Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-10-26


dollars. ii he kept no clerk, no person would give
his widow aud children three thousand dollars tar
| their claims Int, in Pennsy lvania for example,
| he would get rich at the ssd of IL months Yet.
every honest pays among US, and well dis
posed the inh7bitant OF any State but, the Free
bsofers pay nothing,
The civil establishment Of religion is great bur
den upon the people in NAVY countries in Europe.
and Justly detest as destructive ofrue religion.
But are our tariy and expensive laws to collect
debts and to obtain Justice, not equally burdensome
and destructive tn virtue, happiness ana industry
II is that the i,exampled excellence Of Oar
Federal and State Governments, (ile only le2iti-
mate and rational 20, ernments eartl.l must ey
err make the United States the most happy and pms
porous country still | no reason why we in
Virginia should not have "a good and convenient
laws to encourage trade and industry, and to sup
press the Frceboters, as any state IN the Union.
We seem to hold the wisdom and laws ut the
different States in as much conteinp. Catholics
hold the writings of heretcs willie the people, and
especially the lawyers aud Judges, completely
governed by English authority AS Roman Catholics
arc by the authority oithe Pope and Cardinals. No
snit is ever decidetfhere without consulting English
Repairs but few aaong us know any thing of the
laws al the other States. We therefore are in this
respect, the servi,e dependents of the English Par
lament and King.
It $50 lificet to collect money unier our laws,
anal the creditor has, iihe sues, to make so many
l
known hatters shOe-mskers, &c. give So per cent .
fnr selling their work and collecting The money
What womb people think os letting the inusi,ious
poor groan under laws iHirnica! to Industry, in
those States wher. the aboring part o society may
come at their claim with much aG,iIor+,s
their rent among us
IL is generally acknowie,.s ed that liberty and e.
qua rights can hardly survive virtue any cGuniry.
am tier fore pleased with the laws of tl.nse states
that do not Tolerate living liza slnuli promis.
nongus with sacred os; TO pay the debt OF aro-er
that bad been before contracted, he tn, iye with
IMMUNITY but, i, he, rs bail, give bis bond Tor the
debt, ne will he liable. II AN dnnistrstor prem
Use ever 50 soielnniy to pay alebt, the law holds
that lie may I've with imp,nity, huff lie ptom in
writing, he must paw. Ii person promise any one
to have any article really for him against an appoin-
tee time, and the person apply tor il, sud get sap-
pointed halfa dozen times, ne would spend geod
money after his limo recover Just compensation
Lying is demoraizinS it therefore ought to be
punished. And atm hence pleased with the laws
OF those States that make difference between a
verbal and a written promise but hold bou, equal
ly bi-ng.
Again if a ,nan give boad AMI judgement ia Vir-
ginia the debtor is not bound to abide by the con-
tract. Several people have moved into this State,
to my knowledge, under the name of honest and
candid men but being over-reached by different
persons, and seeing people owing them money ri.
ding in carriages caresseh and received into the
highest circles, but themselves and families kent
out of their just dues they have been driven to des.
peraton, turned their property to real estate live
in the 90 bounds, or sworn out, with their Golfers
full of money. Injustice and evil examples have
changed them to Free5ofers.
Us is worth so per cent 10 ensure and collect debts
under our laws, but not worth 10 per cent te en-
sure and coll ct debts under the laws OF PennsyI-
v2nia and Maryland hence, Virginia cannot par
take, however great her advantages, in the trade
OF the Western Country. 1Pliisd-lpfn and its SUI
burbs, contains hundred and twenty Thousand in-
habitants, Baltimore and IFS vicinity, seveDty-hve ;
but Rich nond, about twelve thousand though
this city has many advantages over those: Reform
our laws, and she will realize them. In Virgins,
arc large proportion OF the best informed, the
most patriotic and vrtnons of men. have there
fore been astonished they have rot discovered and
banished the yioih Of i,ialiiStJy
Every lair and honest would willingly re-
fer his cause to Jury, (you may call them arbi-
trators,) it he mad tue privilege oil cecting half OF
them, and thus justice would be done cheapy and
at once and while right to appeal remains, no E.
vii could l., suit from such law. But keeping a
seven years of his Just claim, by !itigatio
is no less crime than highway robbery, and il is
more ds siructye to the welfare If the community.
People in various branches OF business cannot have
their accounts settled without sacrifice of SO per
cent. III the creditor AS honest rs an Apostle,
no person would give more than half for the follow
ing claims Tor example the caims ofdraygen in
Richmond; the claims Of shoe-rnakers, hatefs
sstidlers merchants (that keep clerks,) tavern
keepers, physicians an short, those oany cha
mic or laboriyg man, living in TIE country. Such
are the laws urder which we trade, and undsr
which some of orr popular politicians expect 70 RI
Val Pennsy vanil i'll traiIng with the Western Coun.
try, by means 0f James River and keTawha, though
il is not worth than 10 or Is per cent to en-
sure the collection Of such debts in Pennsylvania.
The law that aulhorises III some places asking the
pcasoA on whom any process is served, few ques-
tons, and oblige him 10 answer them gu penalty O
being confined to close Jail till he does answer III m
tho it cannot compel any person to tell The t.uth
saves in many instances, vast deal Of time, endless
trouble to get witnesses, Y immcnsity ut expense, be
sides greatly promoting the cause of Justice; az n,
person wOuld tell ialschood to crinia2te himself
,r TO cast himself in suit. Now, rs the cause o.
liberty, equal rights aud good policy, requires jus
tce to b. expeditions, il is extraordinary the prac
tce has found no admission among us Does AM
bnty suppose that our laws do justice 10 man, wheI
they bring him mis- own at the end Oi five, ten o
twenty years suit III have right To keeps ma,
out Of his due I've years, taink have right L
keep him out OF forever. II ~ poor complime n
to our law Makers Judges and iIries that they con
form and execute the law, tn SIC as much justice il
three months they in an age. am arr
that IT TO simplify the mode OF Obtainn,
Justice, and put it in the power Of men to conduc
their suits, without feed lawyers, though the pcopl
would be more free the lawyers interest would b.
injured. II il IS worth 25 per cent. in lawyers
fees, 10 collect debts under our present laws, an,
to simplify the laws, that our iuteiligen
citizens could conduct their suits without paving lee
to lawyers, they do in Fennsy lvania, the ncom
of the lawyers would be reduced from 25 per cent
tn perhaps per cent. and so much would be save
20 tie people. Suppose people collect al preseu
miIms of dollars by law suits, the booty Of q,
| lawyers may be one million. and the people ar
the asses Which tteyy<eias hut simplify the Law
| that every intellige - may be free, linden y