Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1803-06-18

The Act of Aijoornmcnt At the clofc of
feaion u!uaiy contains = cIaufe that operates 10
Ray proceedings in all cafes where there are peti
sions pendirg tor tra before tne Houic. Pc
tldons tor the benefit of thc act for the relief
os infolyent Debtors" are of this defcription.
j ne practice has been, and fill is that thoic
Who get their petitions on tAe docket, are there.
oy protected from Procels until their petitions
arc tried. For the lat three or four islions an
Innovation upon Ehis practice has taken place.
AZ the cloie or thele II has oeen moved by Coun-
ie tnat certain e.ltions for the infovent act be
excepted from me ciauic In rhe act OF adjourn
men' Rnich would operate 90 day proceedings
agzinN the petitioner. The hrlt morton of this
Mod was predlca,ed upon a particular cafe,
wa'ch was tTong one, * perhaps warranted the
experiment. it there appeared TO the conviction
ci me Hon!e thar the petitioner was worth dou.
bic the amount Of property which he owed, aud
tnAt has OBJECT tor petltioning was clearly and in
dd0itsbly u delay, embarrais, and pefpex hi,
creditors. Ihcie Eeafons, and ali TOO within
their own knowledge prevailed with the Houfe
to induce 40 exception OF The petiiion.----
his practice, like all practices not governed by
any liked or d hniuve role, extended itielf in
tufpFizlns degree. From one iolitxIy inttaDce
III the coure or 10 few number Of iclfions IL
incTcaiod TO eight or ten ! tor iuch was the
number OF exceptions eDt up TO the Senate at
tse lst ieihon, win wh.ch they refuicd TO con-
cur.
Ii remains to beaov few thought, upon
this reioiai, which ne Mc,cury. man fays va,
accompanied with All actual determination not
10 hear. !tn words at f6sy 1e,edtd f6e ex-
er3s'O1s zowbsm "vea beayins ibe yeajsss aobicb
bad 6,ea ia'a 6ttore f6e bqVer h0sje.." hi,
w are bold to declare 10 a diseel, ailfal, and
wicS ed ta!iehooo aud there Is abundant tcai-
muny 10 convict him OF Sbe charge. The
resl"ns which had been laid before the lover
Hou'e" were lengthiy,& .ui!y reprcicnted before
the oenaie by Couniel learned in the law. and by
more than one. Boiu is in vain 10 puriue this
nuxious anims win the manifold ialic hoods of
which he itand, convicted before the Pubic Ii
o"y 'sfves 10 ihs,pen MS impudence, and 70
MAIDEN his audscity. lnismy enough attaches
10 him to hnk hin, If nc had any ienfe of fhame,
as wan the weight Of mil. fone. But the
senate " rejected the exceptions !" Now let US
coniidef how lar they are deieDhble in 70 DOUG
Al free governments are diitfibued inlo
three depsnmen,s--ihc Leginaiive, the Judicial,
and Executive. Ii is efcntia to liberty that
ihcie b q itinet and independent in their opera
syo, fonotinGs ,hree branches, which are in
tended as ehecki upon each other. Our Ma
Il nal Leaiilarore con6hs of fhres, inasmuch as
the P'efdent is erected into diiiind branch,
beng 'nveifed ~nh /y/pr.tfre uoiet. Ibis,
~hsie the puollc laws were TO have 70 watt an
opc'st.on, cx,endiug over 70 vsit an extent of
ie'r'tory waS prGdent. wife, and iaiuta,y diff
pohtion OF political Authority. Every poliible
= he tN NH .sftn l~.I.
neated. and fsbti,c enersy" at time, of nuutfey.
abA ra6g.auon," vefe 10 be introduced, that
would ,end proteti in the Cizen The rights,
ami Imnoail'cs which he claimed a. iuch.
Hence II was thss they were enabled to mark 70
readily the departure Of their rulers from ,hoie
principles in the mAinia:nancc OF which rhey had
iuhmu;sd 20 many facdhces. Rules were Pre-.
'cr'oed, ehich placed /, in The power OF common
capacities to Juose, and TO Judge with certainty
no" ias they were compis,! With, and what sber-
rat'ons were gradually itealing IN upon the fyf-
ten. hy which the rights 6t the Cnizeos were
imPefoePibiy, and perhaps unib,entionaiy in
irineed.
1t muit occur TO every reAeeiine mind that
the meain'e introduced by Iece0t practice of the
Houie OF Representatives to remedy fome of
the evils Of our iniolvent (yaem" was an i'm
pfVpcI oHcs however laUnaDe the motive IN
with IL originated. No doubt il was intended
tor good aud ia!utary rurpoic, The preient
poiincal complexion % thar body warrants the
idea: But how the Mercury. man could think
and ipsak 10 sayorabh ot il, ie-irg that it came
ou Of hasarstb Is myitc'y difficult of folution.
The right Of peti'ioniog the iuprcme pow
er OF the STATE is Of deoaic, and facred nature.
The ernsoarions Of caprice. or precipitancc
would tarniih, and obicure il. So Jealous have
even the ievera States been Of it's p,efervatiop,
that before they affixed the feal TO the compact
which unites them IN ore vaR empire they recog-
nized its exiaence, reierved. its exercife. and
guaranteed il TO each other. With how much
more ben'gnity, then. opsh, il TO be viewed
with how much more indulgence ought il to be
trea'ed when humbly exerci,ed by ioltary in
| dividoal who in iocisI ienie has 10 power but
the arm of the law no pledge of protection
but from the rules II ptefcribs,.
An Atf declsratory Of certain rights Of the
people ut this State has enatied that every per-
fon ought to find a certain remedy. by having
recoorie to the laws for all injure. or wrongs