Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-02-10

| The Legislature Of ONO has, we OBJ
serve, had under consideration a propo-
sition to abolish, within that state, I'm
prisonment for Debt, OF course. thinks
the reader, it was agreed to. Not so.
The subject was referredt to a committee,
and the committee made a report, in
watch we were grati6ed to meet with the
following just sentiments:
"Your committee are fully sensible Of the cor
~rectness Of the opinion, that Imprisonment for
debt, at the option of the c~relitor,i in cases whcre
fraud is not alleged, il unjust and impoiitc;
unjust because a control over the personal Hber-
~ of the debtor made part of tie originaI con.
tract between the parties, impolitic, because
the energies OF the individual impris ned, are.
for the time being, lost to society, because, his
family are deprived OF his assistance AMI .. otec-
tion; because, thereby. the debtor is deprived
not only Of the opportunity, by his e~xersion. of
acquiring the means OF lIquidating his debt, but
also the enjoyment OF his personal liberty. which
last should be endured only as the punishment
of crime"
1t is difficult to conceive of stronger
terms of reprobation titan are here most
truely applied to this r~eproach of our
statue books. notwithstanding, howe
yer, the sensibility Of the committee to
the injustice and impoiicy of Imprison-
ment for Debt, they concluded, by say
ing, "tLey are of opionion that it is in
~expedient for this Legislature to take
further order OF this subjecti is so inter-
woven with our whole system of civil iu-
rlsprudence, that, to expunge the prin-
ciple, would demand little short OF a u
UNIVERSAL modification o. four whole code.n
And why not modify it, Is an ackncwl-
edged abuse 10 be suffered Il exist, be-
cause it win take a little troubie to re-
form it, It's surely possible to compel
a performance Of contracts for the deli
very of property, without also delivering
the body of the debtor to the custody Of
his creditor. However The form may
be delayed, it will not be long. we ven-
ture to predict, before it will be out Of
the power Of any one man in any part
of this Union, on pretence of debt, to
new IN his neighbor in a dark and
9reary dungeon, leaving the partner of
his bosom and his innocent children to
suffer at least as much as he. Our at
%tention was awakened with more than
usual sympathy to the injustice of this
barbarous relic of the Roman law, by
learning, the other day, that one of our
%neighbors, a worthy and au,able man,
had been committed to close prison for
iebt-himselfin such feeble health, that
one of our neighbours, a worthy and
amuable man, bad been committed to
close prison for debt-himself in such
feeble health,tha although our in~solvent
law viii probably relieve his life endan-
gered by it. Suppose he were to die
under it, who will supply the father to
his young and helpless offspring' OF
the merits of the transaction which has
produced this particular result, we know,
and mean to say, nothing: but we do
know the fact, that tie prison of this CT
ty is not a fit abode for any honest man,
and that, as u laws now stand. it is We
~ easy for an honestman to get within it,
whilst many a rogue remains outside.
We owe many thanks to Mr.. ELLIS, for
udtiIiSs Ntdl a dUd6Di DuiJdift1s DHtl-
ted the attention Of Congress TO the con
ditior of this same Jail: and we shall owe
to Mr.. WEBSTER, if he will redeem the
pledge, which he is said to have given,
to prepare and present to Congress, at
its next session, a plan of an universal
system Of bankruptcy, which shall en-
franchise the debtor at the same time
that it adds security to the rights of the
n ditors.-N Nat. Int.
We learn from the Boston Palladium.
that Com. Nourse, ofthe Br. frigate An
%dromache, commander in Chief OH the
Isle ofFrance and Cape of Good Hone
stations went on shore, at Bombaz, ION
the S. E. part of Africa with six of his
officers, and a French bo,arist, TO dine
with the overnor-shortly after return
ling on board, they were taken i'll, and
all died within 4 days, except the French
gentleman, who recovered. No doubt
was entertained but that they were poi
|soned. The body of the Commodore
was brought to the Use ofFrance, for in
,terment.
The New York Advertiser
ces that the Hon. TIMOTHY PlrKIN, of
Connecticut, is preparing for the press
Sketches Of The Cieit and Political His
tory cfthe United States, from their first
settlement to the close Of tie .Administra-
tion Of General Washington.