Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-07


cipie prevails.
Mr.. N. iaid, in his opinion, the prin-
ciple Of bill was an equitable princi-
Die. For if after an infolvent debtor.
hall be liberated from confinement, add
| hail anign over all his exiting proper
~, property afterwards acquired BY his
own perional indui}fy mail be anlwer-
allie for his debts, you deitroy all finau-.
lus 10 ezsrtion and laboer. The evil TOO.
is NOT merely psrfonal 70 hlns but Is felt
by foeie,y at large; becaute his lnduiffy
not only contributes tohis own HeTsonal
benefit, but to that alio Of focisty. You
loie, therefore, a valuable member Of To-
ciety. This is not nc only lois. You
Iikewife inniel an eaential injury on
his family that are under his ipecia. pro-
tetfion.
mi. Nichofon hero inaanced the IN
happy effects of this rigor on two deierip-
tions Of citizens 10 this place; tloic
who kept boarding -houies and itorc-seep-
ers.
He concluded by obervSog that, in
his opinion, the bankrupt law wet TOO
far, while the laws Of Virginia AM Ken.
lucky did.not so far enough. Whilc,pso
perry acquired by the perional laoour
of debtor ought not TO be aniwerable
for his previous debts, he was Of opinion,
that property, otherwifc acquired, thould
be aniwerahle.
Mr.. Davis withdrew his motion tor
the rifng Of the committee, and moved
TO erike out the words aRde5ts. eove-
uauts, 5symycs nd agrefmsrfs, DIE tfor
or ezuiMs, or e0afrn7ed By hin PRO 70
tie date At tbs laid dssl. /" and 70 inlert in
lieu thereof, imprisonment
Mr.. Davis begged leave 10 offer few
remarks on WHAT had fallen ffon,the gen
.tleman from Maryland. That gentleman
had remarked, that 10 make property al
forwards acquired by the pssfonal exertl-
oas of the debtor an{wcrable, would de-
troy great Nimulus TO indullry, while
he corfdered it perfectly right that pro-
perty acquired By detcent or gift fhould
be made anfwerabie. Now, is any thing
more eafy, than to evade this pgovidon?
1t an individual is known TO be bankrupt;
he prefumed none Of his friends would give
him any thing, becaufe it would be appli-
ed TO the payment of his debts. They
will be fure to veG it in fome friends for his
ufe, and thus preclude the ability of the
creditor to touch ii. The argument OF
the gentleman, therefore, was not correct.
Mr.. Davis faid, if this fiction fhould be
truck oct, the fame prcviilons woaid ap- 4
ply to this diGgitf, as applied 70 the
ttates.
Mr.. Randolph was againa the fiction.
He was not, however, iurprized at the
fupporr it received from his friend mir.
Micholfon) from lis known humanity land
from the paltiality, which II was natural
he ihould entertain, for the municipal re
gulations of his own fate. But he would
on further reaetficn, find thar by extend
ing thus far the meafure Of his humanity
TO the debtor, he will eGentially injure
the creditor. Mr.. Randolph kn,w how
eafy it was 10 work on the padions of
delibera.ive body by pourtraying che mi
feiies of the unfortunate. For himfelf,
he adhered the incarceration OF the body
for debt. Butahe was for taking mid.
die courfe between the extreme rigor OF
our anceaors, and the unjalt clemency TO
the debtor propof.d by this fiction. He
would ak by what defcfipsion OF perions
the grea,ef injury had been inflicted on
iociety in this country whether BY debt
ors under the iron grafp Of their creditors,
or by debtors whom the niitallen c!emen-
cy OF the law bad permitted to ruin their
creditors !? He believed that more ex-
tenGve fcene Of injury had been inflicted
en- the country by the yiilainy The could
call it by no other riame) ofmen who had
81 - klo..