NOTES FROM THE NEVIS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 29, 1 June 1870, Page 5

NOTES FROM THE NEVIS.

(Fromour own Correspondent.) Nevis, May 24, 1870. It is rery evident that the Chinese are doing something more than ordinary on the Nevis, aa they have shifted their township further up the river, and several parties have arrived from down country. They seem to have had information from their friends as to the exact spot to make for. John usually does not like awagging through the snow (and the hills are covered with it just now), neither does he like the frosty weather; therefore, so many settling themselves down for the winter shews that they are on something good. Work generally has been very much retarded by the landslips and freshets. Some few of the miners, whom I call "locomotive diggers," because they have been for years travelling backwards and forwards, and are consequently gathering no gold, have made a move; but, with these trifling exceptions, I believe the miners are getting satisfactory returns for their labor.

The mail has not come up yet, so I imagine the snow on the hills may have frightened the mailman, as it did the Wardens a year or two ago. The weather may be quoted as usual: rain, snow, sunshine, and wind—sometimes one at a time, and sometimes 1 all together, with frost and ice into the bargain. Our bankruptcy laws : I should like to say a few words upon this subject. Ever since I can remember, nearly every session of Parliament in the old country has been occnpied for some time in tinkering the law of debtor and creditor, and still it i 3 as far from being satisfactory as ever. It is very easy to find fault, but it is not quite so easy to find a remedy, or to settle it finally. The simplest mode of dealing with it is to abolish it altogether. It supports dishonest lawyers and traders ; it has no terrors for rogues, and very few honest men are not sufferers by its operation. Loafers of many descriptions benefit by the downfall of large firms, like wreckers do from the misfortunes of others. Trade, as at present carried on, is principally on ' bills and proraissoiy notes, and is a sort of gambling transaction, by which, if successful, a man may become rich, and care not for the world ; but if not successful, the man has only to rake together what he can pass through the court with, and he is eligible for civic honera (J.P. included)—or at worst, the Provincial Council is open to him. All trades in England have their protection societies, where all defaulters and swindlers are registered, so that subscribers can see who's who : but it is done in Becrot. Now, this is what should be done : if a man has agreed to pay a debt by a certain date, and he is not able to do so when the time has come, his creditor should have the right to publish his name, without the law of libel being put in force against him ; on the other hand any one publishing a fnlse statement against a creditor should be liable to punishment under the criminal code. All bankrupts and insolvents shouM be disfranchised und disqualified from holding any office lor ap'jicfinttfltofc, di« acting' even aj« Jhryfaem