Dealing with the Official Receiver's report counsel said the most important debts were for Ts. 700,000 and Tls. 44,000 and these practically exhausted the whole amount. With regard to the claim of Messrs. A. W. Thompson & Ca. it had some reference to an order which was given by a Mr.
Mac-Dougall who was left in charge of Mr. Thompson's business while the latter was in England. It was an order he never would have approved of had he been present at the time. Goods had to be shipped Home at considerable ids, and the claim was the amount of the loss. In the case of the Morrison claim, from Tls. 30,000 to Tls. 25,000 represented the bankrupt's losses. In this case one had a bankrupt with assets' far less than 10s. in the £ due to causes for which he could not justly be held responsible. This was the only real ground, counsel submitted, on {which the Court could oppose the application. The other grounds were alleged, but there was no substance.in them whatever.
It was true that the dividend was infinitesimal. But that should be entirely disregarded. Like many others in the business here, the bankrupt had been a victim to misfortune. There was not a shadow of ground for punitive measures.
He should be the object of com-mise ration. Throughout the examination of the books he had given satisfactory answers to the trustee. If the discharge was refused the creditors would not be benefited. It would make him feel in the words of a famous judge, "the bond servant and a personal chattel of his creditors."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.