Western courier. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-10-26

the hCt % tbe oUtll OF EqWaFo tbe niyoG
BY going back to that reign Of beIoisB,
patriotism snd wisdom; lat reisn in ~hieb
the monarch acquired as much glory from,
nis don,estic policy as from his, lofeigD
cSpquesis, hitsItisn IN which the acquI-
si.jop ofdyers ard wssyers non, FIanders,
lliis cbssgvanne Of law and tssstss s;IsA sbe
encoefagemeht giyen:to sgr;t tpssnfe ard
manufarsul ers, conferred sore benefit
.cpnn the kingdom, and more glory uroR.
the kinP, than the splendid victories os
Poitiers, Agincouri, fbd CIessY. +ss.5
But the Senator may no. be williEg to
yield TO this example--this case in point
drawn from his own fouu,ain, ard pre-,
cisely up to the exigency of the occasion.
He may want something more, and he
sball have IL. l will now take The ques-
lion of general power-the point Of gens'
eral sutbcrity-exempli6ed by'the-Gen-
eral practice Of the British Psrl;anept, for
FIVE hundred years, ever the whole sub.
ject Of bankruptcy. ] will try the ques-
Iiop upon this baisis; and here lay doWn
The proposition, that this FIVE hundred
years Of parliamentary legislation on bank.
rup,cy, establishes the point of full au.
.horily in the British Parliament to sc,as
hpfeased on The entire sutject of bank
ruptc es. .T!is Is my proposition; and
when itispToyed, it | shall claim from those
who carry me to Ergispd for authority,
he same amount Of power over the sub
ject which the British Parliament has been
in the habit Of exercising. Now, what is
the extent of that roWeri Happily for
me, /, who have tospeak, without any in-
clil,tion for the task-stiII more happily
for those who have TO hear me, peradven-
ture without profit or p'easure-happily
for both parties. MY proposition is AREA
dy proved, partly BY VIA, have prsvi-
ousIy advanced. and fully by what every
Senator knows. have already shown
The practice Of Parliament upon this sut-
ject- fhat it has altered and changed
coLt. acted end snlargsd-put in lett CUT
abolished and created, precisely as It
pleased. have already shown in my
rapid view of English legislation On this
subject, thar the Parlismep, exercised
plsnary power. and unlimited authority,
over every branch of The bankrupt qaes-
tioH; tbat il confined the action Of the
bankrupt laws 10 asngle class OF persons.
or extended it to mary ciaaaes; that il
was sometimes confined 10 foreigners. then
applied 10 natives. aud thkt nov it COM
prehends natives, aliens, denizens and
women; that al one time ali debtors were
subject TO il; then none but merchants
aud traders, and now besides merchants
| and traders, long list of persons Who
have nothing to do with trade; that at one
! time bankruptcy was treated criminaily,
and its objact punished corporeally, ~h'ic
nov il is n remedial measure, for the benz
eft Of creditors; and the relief Of nnfo'iu-
nate debtors; and that the ac;s Of debtor
which may coustitute hiM bankrupt,
hays been enlarged from three or f1ny
glaring misdeeds. TO no long catalogue OF
actions. divided in,o the head Of ipnScent
and fraudulent-CoGstructiy and POSITIVE
Intentional and Observation-Disclosures
Nv and forced--that none but an attorney,
with book in hand, cen pretend TO cru.
meFate them. All this has been shown:
and, from all this, it is irconies,abie that
Parliament can do just what il pieases on
the subject; and. therefore, our Congress-
if referred to England for rs powers. can
do just what it pleases also. And thus,
whether ve 60 by the words ct our own
constitution, or BY q particular sxampI"
in England, or deduce general authority
from the general practice of that country,
the result is still the same; we bave an-
thority TO limit, il we please, cur bank
rupi law to the single class of banks aud
bankers.
The Senator from Massachusetts, (Mr.
Websterl deminds whether b asTupilsws
rdlnarily extend 10 corporations. mean-
ing monied corporations. ain free 10 sa-
swer that, in point of fact. HEY dohots--
But whyi because they nughy h''s a. be-
cause these corporations have yet teen
powerful enough, 10 keep their necks ONT
of that moose! Certainly tie latter. It
is the power of those noceyet co'pne-
tions in England and their COED ioi'sn
In our America, which n bling thsH 10
grasp all advantages on one baud, and 10
repulsr all penalties on the otaer, has eE-
abled them to obtain express sts'p'ory
exemption from bark,aps i'sbiNtiesin
4 England, and to escape, ihus far, frcM
similar liabilities 10 tie Uhi eSl States -
This, sir, is history. sDd mol inveeiiyt;n
is fact, and not assertion; end will spte.
dIy refresh the Senitoi's memory. and
bring him to reeollect why 1t is. IN p"tHt
of fact, ,ha, bankrupt laws DO no, extend
to these corporations. And, first, let us
look to England, that s'eat exemplaf.
whose evil examples We are SO p'nmr',