MEETINGS OF CREDITORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5817, 20 November 1879, Page 2

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS.

A meeting of creditors of Mr. J. N. Owen was held at the Supreme Court yesterday. After waiting some time, Mr. Dimant was proposed as chairman, but that gentleman objected, and thought the; trustee, Mr. Strike, should be present. He thought it an extraordinary thing that the trustee was not present, and he said the creditors wanted to hear a report from the trustee of the position of the estate. Mr. Ollivier said the trustee should be there, and that if the proceedings were before a Judge, and the trustee was not in Court, the Judge would probably attach him for contempt. Mr. Dimant then took the chair, and was reading the minutes, when Mr. Strike came in, and explained that he had been waiting down stairs, not knowing the meeting was proceeding. Mr. Marks then proceeded to put in some twenty prrn's .if debts, with proxies attached, to one of ’’ r. Alcorn objected, as it was not in o ■■ Iwas not a proper proof of debt. , . ~ t , Mr. Marks said it was a proof of debt, and the debtor himself would know whether he owed it or not.

Mr. Owen said all the proofs put in by Mr. Marks were correct.

Mr. Ollivier, who represented some of the creditors, paid that nooe of the proofs were in order, 1-ufc there was a graver objection to them than that. If they were used the proceedings would be illegal.

Notwithstanding this, the chairman admitted the illegal proofs. In reply to a creditor, Mr. Owen said he had not prepared a statement of accounts as requested at a previous meeting, as he had kept no books.

Mr. Ollivier thought the debtor should be represente 1 there.

Mr. Owen said he had no moner to par for legal advice. He hadn’t a shilling in the world, and he could not get legal advice for nothing.

Mr. McDowell proposed that the meeting adjourn until the statement that the debtor had been directed to prepare should be brought up. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion.

Mr, Marks said he represented twenty-two creditors, an 1 he would move as an amendment that the debtor receive his discharge. Mr. Watty seconded this on behalf of Mr. Gear.

An objection was taken to the amendment o» the ground that Mr. Marks was not a

creditor. Mr. Marks fh en had his amendment altered to the effect that he proposed it on behalf of Messrs. Casey and McDonald and “ twentyone other creditors,”

Some further conversation took place concerning the statement of accounts that Mr. Owen had not supplied, and Mr. Strike, the trustee, said that Mr, Owen did not, nor would not, show what he had done with his money.

The amendment was then put, and declared carried by a large majority.

A creditor drew attention to the fact that Mr. Pegrnm, who was present, had voted, although Mr. Marks had also voted for him by proxy.

Mr, McCarthy objected to the whole of the proofs and proxies, as they should be received only by the trustees, and he asked that this objection should be taken down. This was done, and At the request of Mr. Alcom, the names of the voters for and agdnst the amendment were also taken down, showing twenty-five for and six against.

Mr. Alcorn and Mr. McDowell both disclaimed any desire to oppose the debtor haring his discharge. They only wanted to see a statement of his affairs first.

Mr. Owen again said that he had kept no books, and that if the creditors knew the circumstances of himself and family none of them would oppose his discharge. The proceedings then terminated.

A meeting of creditors of Mr. Hollis was held yesterday afternoon at the Supreme Court, Mr. Barber in the chair. The chairman reported that the meeting was an adjourned one, and said that at the previous meeting it had been proposed to wind up the estate, and that Mrs. Hollis’s property should be released by the creditors. It had been thought hardly fair to Mr?. Hollis to take advantage of her offer, so the meeting had been adjourned to enable the creditors to further consider the matter. Without Sirs. Hollis’s property there would be barely money enough to pay the law expenses. There were some book debts to the extent of about £4O which were collectable, and there was also some property connected with Mr. Hollis’s business which could be sold by auction. After some further conversation it was resolved to adopt the resolution proposed at the previous meeting, namely, that the estate be wound up, the debtor being allowed to retain bis furniture, and that Mrs. Hollis's property be released.