American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-01-13

success. In those counties IN England into whict
The tread mill has been introduced, Il C criminal cal
endar has been reduced one half. From its grea
effect in exciting in the criminal an unwillinenes:
again to encounter its hardshps, it 81 ms highly &c
recommend itself to public favor.
would, also, earnestly recommend TO you the a.
bolshment Of imprisonment for debt. That prac.
lice so obviously opposed TO every principle oil jus
tice and humanity should, in an age Ike this still
remain sanctioned by the laws of the land, is truly
q matter Of surprise and regret. 1t is source OIL
pleasure, to observe the attention Of some of our
sister states awakening to this subject. 1t is wor
thy OF our serious consideration, whether, upor
this subject also, we will nger behind the age, ant
still refuse 10 do homage to the spirit OF improve
ment that is moving over our land. Pecuniary EN-
lbarrassments are seldom the resutsof moral turpi
tude: they most frequently flow from causes te
which the honorable and upright are equally expo
sed with the worthless; and against which, often
no human prudence can guard. Your own obser
walton will warrant me in the assertion that ninety
nine debtors ont of hundred are such from impro
violence or misfortune. tits difficult TO perceiv,
why, in the Of the debtor, the benign maxim o
the criminal law should be reversed and that nine
nine innocent persons should be forced TO suffer
rather than one guilty person should escape. Gu
law relative to debtors is unjust, Tor innocence ant
guilt are treated with undiscrimnating severity
/
the helplessness OF age is aecure from its opera
tion-it is partial, for it exempts the rich. and fall
exclusiyely upon The poor: the rich mey Away
shelter themselves from its force the poor alon
are the victims OF its power 1t is in vain that W
boast of our personal liberty and civil rights,
the helpless, and the inhrm, however honorable o
unfortunate can thus, at any moment, be imprisone
at the will OF mercess creditor. Pecuniary oblga
tons, too, often occasoned by the indulgence
the best feelings of the human heart. They of.e
proceed from the overfowings OF kindness and tn
warmth OF friendship-and surely such feeling
ought not TO be sacrificed al the shrine of aYarice
To imprison for debt is, in effect, to tax virtu
for the qualification OF vices. II seems calcua
ted to promote no good end. If debtor has prop
erty and is honest, the law is useless if he ha
property and is rogue no law will be OF any ser
vice but if he has really no property, the law
not only useless, but oppressive and cruel. TIL
unhappy debtor, by being thus deprived Of his per
sona liberty, is deprived of the only means lei
him Of discharging his debts. His only prospect
perhaps, is his labor and his personal attention
business This prospect imprisonment destroys
and it has often happened that large families
whose daily subsistence depended upon the person
al labor and attention OF their head, have thus by be
ing deprived of that head, by unfeeling creditor
been scattered and thrown upon the charity of tn
public. The many exhibitions of hardship which
the prisons Of country frequently present, will
| it is confidently hoped, quicken your attention Il
this subject.
| The revision OF our poor laws is subject worthy
| of your serious inquiry. 1t is your peculiar duty
to keep an eye upon the burdens the community
and to remove all that do tend to the promotion
of some useful object. No burden is so oppressy,
TO the people of this stste as the support OF our pre-
sent poor house system 1t is for you to consider
whether that system is useful or pernicous. Ar
opinion seems 10 pervade the community that oul
poor houses, according to their present arrange
ment, are rather nurseries OF vice than asylums
for the helpless. There is part Of legislation in
which so many nice and difficult principles are in
volved, that which relates to forming regulations
fol- the poor. The in6rm and disabled pauper has
lunquestonabe claims upon the charity of the pub
lie, but, if the door Of public commiseraton is
thrown too widely open, the great stimuious to
exertion, which Providence, in his wisdom, has i'm
planted in the bosom OF the community, is too apt
to be weakened Ifyou satisfy the cravings OF want,
and openly proclaim that it is no longer necessary
to lay up the earnings OF the present day, in order
to provide for the future, there can be but little doubt
that the arm of public industry will be paralyzed,
and that these means which, otherwise, would have
contributed to supply the necessities OF nature will
be diverted into channels of vice. 1t is certainly
your duty to protect the helpless, and the inhrm
put, II is no less your outy 10 discourage loleness
and incompetence. The formation of system that
will effect both these objects will require the
else of great discretion, and will, doubtless, receive
from you, that attention which it justly merits.
Should you however think it advisable TO continue
the present system, would it not be proper to re-
lquire from each poor.house yearly report to the
legislature embracing items OF expenditure, the
names of the persons admitted the ground of their
admission, and by whom recommended. Some
check might thus be put to that inundation which
at present overHows our houses and so heavily
Expresses the people.
l would suggest to you the propriety oforganz-
ing the militia of this state. We have, it Is true,
an act Of assembly establishing militia in this state,