Lord Cairns introduced in the House of Lords, on Monday
night, a measure consolidating the Bankruptcy law of the kingdom into a single Bill, and making certain inadequate changes for the future. Two of the most important of the new provisions are these : that in the case of a County Court debtor who may be assumed to have no means except what he earns by his wages or salary, the judge, instead of ordering his imprisonment, may, if he chooses, impound the future wages of a man against whom judgment has been obtained, to the amount of 25 per cent. ; that is to say, an order will be served on the debtor's employer to pay one-fourth of his wages, as they become due, into Court, to the person or persons who have obtained judgment.
With regard to ordinary bankruptcy, Lord Cairns proposes to continue the official assignee, but only provisionally, giving the creditors power to supersede him by their own assignee if they choose. Also the creditors' trustee is not to be paid any remunera- tion till the accounts have been audited, and. the remuneration allowed in the audited accounts,—this in order to give a strong motive against delay.
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