Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-02-18
ALEXANDRIA:
VED.SESBAT, FEBRU.9RF Ia.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASH
INGT0N.
Tuesday. February II, 1878.

3 TOOK INTO tO1sluefdt.o' ltc JIM io' Gov"
b!;shing an uniform system OF bankrupt
cy in the United S,ates-general Bloom
field in the chair.
The first section being read, Mr.. Hop
kinson rose, and after some remarks rP
on the fitness of TIE time, arising IRON
the general tranquility abroad and the
harmony that prevailed within the house.
said that he thought this measure would
have as fair a chaoce for impartial consl'
deration now as it ever could have, so
that whatever the decision might be now
il would be final-if it fell through. it
could scarcely ever again be attempted;
! and, therefore, he hoped that the house
would give it the most attentive consl-
! Iteration. Ills intention was, in this
stage of the business, to lay before the
house a view of the causes and general
policy Of the bill, and it, after that, the
opinion of gentlemen should be favorable
to the measure, he would then lay before
them Il survey Of its details. There were
in the house several gentlemen who re-
presented portions of the country not i'm
mediately interested in the provisions OF
the bill; and to these he suggested that
if the measure was imports to the com
mercial interest OF the country in gene
raj, they must, Of course, feel the ProPrie'
ty of exercising spirit of accommeda-
ton, and, provided the bill was not posi-.
lively prejudicial, abstain from rejecting
it, although they could see no particular
local interest in its provisions.
Mr.. Hopkinsou then gave ar interest
iSg history of The rise of the bankrupt
laws. In proportion as civilization adj
vanced in the world, the power of TIE
creditor declined, and that OF the debt
or increased. In former days shock
ing degree of barbarity prevailed-in
Rome, Tor instance, the dominion allow
ed by the laws to the creditor extended
10 the personal bondage Of the debtor,
whom he had right to sell into foreign
slavery, along with lis whole family
This continued to be the law till the first
Christian emperor Of r ne abroga'ed it,
and added the destruction Of that bar.
bsrous system to the o.her tIiumpas OF
christianity. II then became regulation
that if the debtor coded his effects, he
was no longer subject to bondage; but,
as it is in human nature TO run from one
extreme into another, so it happened in
this case; for soon the law permitted the.
debtor to retain both his effects and his
freedom to keep his property and bid
defiance to his creditor. Between these
two extremes, equally unjust to both par
ties, the law of England struck out a
middle course and, as ii advanced, i'm
proved, till at length it was found to be
beneficial to both debtor and creditor,
reconciling justice to the one, with hu-
manity to the other. II then it was con-
fessedly a system founded at once in hu-
manity and justice, why, he asked, should
this be the only country in the Christian
world that was without it 7
In England, he observed, the law Of
bankruptcy was originally considered as
a mere appendase to trade, and appiica-
bic only to trading men.-In order to
prevent extravaganza and prodigaiity, its
benefits we're confined altogether to those
to whom it was absolutely and in,iispen-
sadly necessary. The trainers OF our
constitution, with as perfect knowledge
of the nature Of the British bankrupt
system as any men could possess, were
so well convinced OF the advantages Of
it that they granted the right to establish
it, along with the other powers they de-
Iegated to congress. They required too
that it should be uniform, not like our
state insolvent laws, one thing today
and another o.morrow-but uniform IN
its operation throughout the uaiun. This
power congress caused 10 be exercised
L4 I,- , uaru sheet f;m--fnr II l,y dor