administrative work arising under the act. It has extensive powers of
control over the appointment of trustees, and conducts an audit of their
accounts; and it may, subject to appeal to the court, remove them from
office for misconduct, neglect or unfitness. A report upon the proceedings
under the act is annually presented to parliament by the Board of Trade,
and although the department is practically self-supporting, a nominal vote
is each year placed upon the public estimates, thus bringing the
administration under direct parliamentary criticism and control. The act
also provides for the appointment and removal by the Board of Trade of a
body of officers entitled official receivers, with certain prescribed
duties having relation both to the conduct of bankrupts and to
administration of their estates, including the interim management of the
latter until the creditors can be consulted. These officers act in their
respective districts under the general authority and directions of the
Board of Trade, being also clothed with the status of officers of the
courts to which they are attached. While effecting this supervision and
control by a public department directly responsible to parliament, the main
objects of the measure were to secure--(1) An independent and public
investigation of the debtor's conduct; (2) The punishment of commercial
misconduct and fraud in the interests of public morality; (3) The summary
and inexpensive administration of small estates where the assets do not
exceed L300 by the official receiver, unless a majority in number and
three-fourths in value of the creditors voting resolve to appoint a
trustee; (4) Full control in other cases by a majority in value, over the
appointment of a trustee and a committee of inspection; (5) Strict
investigation of proofs of debt, with regulations as to proxies and votes
of creditors; (6) An independent audit and general supervision of the
proceedings and control of the funds in all cases. Besides amending and
consolidating previous bankruptcy legislation, the measure also contains
special provisions for the administration under bankruptcy law of the
estates of persons dying insolvent (s. 125); and for enabling county courts
to make administration orders for payment by instalments in lieu of
immediate committal to prison, in the case of judgment debtors whose total
indebtedness does [v.03 p.0324] not exceed L50 (s. 122). It also provides
for the getting in and administr