Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-08-23

tate to qualify him to be freeman,-is
such onsideration-which the law it.
self denominates a meritorious conside-
ration-is such consideration to be
called fraudulent one, and the convey
ance to be pronounced void, when no
right Of any other individual is in the
least degree affected by it: We will
not make single further comment upon
such a charge. 1t speaks for itself. 1t
is sufficient to state it, and we have sta
ted it precisely as it was made. All pre-
tencc of any moral or actual fraud, oil
the part Of Mr.. Cranston, or his sister,
was expressly disclaimed--the challen-
ger confning himself to the naked asser-
ton that such conveyance, that is,
conveyance to qualify freeman, CTS IN
The ,roris Of the iao Fraudulent" And
where are those words of the law to be
found? Where is there sentence, word
or syllable in any law to justify such an
assertion? There is none. The assertion
was equally unfounded and unwarrant-
ed; and the community, will judge
whether it originated in ignorance or
was intended for imposition. These, it
will be seen by the article referred to,
were the sole objections of the quaifca-
tions Of MIR Cranston as freeman or as
Moderator of the Town meeting. And
we feel very confident tina. every free
men who values his own privileges,
will Judge ofthem as they were judged
of by every, present, mcmbcr of the
General Assembly.
The some Memorial contained n
charge against Mr. Cranston, Of nniscon-
duct in the Town meeting, for which (if
true) he would be subject to a penalty.
That charge was, that, the challenger Of
his cote (.Mr Bul) required HIM 10 make
ouh 10 his qualification, ngreeably to The
Statuie, and that Mr. C. refused to take the
oath. But this charge was proved, be-
fore the General Assembly, 70 be. en-
tirely without truth or foundation. 1t
was testified, by Mr. r. X. Randolph,
Mr. Freeborn, Mr. Trcvett and others,
that no such call was lin their hearing,
and they were strictly attentive to all
that passed) made upon Mr. Cranston.-
That so far fiom refusing to take the
oath, he (Mr c. repeatedly avowed his
readiness to take it if called upon to do
sos. That Major Bull was repeatedly
called upon to state whether he called
upon Mr. Cranston to be sworn, and OH
stantly cvaded answering the question
on making the call.
There is one statement in the Memo
rial and in the article we are Noticing
which is calculated to serve no othe
end than to do an injury to Mr. Cranston
He is represented as having confessed
, that he kept the deed Off the record;-
that he might have it in his power Il
withdraw it whenever he should hav'
occasion to go out ofthe State, ,and by 8
doing might secure the property from
being attached by the creditors of tn
firm of C'ansion s. Shaw. This
neither n fair nor true representatio
.. of what Mr. G. did say. His statemen
was, that upon the dissolution of tn
firm of Cransion g. Shac, many year
ago, a large amount and number Of tn
debts of that firm had fallen wholly rpo
his shoulder; that by his own continue
personal cxcrtions he had paid Off all bt
three Of those debts, which, if he con
tinued to enjoy his health, he was deter
mined also to satisfy. That two of tn
creditors who held those debts wer
satisfied with his exertions, willing t
wait for him; but the third would TAX
any advantage in his power to give hin
self preference, by attaching his prooe
ty, if he could come at it, and that sue
a preference he did not intend that cred
tor should have, if he could prevent it.
Was there any Ting improper
those intentions of Mr. c.? If not, W;
it manly to distort and misreprese'
them in the manner they have been! :
The names of twenty two persons al
signed to the Memorial; all of them RI
spectablc,-some of them highly so; an
the Memorial would derive great cou'