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ces w.«--nnmmeenaeameeaaaemn ie uesn e eeeareeeninn en sCoTT ACT RETURNS. i y* IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. ' Mr, WHITNEY moved for an order of ths Mr. GIBSON (Hamilton) moved the second House showing the date of the appointment of rewling of the bill to amend the Division Asa Beach as license inspector for the County Courts Act. He said that the objoct of the of Dundas. Also the number of convictions I bill was to take away from Division Court in the county since the date of his appoint-- Judges the odious power of imprisonment for ment for violations of the Canada Temperance | debt and to put Division Court «Fc'ut.ors on pre-- Act, 1878, and giving the name of each person cisely the same footing as judgment debtors in convicted, the date of each conviction, the regard to imprisonment. _ in the Superior amount of penalty imposed in each case, by Courts a judgment debtor _ might be whom imposed and the disposition of the pen-- examined, but he believed that even | alty in each case. _ Also whether each convie-- ifi -- he swore that he had the money in tion was for a first, second or third offence his pocket to pay the judgment that was not under the Act, and showing also the particu-- considered such an unsatisfactory answer as lars of unsuccessful prosccutions since said would subject him to imprisonment. first--mentionod date, with the names of per-- Mr, MEREDITIN suggested that if this was sons prosecuted and the dates of dismmissal of law, which he doubted, it was a bad law. prosecutions. | _ Mr. G1BSON said that might be, but no one Mr. MEACHAM moved an amendment | would propose to give the Superior Courts the which had the eticct of requiring the same de-- | power. of imprisonument for refusing or tails for all counties in the Province under the neglecting to pay a debt, the power operation of the Act named since it came into now posscssed by Division Court Judges, force. One evil of the present system was the varying Hon. Mr. HARDY claimed that this was ; practice of different Division Court J udges. out of order. Some refrained almost entirely from exercise-- | The ameudment was therefore withdrawn. l ing the power of imprisonment, others enfore-- { Hon. Mr. HARDY said in imaking what ing what was virtualiy imprisoument for debt. gemarks he had to make on this question he T Hon. C. F. FRASER said that his hon. l would tream the amendment as if it had friend's strongest point was the distinction ; been in order. He then went on to contend drawn betwoen the large and the smali debtor. ' that a request for returns of this kind was un-- But he believed that if the small debtor were i reasouable, without a word of explanation as l placed on exactly the same footing as the large to the reasous for requiring it from the debtor, he would be in a very much worse mover of the motion. He thought it unreason-- | position than he is to--day. For instance, a able to ask for such returus without first miak-- large debtor might bo restrained from leaving ing _ out a good _ case as to why the country, while the Division Court debtor they _ should be _ granted, and _ held | might go where he pleased. The present law that it would ve unfair to the persons | did not allow iimprisonment for debt as it was conviected and fined, and who nad paid their | | in the old days,. _ Imprisonmment could take | fines, that their names should be collected and | place only after a judicial investigation, and as | tabuiated in the manner proposed. As to Mr. | ' a matter of fact the cases of imprisonment Asa Beach, the geutleman named in the were extremely few. He had, however, always | motion, he did not know whether the hon. considered that it was an extreme hardship gentleiman considered him too strict or not | for a man to be imprisoned on the ground that strict enough in his inanagement of the Scott when he incurred the debt he had no expecta' Act in the district under his charge. At least tion of being able to pay it, and he would have the reason for asking for such a return should no objection to the law being amended in that be given. it would be a very groat expense to respect. carry out the request _ embodied _ in Mir, MEREDITH said that he did not see the _ amendment, and it seemed that that a man who stole bread for his family was mo good, and possibly considerable evil, too, any worse than a man who stole under pre-- might result from according to it. Under the ; tence of incurring a debt. _ '"There is a certain circunistances the Governmont could not' kind _ of _ gentsel scalawag -- that papi accede to the request. | can't _ reach _ except . by this .4 ".2 Mr. WHITNEY modified his resolution so Mr. O'CONNOR was inclined to agree ith that the names asked for should be omitted Mr. Meredith, but thought it was a h:u-c.'.mp from the returns and other information given, to make a judgment debtor lose a day's work and stated that his reason for asking for the by being examined. s returns was 'that considerable dissatisfaction The bill was read the second time. h existed amoung all classes in Dundas County as MISCELLANEOUS. Hs to the manner in which Mr. Beach was man-- I Mr. GABRSON'S bill to amend the Munic{/ aging the Scott Act. He would not, however, pal Act was read the second time. make any charges against him. Mr. GRAMHAM moved the second reading The motion then passed, of a bill establishing a standard for milk. He Mr. INGRAM moved for the evidence, re-- took occasion to deny that farmers are much | port and correspondence relative to the dis-- given to adulterating milk,. 'The bill was missal of .-}rqhibu.hl Melutyre, license inspector t read the second time and committed. for East Kigin. Carriod. | Mr. BALLANTYNE'S bill to prevent Mr. CLANCY'S bill to amend the Registry | frauds in connection with the supply of milk Act was considered in committee and re-- l to cheeso and butter factories was remd a sec-- perted. ond time. * | The House adjourned at 6. 30. -- !'