Star. — London, England, 1831-04-04 00:00:00

pupils in the national estahli-hnvnts. or in their paternal houses, but always in Russia : that yourg men above the age of eighteen cannot he sent ir.to foreign countries to he perfected in the sciences : that those who act against the:.e dispositions will lose the right of being admitted in the civil or military service: those alto are row in foreign coun tries, should they not re-enter Russia in six months, must submit to the mtitiesti: n t.f this ukase.— Gazette d'Etat de Prvsse. POLAND. Retract of a report in the Gazelle of Warsaw.—Count Diebitsch fiat ,ered himself to annihilate the insurgent Poles in a single battle. Proud .‘f victories obtained over the Turks, he believed he had the power to crush, with the same facility. a nation who had converted their chains to arms ; and who, in a strogle which interest of Europe shall have rendered more equal, preferred to disappear from the globe, rather than to vegitate with ignnmy ; but the glory of the conqueror of the Balkan has been velipst d upon the banks of the Vistula. In all the combats up to 'his day, the Russians have not obtained any important advantage May he then remember, this mighty conqueror, of a Vizier, venal or without talents, may he remember the fate of Varus. Submitting like ;Hs last to the capricious orders of a despot, he perished by a shameful death, carrying with him to the tomb the maledictions of the people and master; that of Field Marshal Diebitsch may one day cry like Ca-•ar :—" Varus, give me my legions." That Souwarrow, a Mum r::e barbarian, who was deprived of all kind of cultivation and instruc. and who, excepting bravery, did rot possess any virtue, could sack ia:zakow and Praga, to obey the bloody enprices of a woman, can be con. ; but what can hinder posterity, and even the conscience of Count fliebitsch himself, from one day pronouncing against him ? He who was hiut: in Silesia, contemporary cf Schiller and Goethe, to fight the Poles, 'itemise they dared to think of liberty ? Can the tigour of this decree be sof. toted when it is known that Count Diehitsch came to crush Poland and Its noble defenders, to revenge a king perjured by his oaths ? In the con. dna of Field Marshal Diebitscli, in the manifestos which we have before us, we do nut recognise that generous Diebitsch, who, thirty rears ago, took the defence of the people of Israel who were oppressed in his coniary, developing in his writings principles of pure philanthro. nhy. The splendour of the imperial Court has blinded the man whose ....It promised an much for the future. But, may he reflect well ; the gracious regard of a mister cannot appease the remorse of conscience; and a day will come when, at the supreme tribunal, justice will be done to those who embrace an unjust cause. LIEGE, Maacn 29. Yesterday evening, at ten o'clock, numerous groups assembled be fore the printing.office of the Echo, a new Journal of the Orange party. The materials of the printing.office, and all the household furniture, were broken to pieces and thrown into the street. Between eleven o'clock and midnight some of the mob went to plun der the house of Mr. Orban, one of our resident merchants, which they did, notwithstanding the Civic Guard and a detachment oiCuirassiers. Similar excesses were committed in the house of Mr. Stephani, formerly Director of the Police. This morning the house of Mr. Macar was the scene of great excesses, which, however, were soon checked by the Civic Guard and some Cuirassiers. Thence some persons went to the Epis. copal Palace. A Liege Paper says, that 200,000 francs will hardly make good the ilitanige that has been done. THE HAGUE. SITTING OF THE STATES GENERAL. ARCR 31.—The project of law for the ads ance of a part of the taxes, fur the extraordinary expences of the year 1831, was discussed, and after the Minister of Finance had replied to the objections made to it, was passed by a majority of 49 to 3. THE HAGUE, 3laacu 31.—The day before yesterday, the officers ef the garrison waited on his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange. BOIS LE Duc, Mance' 29. The day before yesterday, a Belgian officer, accompanied by a trumpeter, came with a flag of truce to our outposts near Valkersward. The dispatches which he brought, were immediately forwarded to the head quarters of his Royal Highness Prince Frederick, at Breda. The Belgian army, some time ago, again violated our territory, and :a:mitred acts of violence and pillage at the houses of the burgomaster sad clergyman of Osscndricht. We learn that the guilty persons have been put in prison by their officers, who have ordered the stolen pro perty to be restored to their owners. BREDA, MARCH 29.