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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1902, 21 September 1874, Page 2

Our contemporary, the " Register," makes the following remarks with reference to the Act for the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt, from which it will be seen that the Act will come into operation on the Ist proximo. Those who not come within the excepted cases will be delivered. It will be seen, however, that persons who incur debts in a manner that is in any way fradulent will obtain no immunity from imprisonment ; and as it is usually against such persons only that creditors have exercised the power of imprisonment, the practical effect of the Act will not be greatly to lessen the number of persons imprisoned. No doubt, however, there have been many exceptional cases, and persons who were simply unfortunate have been sent to gaol and kept there, thus depriving them of allchance of retrieving their fortunes, and at the same time pauperising those who were dependent upon them. Such cases will no longer be possible, and we

imagine that there will be few to deny that the Legislature has done wisely in relieving the Colony of a disgraceful custom, under which it was possible that the penal institutions of the State should be used for the mere gratification of private animosities. In future, it will be for the Magistrate or Judge, and not the creditor, to decide what liabilities have been innocently incurred, and what may be considered fraudulent transactions, which it is desirable to punish.