The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-13

WSVtCU
contrnl to force them to the cbfervancr q
their dpties. Il is nor 70 much becaufe the,
b"1e done amifs, as that they NAV en amifs
mat he was oppofed to an exteniion of thei,
lpo~ers.--Whats yer gentlemen NAV f,y to-tts
contrary, it was faa that iuGice is mc,ed out
to the poorer cafres Of the people, by very
different rule from that which adnininersi, FOR
the rich. If it was r:ph; that the poor fhou,d
be ma ie tn pay a f;,aII FUN in few days, WI
u not right tn make the rich par iir,e fans in
the fine time? Were not dollars of As much
value to the poor, rs pounds to the rich. The
magnitude Of the debt makes NJ difference in
the ju'tce of the principle. If he pro,..s, tn
limit the period for rc~overi'I, iinaler deots,
Why not extend the fan4e rule TO larger ones ?
Mr.. X. obferved, that certain period t,vas ne.
celfary IN both thefe cafes. {, enabr the debt
or To fprculate aud dnpof. Of his properly to
the belt ADVANTAGE; & i woull be peculiarly op-
preifive upanthe poor, if they alone were tn be
that out from thsindulvence. II woaIcfhe Il n
more 10, AZ they are no. reprefcnted in this
H1nfe. We, Gaid Mr. R.)rtpr,fent the rich
. Petitions and fammonfys are no, tried" This
no argnmeHt. The magistrates may call no
the petition docket. why then do they not .
Why ,bouid they wait f;jr thclawyers to do il .
They may call it up at leaf once month, ex-
cept at the Quarterly Courts. .-'s -,
SIR. Hirvic would make one ohfcrvation on
lynn reply. The argnrlen, of the gentleman
from Dinwiddie was prcdicatcd upon the diff
tinetiou, which would exit he.ween the richer
e poorer caaes Of he people. For his own part,
he was incapable OF Cifcerning IL. Should the
prefent rsinlu!ion pats into a lay, would not
wealthy man be fabiset to be dragged bv a
warrant before a magiitrate? II had 'h.er, his
lot to bring petitions agiinn an extremely veal
my man.. Under the prefert law, cafes NAV
frequently occur, where rich mon 70 harral-
les the poor, that the latter is actually CON.
PEELED TO abandon his claim. If it Attends to
dignity fu'iicently great to be carried into
court of equity, thems the oppreiIion of the
poor not to be concealed or palliatcd.
MIR. Henning Rated, that the prefent mea ii,re
had heen more than once fucccfsfu, in thofe
walls and more than once had it been mega
tived IN the fcnate. II was no wonder there
fore that the people !houid Till continue to
petition. There were two points, which had
not been as yet touched upon. IN : That a
petition IS often an invitation to the debtor 10
run away He removes with his effects in the
OPEN day, and carries with him all the hopes
or tie creditor. ord: That the middle ard
wettern parts of the ftae itand on different
grounds from the Others. T.be,-p, the parties are
obliged to travel to their courts with 4 I the ex-
psnces OF wi.nehts &c. and it was no wonder
therefore that the creditor iometi5nes abandon
e! ms claim altogether. Hr-i'iid that no COM
plants exiited under the prefent law why then
anticpate Injuries from the exteu'ion Of the law !.
h hoped the bill would Ne tuferetl 70 rrogreis
II might probably receive tuch notifications,
As toreconriie AL parties.
Mr.. Rohertfon moved that the words &c hc
Reasonable Ne 'trtckrn out and s. be rej-eted"
fub'ttutcd IN tiirr place.
. Mr.. Love ryprefrned the anxiety Of his cor-
rry -,lt Ill
c5ltiny law. ifth-re was any do as to the
advantages, which Il may produce 10 the pNor-
er claiies ifthere was any fear of their fufscr-
ing opprcilion fureiy thcfe difficulties might
'e removed ny modelling The oil; upon proper
plan, Surely the ingenuity IF the .egiilature
was not yet ex'iaufted. The law AS il at prefent
ftands, bear in fact harder upon the poor than
r'ch. Though the former called upon bv
the latter, yet 1t is to be recoeted that the lat
ter are ALTO called upon by the FORMER Though
the poor owe FINAL debts, thew have fmalI debts
owing 10 them. Unleis the p,efrnt law is al
tered, 1t coW frequently happen AS it has aIrea.
dy done, that many trifiag claims viii he ahan-
doned from the expence of recovering them.
Nir. Snyth would not have interfered iu the
pre'ent ditcuiiion, had not his conRitucrts ex-
nrened ccah icrable anxiety about amending III
iaw.-As tn the iirit objection, which had been
brought forth, that the PREF anendmen,
would increaie the powers Of body of mcn
wh@tc powers were already too great, he could
not admit its force. There VISA mode for con-
trolling the arbitrary abhft Of the power Of a
ma citrate, and whatever might haze been the
good fortune of the gentleman from DnwidGie,
with regard to- tine virtue or i;nouni.y of magif-
trafes, had been his diEgretable ,0t have wiz
neffrd the reverie. He had hinfclf feen magir-
trate puniihed 10y fine for n,ifoehaviour.. The
idea ought not to go out, that they were aheye
coKroui. Our laws had already pointed out
4 prosecution upon indictment or information
rs the means Of redrefs.--A As TO the feeond OBJ
lection, II was iuiceptible OF As eay a refutati-
on. Small debts are equally due from as well
as to treekoIderJ. To them therefore the ad-
vantage aiiliug from this meafnre will be no
greater, than what will go tothe poorer claf-
fes & by trim will the oppreiiion be equal
y felt. Debts of this dignity {added Mr.. S.)
are equally due to- the poor as well "a to the
rich. Where jinlt;ce is of efficient importance
to jaithy the expence, it is right that ii ihoull
he incurred where it is not, the expence
ought To be fsved.-He could Rate to the
houfe particular cafe of petition and fun
mons, where tile cots had rifrn to not lcTs than
500 dolls.
Mr. Clarke (of Campbel) afked, where was
the propriety of adopting this ncaf.ire ,on the
petition OF no more than or 8 connties. This
meature had been fome years agtated in the
hou!c. 1t had been as il were recommended
TO the option of the people and vet not more
than . counties h9d cana f,r,, I'll g., =,