—We hear that a distressing accident took place at Bergen-op-Zoom, by the blowing up of the laboratory of the artillery. Several persons were killed, and others more or less severely injured. It is also said that some houses were destroyed. BREDA, MARCH 31.—0 n the 29th, a band of 200 Belgians, led this time by a superior officer, again visited our territory. Fifty of them advanced to Zimdert, and had posted themselves near the Catholic church, the others, with two cannon, remained at Wernhout, arid concealed themselves behind some bushes. They re-' mated, without accomplishing their object, which proves to have been .-aw our people into an ambuscade. rice HAGUE, MARCH 31.—The official accounts of the misfortune at op Zoon state, that it was a laboratory that blew up, in which :.'our thirty artillery men were at work. The fortifications are not ijured ; but very great damage has been done to the houses, in the ntigh!‘ouring streets. This was partly caused by the blowing up of some waggons, loaded with cannon balls and shells, which flew about ;dl directions, as if the city was bombarded. On the 30:h, there were bright into the hospital, 15 soldiers killed, and 11 severely, and 37 slightly wounded. There is not yet any certain account of the casualties among the citizens ; it is known that there are 3 killed and 37 wounded. The cause of the accident is not yet ascertained. AMSTERDAM, APRIL I.—Actual Debt 24 per cent. 374, 38j Autort Synd 44, Cle, 654; Do. do. 3, 50, 51/. PETEasauttom, 111.acir 19.—His Majesty the Emperor has bee.) pleased to address a very gracious rescript to General Baron Rosen, wit); the insignia of the Order of %Vladimir, of the first class. as a ttsti. itvny of his Majesty's satisfaction with the bravery and akin, shewn by the General, in the present campaign in Poland. The duty on the exportation of wool is suppressed, by an Ukase, ad: ceased by the Emperor to the Senate. 0.1 the Ilth inst. there was no new case of cholera at Moscow, nor' any :Lath ; anti one recovery. On the 12th, in the morning, there re mained tour patients.- se. Pekrsburgh Journals. March 19. Exchange on London.—Hamburgh, March 29, 13, 8 j ; two months, 134 : Petersburg'', March 18, 10 23-32 ; Berlin, Match 26, 6,214 : Amsterdam, April 1, 11, ; two months 11, 87, 5-10. SPIIIIT OF THE ✓sURN4I,S. Timm—There is ore truth of which all men tn111;now be convinced, and of which the importance is unquestionable, viz.—that the opposition to reform has been ft um the very beginning confined to a particular body n• men, who are by no means numerous—who have no natural or per ntarcilt stake in the country, or influence over it—men whose clamour has been so monotonous—whose interest in the prolongation of existing abuses is so obvious, their argument in &knee o: them so utterly void of all claim to the attention f ::ittsonable beings, on grounds of national utility, of political justice, 1r of common ben:e, and whose manifest motives, therefore, have so linit sympathy with those of the people of England generally, that ..ny change in the position of such enemies to reform, taken as a mere .. , not of individunls, would pass away altogether. unfelt and unnoticed 7 the public. We repeat, that the boroughmongers form no fixed or definite interest in the community, independent of that single morbid af- •iction of the State which has placed under their clandestine, their en .. Anal, and unrecognized control, a large portion of what ought to be . —because the constitution u nd erstan d s it to b e — t h e re p resenta ti on o : ihe people of England. POST. --Whoever has observed the signs of the times, and reflected epon the principles and the manifest and avowed designs with regard to the Church of England 01 those who have put themselves forward as the popular leaders in support of the Revolutionary Bill, must be satisfied that this measure is of a tendency the most pernicious and destructive to that establishment, which., under DIVINE PROVIDENCE, has been the means of preset- ng to the nation the light of pure Christianity. The evi dence that hostility to the national religion is one of the characteristics of the projected Revolution, would be conclusive, if it consisted merely of what we know respectin; the men who most anxiously advocate the measure. The destruction of the Church of England is an object which, consistently with their professions, their lives, thwir writings, and their speecin:s. it would be impossible for them, in promoting any great and important Constitutional change. to have for a single mo ment overlooked. The Etenthams and the Humes, the Taylors and the Carliles, comprehend all the claims which the Revolutionary Bill of his Majesty's Ministecs has to their peculiar and unqualified favour. HIRALD.