Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-29

sure mean 10 plead infancy? Infancy of q
practising attorney /; of inau who had COM |
pl-ted course of study, qualifying him la
transact NOT only his own business, but that of
all who might employ him f; qualifying hun Ia
take his stand and settle dawn, not only in a
profession The most liberal bat among gentle
men the most enlightened in the mysteries at
that profession, in the very face of legal IN
formation, the rendezvous Of the first legal
talents In Virginia and several adjoining states,
in one word, in Richmond, TN" capital of the
ancient colony and dominion. ISthis true ard
do we still bear youth plead, not merely in al
deviation, hut IN bar of punishment Now.
would such plea succeed in a .rivil case, 10
set aside the act of professional character.
cuntrssedly OIL years of age. aud why should
the rule at construction be less rigi,lly applied
In penal or criminal law? The reverse Of the
proposition is true, for although the CONTRACTS
of minors may be set aside IN that account,
there is no Indulgence given To infractors of
penal statutes from that very tender infancy,
which, from all circumstances the accused
shall be adiudgrd capable of Distinguishing
betwixt gond and evil, right and wrong. So
far from infancy proving shield against res
p"nsib,y, who has not heard, VIII" has not
known infants convicted of high crimes, and
caltahy punished therefor, as low probably
as eiGh, or nine years Bat, IL there should
be nothing in all this, ar the violations uf the
auti-duelling law should he considered as ex-
c-ptiuns To the general rule. permit me, sir,
most respectfully TO inquire, until what age
shall iife master he permitted To tramplr
with impunty on laws human and diyinp
At what age shall the innocent "bIiqnitirs of
youth terminate, and the crimnaies Of age
and experience commence /? Ought not that
period tn be distinctly marked ia the law, for
the benefit of all concerned? Ortn how ma
ny degrees must the blood of a young man
he heated, before he can safely violate all
law Shall we apply thermometer 10 his
wrist tn ascertain that number !? Might not il
chronomrter he better, by which we can dis
rinctly know TIE number of pulses or heats
IN minute, second, ar any other period of
| time A mistake here might he fatal, for TN
one degree more, ar on one degree less.
one throb more or one beat less might depend
life or death, Acknowledgement .xpatriation,
with all the important consequences attend
ing either. So narrow, Mr.. Speaker, 50 eX-
tremrly narrow, is the path beiwixt crime
and innocence, vice and Virtue, marked out by
the doctrines of this neic school: hut deny and
appeal to the petition for support, that there
| existed IN this case any such heat or passion
| as w@uld go To alle> late, much less tn Justify
the measures adopted, even before jury in a
court of law. We, however, are NOT tha;
|
fere. must be permitted still further Ia in
quire, tn how many degrees below the freezing
| point, the blood of an old man must settle,
| before he can honorably refuse challenge
| from one Of those Yesuyian spirits; for, as you
are about 10 extend indulgence To the passions
and ntemperancr of youth, you cannot grace
fully refuse similar indulgence io the frailtirs
and imbeciIlties of old age. On tins subject
feel some solictude, and in self defence as
| well as that of other old men, wishsto ascrr-
| tain it with the greatest accuracy. Tell us
| then, yr'di.cplrs of Esculapius, ye gentlemen
| of The knife mean Mr.. Speaker, the surgi-
| cal knife not of the sword, al the dirk, or
stilettO, these are men with whom | wish To
have nought Ia do. and {" father, forgive them
they know not what they do" 20 my
soul, come not thou into their secrets, with
such men mine honor be thou not concerned,
for their house is The way 10 he'll. going down
| To the chambers nf the dead" Yr men of
science, then, yr friends, W presrrvers of man.
who in love To the human family have studied
| the anatomy of the human frame, and with Il
scientific eye have scanned is leading features
marking with the greatest accuracy The peri
odical ebbings and GOwings ofthe purple tide
To and from the heart, tell me, for you must
| know, the precise number of winters which
must have blown over the frosty i"cks nf AN
old man, ar the exact velocity of that flood
tardiIy searching its way through his ubstruct.
ed VEINS before he may honouraby refuse 10
sender accept challenge, if this law should
pass.-We are told, sir, the applicant was not
only very young, but exceedingly poor. Pc
verify or wealth, MIR. Speaker, are merely rta-
tive or comparative terms most members of
This house might probably be considered as
exceedingly poor compared with the celcbrat-
ed banker of Philadelphia, Mr. Girard, worth
| ne hans from five to pighf nllinns and the
petitioner in 1917 would perhaps be consider
ed exceedingly rich, in comparison with many
people Of this city, or of the neighJomh0od in
which his estate lies, for il is near mine. One
| thing Is certain, that, in the summer of 1896
| the then proprietor Of that estate WAS offered
seven hundred pounds for it, two thirds in
| hand, and the balance in twelve months; nine
hundred pounds was probably the sum asked
| bpt admit he WAS poor, who ever before heard
poverty, especially this independent kind uf
| poverty, plead IN excuse for The breach of a
penal law how many men who now hear
me, at tweDiy-One years Of age were not worth
seven hundred shillings, and are now living IN
ease and aflluence after making handsome es-
Establishments for their families
The weight of character of the assalant
is also urged as AN excuse and in favour
of the bill. True il is, that on reading
the petition or preamble it would have
been expected that il was m Ajax lebanon,
or at least one Of the digniiares of the Law
and that of the first water with whom this
young gentleman had come in contact; net
exactly So, sir, Ispeak from q sense Of duty, and
am obliged TO declare that so far from it that
the eye of that gentleman, not even his imagi-
nation had reached that pinnacle Of profess
1 siOnai glory and fame on which several
| gentlemen Of this city have perched for many