro will bo roguos. And it oannot bo expected, cither that the law should protect tho ono from tho other, or that it could do so if it would. Mon must oxoreisa duo diaorotion and protoel; lihotnflolveH, If tho ti'adosmon of Ohribtchurch and oloowhero would onquiro n littlo boforo thoy givo indiaoriminato orodit, thoy would not malco bo many bad dobts aa thoy do, and would not havo occasion to call so loudly for summary laws to puniah tho roguoa who havo duped them. With regard to tho more gcuoral aoHortion, that tho Government or logiolaturo of tho colony paya no hood to tho wantu of tradosmon, wo think MflßHi'fl Shoppard and 00,, muat bo Bomowhat misinformed. A glanco at tho roaults of tho laboura of last ooaaion will ahow that thoro wero no loaa than twenty-two Aotf) paHnod in tho Aflaombly having Hpocial roforonco to oommorco, booidca a host of othora which boro inoro or loaa upon tho aamo Hubjoct.