—The elective franchise in Liverpool, at present, is limited to the Mayor, bailiffs, and freemen of the borough, not receiving alms. The freemen are the persons who obtain that qualification by birth or apprenticeship, and the right is chiefly confined to journeymen shipwrights, their sons, and those who have served an apprentice ship to them ; while the great body of the householders, who pay the taxes, and serve all the public offices, have no more right to nterfere in electing the persons who are to represent the interests of the town in Parliament, than the natives of the Sandwich Is lands. This gross anomaly. the Reform Bill will cure. It will, in he first place, cut off the non.resident voters, who are always brought up to the hustings nice cattle to the market, at so much per :lead ; and to whom, it wits proved, about 6,0001. independently of their expetmes, were paid at the late election. It will, in the next place, privent any freeman, for the future, obtaining the elective franchise, .no shall not be a householder at 101. yearly rent, and will thus cut off two of the greatest sources of corruption—nomresidence, and that depen lent poverty, which is the most obvious to venal temptation. Then. and nut till then, can any candidate for the honour of representing Li verpool, hope to obtain the " most sweet voices" of the Liverpool electors on the ground of any other merit than that of adopting lek,o's advice, Put money in thy purse." THE THEATRES. The increase of Theatres in London appears to keep pace with what is called the march of intellect," as may be judged front the following list of those that will be open this evening:—Covent Oatden, Drury Lane, Italian Opera, French Plays, (Haymarket The atre) Surrey. Garrick (Goodman's-fields) Coburg, Astley's, Sadler's Wells, Pavilion (East London) City Theatre, (Milton-street, late Grub street) City Vaudeville (Smithfield) Qr.een's(the Tottenham) New I est Londcn (Ratcliffe highway.) Besides the above, there arc two thea tres at present closed, the Olympic and English Opera ; by which it appears that London has at present sixteen houses for theatrical per formances. We a-e authorized to contradict the report that the Colosseum was about to pass into the hands of the Zoological Society, and to state that it was entirely without foundation. From the distinguished patronage of her Majesty, and the novelties which have been recently added to that delightful exhibition, it has been more attractive than ever. Paganini's las. concert took place on Sunday in Paris, immediately after which he was to leave for London. The minor establishments —like the majors, whose intentions we have already noticed—show no "backwardness in coming forward" at this festive season, to enliven the town with their various and splendid novel' ties, which, in fairness to them we will briefly enumerate: and fore. most, The Surrey, which, on this occasion, produces three new ones ; —the first, romantic, entitled " The Headsman ! or, The Axe and the Sword; the second, melo-dramatic, called " The Dog of the Convent ;" and the third, pantomimic, by Mr. Barrymore, yclept " The Enchanted Grove ; or, Harkquin and the Spirit of the Golden Waters," interspersed with the performances of Michael Boai, the chin melodist, and the Northern biffleur. Astley's commences its campaign with a drama founded on Byron's poem of " Maxeppa ;" scenes in the circle by twenty male and female equestrians; and a tali of blood, called " The Negro Murderer." The Coburg, as usual, deals in the horrific and sanguinary. A new romantic drama, intitled " The Black Spider ; or, the Field of Terror ;" a new pantomime, called " Harlequin's Holiday ; or the Easter Offering," and a new melodrame, " The Man Wolf ; or, the Loup Germs of the Oden wald," are this evening's amusements ; besides which the interior has been re-decorated, and a new and splendid emblematical act-drop will be exhibited.