Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-08
THE RELIEF SYSTEM.

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the system, but il will be long before thew dis |
cover all its beauties and glorious advantages. |
The paper part OF it. has already become obi |
Gus to many who once admired the iegerde-
main invention, and al begin 10 have AN iadis
tinct view of the tc,se expedients adopted To
sustain it, by ReiiJ Legislators. But the
system in all It's qualifications is vet unknown.
We understand that Mr.. WICxL,FFE, IN "a
powerful address in the market house ON Mon.
day last, observed, that the people were in
debted 10 it for defamation and stump elo-
quence, but that too many relief speeches had
been paid for in advance-the Treasury being
ms he had predicted last year, actually nsol-
vent. Such is indeed the fact. We have it
from an uuquestonabe source, that there is
not even paper dollar in the Treasury, but
on the contrary, the Treasurer has ov erdrawn,
from the Bank OF the Commonwealth, TWEEN
ty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-si
dollars, seventeen cents. So we go
THE SCALING SYSTEM.
This is part of the Relief system-a very
necessary part of it. The last relief Legislature
enacted, that executions with the paper en-
dorsement, should be collectable after three
months replcvy; hut executions without said
endorsement might he reple,ied two years
All Judgments are given for money, of course :;
and the juries under the instructions of the
Courts, give what are called scaling yer
dicts,' which means the value of a claim in
specie. Those who have not experienced the
operation of the scaling law will fnd on enqui-
ry, that 1t 10 a wonderful expedient for the
benefit of debtor. Ii is ust the thing that
deserves patent. John Shoemaker sued his
patron and customer, Jeremy Dddler, on
note given for shoes and boots, made in the
year 1870, but for which he would not pay in
1871 "hen the account was presented, except
by note reading thus" On demand promise
To pay j. ). for value received thirty dollars
in Commonwealth paper-J. D." The Judge
instructed the jury to ascertain The value of
Commonwealth, and bring in their verdciac-
cordlngly. "We of the jury find for the
plaintiff fifteen dollars" &C. one half-papcr
money being two for one. The Judgment
being for money, Jeremy Didder had the pri-
vileSe OF paying years hence, but John
Shoemaker being hard run, endorsed the cx-
ecution and will be glad to receive the fifteen
dollars, in commonwealth paper, at the end
OF three months replevin. This is what is
called the scaling SYSTEM and if the case did
not occur, last CONT, something very like i;
dld, IN numberess instances.
In neishboring county, a case like the
following We are informed, lately became
matter of record. poor man sued on note
Tor IL dollars, credited on the back by 6 dol
lars received. There was no proof that fh,
dollars were paid in paper, and the MaGis-
trate said he was bound 10 consider six
dollars, six dollars, and as paper was worth two
Tor one, the amount of the note appeared 10
have been paid and accordingly gave Judgment
for costs against the plaintiff. Into what ahsur-
dliIcs are we plunged by the Eeef system
hat nockery 10 talk ofiusiice and freedom
ana happiness, when the constitution is bro't
to The level of such legislative acts as have
been adopted by the Relief party We have
here in Kentucky, a Code of such relief laws.
A code Intended to suit the case of every man
VINO is disposed TO wrong his neighbour, "A
code which invites all men To break their
contracts. If trespass be committed, and
property destroyed or taken away, damages
Tor one half Of the amount of injury ONLY can
he obtained and that half PAYABLE in paper
worth 30 cents in the dollar If a man refuse.
to pay his bond, judgment can be obtained
against him for one half only, and TINS he
cicnrs fifty per cent by being sued. If he
prefer not paying even one half of his lust
debi, III Commonwealth paper, he can rrple,y
TWO years, and at the expiration of two years
he may send his creditor To seek wild lands
provided, the Relief Legislators hold the scales
of justice two Years hence.
THE ADVERTISEMENT LAW.
This is also part of the SYSTEM" but
where IT comes in we do not exactly know
The whole is however so dovetailed that the
system would not be complete without it, The
poor debtor can give his house worth ten thou
sand dollars, TO the relief commissioners, 10 10
appraised; in their estimation il will probably
be valued at Is thousand, as it is 10 pay The
mechanics six thousand dollars for building
1t and finding materials. The claim of The
mechanics being for six, the Judgment Of court
IS thousand. The house must sell for >
Thousand, three fourths of the vaIuslinn) or il
cannot be sold The +" scaling system" here
operates Inversely. 1t reduces the demand Of
the poor mechanics one half, but advances the
value of the rich debtors house when il is to
be sold We cannot imagine how such law
as THIS can be viewed in any other light than
as a nuisance-to abate which we hope all hon
est mechanics will unite on the FIRST Monday
oil August. Lexington Reporter.
New YORK, August 1.-The brig Nicholas
& Felix, capt Williams, arrived here on YES
terday, in ~ days from CuracOa, with the of
hcers and crew, and the armament and stores
of the U. S. brig Enterprise which was wreck
ed on the morning of the 9th inst. on the Isl
ana OF Little Curacao, as already published
After remaining six DAYS encamppd on the
Island, by the exertions of the officers and
crew, who were obliged To dive for most of
the articles, they succeeded in gaining from
the wreck the armament, provisions, and all
the stores that were not immediately DESTROY.
ed by the salt water. The officers and crew
are in good health, not having lost man by
sickness. Joshua Frost, quarter master, was
lost overheard off Porto Rico.
Mr. Thos. Randall, special agent, who went
out in the Entsrprize, has also arrived, not
being able to procure passage to Havana.
We learn by this arrival, that information