The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-23
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

Every State in the Union will be indebted to Mr..
Senator Talmadge for his efforts to abolish impri-
sonmen for debt in suits brought in the United States
Courts for it is such suits which prevent at present
the abolition Of that vandal practice in every State
each State having 10 provide Jail for the accom-
mediation Of the United States prisoners.--N Y.
Star.
Mr.. Tallmadge Is taking strong ground in the Sc
nate in favor Of abolishing Imprisonment for debt
His phanthropic efforts will be generally accep,a-
ble-ALeT, GAG.
The distinguished Senator from New York
has laid the whole civilized world under the
deepest obligations to him, for his eminent
and successful services, in effacing this re-
voting reliok of barbarous age from the sta
tute book of thenation. While several of the
States have abolished their debt-imprison-
ment laws, or softened their features. so as
to hold out relief and redemption to misfor-
tune, the national laws have required the
States to furnish prisons for the incarceration
of debtors sued in the United States Courts
the National Government thereby preventing,
by its practice and example, the total abolition
of this usage and the advancement Of more
humane and reasonable policy. At the very
moment that Mr. Tallmadge was urging the
repeal Of the United States debt-imprison-
ment laws, the Halls Of justice Of the city of
New York were crowded, as they are at this
moment, with unfortunate debtors (traders,)
from the western States, and confined under
such circumstances, us to call forth pre-
sentiment Of the Grand Jury Of the county.
Citizens Of the most respectable charac-
ter, by the operation of the United States
laws in States where imprisonment for
debt has been abolished, are cut off from their
friends, from business, from usefulness to them
selves and to the world, merely because they
could not perform physical impossibility.
imposed upon them, in many cases, rather
by misfortune than any imprudence Of their
own We do not doubt the benefit or the
justice Of laws to prevent frauds and to pun
ish fraudulent debtors; but the practice of
mprisoning indiscriminately, every man, be
he honest or dishonest, who should not hap
pen to meet his pecuniary engagements
punctually, and especially such as are willing
and anxious to strain every nerve to pay their
debts, must be regarded as unreasonable and
barbarous in the extreme
Any man who shall have succeeded by his
efforts in expunging these laws from our codes,
will have done much for the cause Of humani
ty,and commend himself to the gratitude Of
his country, and the applause Of mankind.
The effort which Mr.. TALLMADeE has
made is worthy Of son Of the Empire
State, which enjoys the honor Of having been
amongst the first Of the States, to ameliorate
and improve her policy towards that class of
her citizens, large in every community; in
solvent debtors
The bill introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Tallmadge, referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary on the 18th instant, and reported on
the 10Th with the amendment in italics, pass
ed the Senate, with only four dissenting
voices in the following shape:
A BILL to abolish Imprisonment for debt in certain
cases. ....
Be IL enacted By the Senate and House of Repre-
%ntatiUes Of the United States of america in Congress
assembled, That no person shall be imprisoned for
debt in any State, process issuing out Of court
of the United States where, by the laws of such
State, imprisonment for debt has been abolished /;
and phere, By the La,rsofa State Imprisonment for debt
shall be aO1cd under certain conditions and restric-
tons the conditions and restrictions shall be APP
p5icabk 10 The process issuing out of the courts of the
United States and the proceedings shall be had
therein as are adopted in the courts of such State.
We trust, for humanity's sake, that the Bill,
which is certainly unobjectionable in its de-
tails, will pass the House Of Representatives,
and become law with the same alacrity with
which it has thus far been carried.
THE SUB-TREASURY.