—Sadler's Wells has also undergone renovation, and will perform, for the first time, " Radar, the Raven ; or, the Scourge of Denmark," and " The Jovial Mourners," succeeded by " The Bri gand's Wife."—M The Adelphi, the Singers of the Alps, 11 Dimwit, Antonio, and others, 'will furnish a variety of enter. tertainments.--The Queen's Theatre has two novelties; the first a farcetta, from the French, called " Double or Quits;" the I s ec ond, a melo-dramatic military spectacle, intitled " The French Spy," in addition to two of its established favourites, t " The Danish Wife," and " The Merry Wives qf Barbican."—' In Milton -street, Fore-street, will open the New City Subscription Theatre, under the management of Mr. CHAPMAN, late of the Totten tenharn-street Theatre, with various novelties, sod an effective com. pany ; amongst whom may be enumerated Mesds. Fax WILLIAM and CHAPMAN, and Mr. JOHN REEVE. The performances are four, the first of which is musical, viz. " Moments of Mystery ; or, the Widow Bewitched," " First Impressions," " Misehief Making," and " The Quadrupeds." NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. DEAL. APRIL 2 and 3.—WiThlrN.L mode/inc.—Two Intliamen. reportedsto be the Powell and Berwickshire, have just turned into the Downs. POUTSMOVH, APRIL 2 and 3.—Wind E.N.E.—Arrived his Ma. jesty's ship Rattlesnake, from Malta ; Proteus, Brown, from London, fur `'an Dieman's Land. PLYMOUTH, APRIL 2.—Wind E.N.E.—Arrived Su*an, Burgess, from Persia. FALMOUTH, APRIL 1 and 2.—Wind E. to E.N.E.—Arrived Faith, Archer, from St. Michael's; Brazil packet, Crow, from Trieste; Calnwick, Pascoe, front Cephalonia; Monica, Stephenson, and Sea Nymph, Smitth, from Leghorn; Sarah Herrick, Clark, front Tarra gona ; and llelen, Scott, from LIVIRPOOL, APRIL 2.—Arrived, the Maria, Easterbrook, Wil. mington, and Elizabeth Baraard, liaulis. LORD IVYNFORD'S FRAUDULENT DEBTOR'S BILL. FOR THE STAR. PART 111. " Ut antea jlagitiis, sic mine Legibus loborari." In the concludin. , sentence of the 2d part of these obser vations, we intimated c ' our intention of giving a short abstract of the clauses contained in that Bill. We do not profess to give them minutely; nor have we particularised the few ex cepted cases, with their provisos, the insertion of which would uselessly occupy our columns. It is enough to say of them, that the general character and true spirit of the measure continues unmitigated, they rather concur to envelope the destined victim within its black proscription, than to exclude him from it. As modifications, they are fallacious and unavailable. " The bloody book of Law You shall yourself read in the bitter leller."—Shakespeare. Ist. The illusion on which all this rigour proceeds ; the introductory w EREA S, many creditors are suffering great distress from being kept out of what is justly due to them, WHILST DEBTORS ARE LIVING IDLY AND LUXURI OUSLY IN PRISON, has been already shown to be of those grim fictions which are the usual preambles to injustice, an alosurii:ty so groundless, as not to be honoured with further refutation. Such declarations, however, denouncing all imprisoned Debtors in the mass, by persons lifted up into the high sta tion of his Lordship, ought never to pass without reprehen sion. Leviter volunt scd yrariter vulnerant—they inflame the revengeful, they harden the obdurate, they are used as authorities to deny the eNktence of cruel abuses, and to palliate the enormity of others. If the humane still feel commiseration, the insensible are taught, that they are per mitted to doubt, to hesitate, while the wretched continue to suffer and to corhplain. Happily fur the unfortunates of the learned Lord's repro. Lation, we have to produce an authority against himself, which he cannot fail to respect. It is no other than his own. The most striking contrast will be discovered between his former language and conduct, when compred with his present principles and practice. In the first is seen the greatest enthusiasm for humanity ; in the second, a marble-hearted disregard to the starving, pioosis, miserable ; objects in our jails. The attention of the pitbiic had been for some time en gaged on the glut ing imperfections of our civil code, and its I eyes had been opened on the atrocities daily inflicted by the law of imprisonment for debt on the less fortunate classes of society. The zeal of the Members of the House of Com mons had been awakened on the subject. When Mr. Ser jeant Best, now Lord Wynford, denounced, with honest in dignation, the flagrant abuse made of that law—be then was the eloquent advocate of the policy of render ing imprisonment unnecessary, on an honest surrender of the deltor's property. He supported his principle with as much force as sensibility. The general sympathy was excited, and conviction carried into the minds of the most obdurate. The hon. and learned Serjeant, in the debate on Lord Rcdes dale's Amended Insolvent Act, observed, that " to the princi ple of this measure he was not hostile. But as it stood at pre sent, it made no difference. between the honest and the fraudulent debtor. It was said to be founded on the princi- Fie of the cessio bonorum, but not sufficiently so. He wished it to be carried farther on that plan. He wished to make this cessio bonorum, in some cases, preventive of the imprison ment, which insolvency was likely to occasion. There were many individuals, for whom passing the threshold of a pri son was as severe a punishment as protracted confinement. The idea of it was revolting to their minds. The present bill did not qffer these any relief : it did not go far enough. He wished to present a temptation to a timely settlement; and to induce debtors, as well as creditors to adopt the means which could procure an arrangement satisfactory to all par ties, securing the one against further loss, and the other against confinement. He would, therefore, propose a clause, enacting that debtors rendered insolvent by proved misfortunes, and coming forward in time to satisfy their cre ditors as to their real condition, should have the benefit of the Act without being sent to prison. If they were to be confined even three months only, then the greater part of the money they might still possess would, in that period, have passed into the hands of gaolers and other persons, to the real detriment of the creditors." He then gave a pledge to Parliament and the nation, that he would introduce his additional clauses, in a distinct bill, in the course of the Session. Instead of that enlightened legislation, we have the crude monster before us. But, impressed with admiration at a promise given to the public, as benevolent as wise, the writer of the present arti cle, in some strictures then publisteo' on Lord Hocks tide's Insolvent Act, observed, that " when so much may be expected from the learned Sergeant's business like talents and information, his learning and experience, he felt cnnfident that the expectationa of the public would not be disappointed. In the disclarge ofthat sublime func tion, in affording protection to the innocent and unfurl:mate against rapacious, sordid oppression, he would entitle himself to the proudest triumphs of eloquence and tine! He might exclaim, in the exalted sentiment of the llonani Orator, " Quid optari potest, quad ego mallem, quam me, carnificcm de foro, crucem de camN sustulisse ?"• Im prisonment for debt" has been denounced to lamum reason ; the greatest men have branded it with opprobrium. If the superstition of the law should inflame the rename of its bigots, humanity would furnish consolation against the murmurs of prejudice." He was then Mr. Sergeant Best, now Lord Wynford.— But, quantum mutates ab Mo. All those noble sentiments have disappeared ; and have been succeeded by con tracted illiberal notions:. His genuine, enlightened, and salutary opinions seem to have been carried away, by a tor rent of vulgar prejudice,' professional prepossessions, and antiquated errors, leaving him neither energy of mind, nor elevation of character to pursue his first generous impulse. Having said thes much on the preamble, we proceed to our observations on the remaining clauses. By the 2d— The powers of the 32d. Geo. 2d. c. 28, commonly called, The Lord's Act, obliging Debtors who' shall continue in execution in prison beyond a certain time land for sums not exceeding what is mentioned in the Act.' t(TIII: SUM MENTIONED IS UNDER £300.) to make dis covery of, and deliver upon oath, their estates for their cre- 1 ' ditor's benefit, and to subject such debtors to PUNISHMENT who refuse to assign their estate and effects, or make a fraudulent assignment, are by this clause of Lord Wyn ford's Act, EXTENDED AND APPLIED TO A LL CREDITORS AND ALL DEBTORS, WHA ELVER MAY BE THE AMOUNT' "OF THE DEBTS FOR WHICH SUCII DEBTORS MAY BE, CHARGED IX txrctrtox. All Debtors are also PRE VENTED FROM PLEADING THE STATUTE OF LIMITATION. We approach the consideration of this clause, with no other sentiments than those Lf disappointment and surprise. Of !disappointment, that it should be introduced by such a man as Lord Wynford; of surprise, that it should pass the high est judicature of the kingdom, sub silencio, without re mark or reprobation. It contains the violation of every principle of legislative wisdom, of equity, and justice. This clause, as it is set out in the bill, takes for its precedent the Lord's Act; and, notwithstanding the lumi nous observations which have been published on that sub ject, and have fishy exposed its scandalous and barbarous imperfections ; vet theaaare, in servile imitation, copied to the letter. The precedent of Lord Wynford, the 32 Geo. 11. c. 28, contains glaring absurdities, and, what is not unusual in Engliah jhn isprudence, is encumbered with useless provisos. It enjoins numerous, complicated, and costly pro ceedings, with which it is seldom or never in the power of the wretched objects to comply. These victims of merciless oppression are often reprimanded and sent back to the gaol, that had stript them of all the means of satisfying their cre ditors. Should the insolvent overcome these costly for malities, surrender all his property, and make the required affidavit, he may be remanded at the will of a single creditor; he may from time to time be harrassed and brought up, at the capricious call of a brutal savage. After submitting to repeated and vexations examinations; when the judge and the whole court are convinced of the truth of his statement, of his honesty, and forlorn condition ; yet the power is re served to any creditor, at his arbitrary will, reasonable or unreasonable, on the vile condition of paying fourpence a day, to doom his debtor to perish of misery in imprisonment. By the 13th Sect. of the Lords' Act, when a prisoner complies with all its directions, he shall be discharged. But the absurdity is, that " if such creditor shall insist upon sock debtor being DETAINED IN PRISON, and shall agree in writing, signed with leis name, or his attorney's, TO Pa A SUM NOT EXCEEDING TWO SHILLINGS AND FOUR PENCE A WEEK ; iu every such case every such prisoner' SHALL BE REMANDED TO THE JAIL FROM WHENCE lIE OR SHE WAS BROUIIT UP, THERE TO REMAIN IN EXE CUTION." Thus it appears, that imprisonment in pur peluity was in the contemplation of the law, it having pro vided, that in the absence or death of the creditor, upon payment of the murderoas groats by his attorney, executors, or assigns, the wretched prisoner should be for ever kept in.jail. In buliwithiel jail, the keeper informed Mr. Howard that he had lately a prisoner, whose debt was six pounds. The man had a large family, and not a bad character, yet the plaintiff paid Lim his groats for two years, and thing, bound his estates for the continual payment of them. In addition to this wanton cruelty, which furnishes ano . ther example of injustice and absurdity being; ever insepa ruble companions, the compulsory clause of t he r Lords Act compels the prisoner to give the preference to one or more creditors to the injury of others. I To protect frauds, usury, and extortion, can it be neces ; sere that the laws should lase all sight of v. hat humanity, nature, and religion, equally commands us to respect? In a recent case of Capt. Bailey, brought before the court ender that act, and declining to execute the schedule in con formity to its provisions, stating :hat he was ready to make a full assignment of all his cs!::tes and epees for the equal benefit of all his creditors; but that lie was not willing to do that which, by the general tenon: of the laws, was condemned ; and by some made highly penal ; the giv ing a preference to sense of his creditors to the exclusion of every ether. Mr. Justice Bailey said that the act was im perative, that a prisoner under the Lords' Act must deliver to the court a schedule of his estate and effects on oath; and give an assignment of them: in default thereof, the party subjects himself to an indictment, and on conviction, to the judgment of transportation for scven years. When the prisoner complies lyith all the provisions of this severe law, why is he nut at once discharged? Why should he be left at the mercy of a single inexorable creditor ? Yet, on this absurd and barbarous statute, is Lord Wynford'a act mo delled. What reflections does it not awaken ? What idess can be entertained of legislators, who are directed by such precedents, and can derive from such sources the abomina tions promulgated in the name of justice? The reader may probably conclude, that enough has Leen shewn of these cruel mistakes as to render unnecessary any further exposure of them ; but the following is a clause, of which the juridical history of no other nation furnishes an example—a proscription as repugnant to justice, as it is revolting to humanity : it aggravates the evil, and hardens at once the oppressor and the oppressed.— In every other country the prisoner is alimented by him who confines, without solicitation, without formality, and with ' out delay. It must be paid every week, or he is discharged. In England, cruel and infamous as is the provision given by the law, yet by compelling the prisoner to swim- it, it is en tirely nugatory or unavailable. Mr. Howard, from that cir cumstance, did not find in all England and Wales, twelve debtors who had obtained it. But when he does obtain these wte!elied yroat.', ..re aufficientto keep the body of the drooping prisoner alive, for the satisfaction of h titer cilesa creditor. It is in the true spirit of the refined et uelty practised in the torture-chambers of the Inquisition, where just enough of wine, vinegar, and water, was administered, as would prevent the sufferer from exiiring. When the in solvent is sinking under wart, his temporary tyrant does hot blush at feeling, as it %vete, his pulse, to ascertain how much of strength still remains to hint. The m-lrer he approaelier to destruction, the more he retrenches of what might toe serve him from it. The law, which doles out. the grouts, consoles much lees his absolute indigence. than it is success ful in crushing• him by rendering his insolvency more odious, more harrassing and insupportable.— In this starving impri sonment, thousands are daily lauttishing in the jails of this boasted land of liiierty, under the eve, and to the disgi'aen of its legislation. Let it not be supplied that, in censutin our cruel laws, it is the administration of them that is in tended to be reprobated; it is society that we mean to servo, and the exposing judicial ihiquity is a homage paid to justice. Deeply imbued with these sentitm.w.:, 1:;o into the ex amination of the remaining clauses of lard Wynford's Fraudulent Debtors' Bill. We now give the substance of the third, folrth, fifth, and sixth clauses. On the bail required lxiMv• reversal of any outlawry : " That before any judgment of outlawry iu auy civil ;lethal in trhich a defendant might have been held to bail, shall be reversed by wait of error, plea, or otherwise, the defen • dant shall put in and perfect bail ; not only to answer ti n piaintiff, but also to be answerable for the debt and costs of proceeding to outlawry, in like manner, as buil in error. And further, in the fifth and sixth clauses-- " Upon judg , mer.t of outlawry or waiver in action, the Judge may order the tenant of the person outlawed to pay rent of lands, &c. into court, and the tenant or tenants not complying with such order, shall he guilty of contempt of the said court; and such Judge, having first ascertained, by reference to l an officer of the court, or by aav other mode, 1 what is due to the plaintiff or plaintiffs in the f action for debt and costs, and the c ost s o f pro ceeding to outlawry, may order the application of the same to the payment of the debts of such person. This debt paid the residue may remain in Court, o.• any that may be afterwards paid into Court, after payment of such debt and costs, shall be divided amongst such person or persons, as shall have sued out process against the person outlawed or waived in any Court of Westminster, and vvho shall have proved the amount to the satisfaction of the officer of the Court rateably according to the amount of their respective debt.. And further—The Court in which any debtor shall be charged in execution, may appoint an officer to inquiry respecting the estate of such debtor, and report thereupon to the Court, and may punish persons neglecting to attend such dicer when re ;::iced, or shall refuse to be examined, such Court may punish the person so refusing or neglecting to attend and be examined as for a c.mtempt of such Court." By the last clause Scotland, happy Scotland, is not to be visited with this new criminal code. Before we proceed to our remarks on the above clauses, there are two Hints of law contained in the last lines of the second, so objectionable as to call for animadversion. In the first, the debtor having been stript of all his pro perty and thrown naked on the world, has all his future ac quisitions made liable to the payment of debts, for which he had been imprisoned, and which had taken from him all his (Alecto. He has given up bis all—what means remain lead ing to future acquisition ? What credit or support can he obtain, when the fruits of his labour might be suddenly 'snatched away to satisfy au antecedent judgment. This most inconsiderate law, not content with the present ruin, seems anxious to extend it to all futurity. The past successful exertions of the insolvent, in their heedless hands, serve only to render all acquisition for ever after impossible. —The fewer the resources left to him, the more pains are taken to extinguish them ; the more urgent his necessities, the greater are the difficulties with which his future industry is to be encumbered. To enact, that a debtor shall leave his prison with a judg ment entered up against him for life, is a degree of perpetual poverty : it is to pass, from the present moment, a never ending sentence of condemnation. This may be imagined to be the tacit language of the law, to the wretched prisoner whom it releases : " We have held you in chains until we have destroyed your health, ruined all your fortune, and blighted every prospect ; we have subjected your body to every torture, to enforce the discovery of property, of which we find you have none ; we have now no longer oc casieln for it, broken down and emaciated by our expeti meats : but this is our pardon. Yeti shall leave you,. prison only to change your misfortunes. We do not restore yen to life, to hope, aid to uncrinp!ed exertions, but to discredit, to distrust, and to disheartening suspicion. The unhappy vic tim submitted to our decision is never absolved ; a perpetual judgment with its merciless execution is entered up. and ready to fix him in hopeless poverty." Is not the operation of such a law norm ruineas and destruc tive to the debtor, than productive of any probable benc!:t to his creditor? It is nugatory, as, from its consequences. the insolvent can by no possibility acquire any property on which it can operate. There are cases in which we must choose between evils when they are not to he avoided ; we r,; test determine whether the attempt at securing a benefit, dis tant and uncertain, be not more mischievous in many re spects than would be the rescinding an interdictinn of Law, pregnant with positive and certain inconwenince. This impolitic and cruel clause is, indeed, a gent.ine offspring of such legislation as the fraudulent Debtors' but it is not peculiar to it, and is to be found in ail the Insolvent Acts. We wiJ, however, venture :o assert, that not a single creuitor has ever been benefitted by it, and countless are the meltitudee, e-on hom it has closed every resource, and fixed in ruin and prif igiwy.— Many of these remarks on this interesting subject have been made by the writer of this article on other occasions, but, impressed as he is with the truth of them, he feels that they cannot be too often repeated. The observations on the remaining clauses, with strictures on the constitution of the Insolvent Court, will be given in the fourth and last number. The: Age, Sunday after Sunday, amuses the public with reasons upon reasons, why the seventy commissioners of bankrupts ought not to be quartered on the public as pen sioners ; and we can tell the writer the: one half of his rea sons will perfectly satisfy the public that it ought not to be so, bat that double the number will not satisfy the Septuagint. We agree with The Age, that pensions without service ought not to be g,ninted, even to poor men. They certainly have been well paid while on such duty as the law prescribed, why, therefore, they are to have pensions, we are at a loss to divine. The faults of the system did not originate with them, but they have seen quite enough of it, and deserve no pension for withholding their exposure. They know well that nine in ten cases are brought before them, not because the parties could not have better adjusted among themselves, but because some rapacious attorney sought a job, and wanted the advertisement of his name in the Ga zette. If the pension is a necessary bribe to secure tht, success of the measure, it is another affair—but this we refer to the Cato of the Administration. i I •