Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1838-10-12

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) GAoL LInITs.-Tbe Boston Times r.
J lers to lawyer but without naming bin
! who employed means 10 seduce debtors O.
/ Inc limits In order to make their innocef
suret'es responsible. The sooner the Mas.
aehuselts Legislature abolishes gaoI limits
me better II will be for all parties. A maj
VINO owes a large sum of money which b,
can pay and will no, pay, prefers goirg OF
the limits, where he can spend il al his ease
ana man who has no money 10 pay hi
debts, II is cruel 10 con6ne him TO few a
ores because he has not room or power tc
earn the means TO pay even part OF hi.
ueot' II Gaol Limits are necessary. the,
should be co-exte0sive with the eity---lor th,
on]ect OF such confinement is only TO be Sc
cure OF your debtor when you want him
ana II is the same whether he is limited TO q
lew streets or has the freedom oflhe whole ci
~. Do this subject speak by book. When
Sheriff OF this city the limits were only one
hundred and fifty acres. Houses on The
limits commanded higher rent for those
who could pay. and forthose who could no,
pay their suferings were intoerabe. To
mechanics II was peculiarly Distressing. and
The whole system worked bad for debtor md
creditor Enticing persons of the limits
confined for heavy sums and with good
bail. was an organized system Watchers
were specially employed, and large sums
promised il they coaid find shedebror Of, his
guard and over the lines, or could decov
him IN any manner from the bounds. I
nave known women engaged TO Stop debt
or and interest him in her story by modest
address. tale Of woe. and lead him s,ep bv
step until unconsciously he had passed the
lnta boundary in sigh, Of the scout who Iodg.
cd information against him. Again, all the
oil beauty and iaclnation were employed and
ooun'iiully pail for 10 lure the de6or be.
yond the line and thus entrap him. Girls
have pretended 10 fall into fits on one side of
the pavement that the unfortunate debtors
humanity might be aroused. and he cross
from The other side 10 aid them In short the
abuses were so numerous. and the benefits
so doubtful by this $50 acre limit system,
that | went 10 work TO make this manifest 10
the Legislature, and they made the whole
city the limits. Some drol occurrences
took place however under this system
The greatest portion Of this unfortunate
class were debtors under twenty dollars
and principally poor persons, and among
my particular aud valued poliiiesl- f-:~rsss.
To. IRISH ! made II point never 10 lock
wife aud half dozen children petitioninp
for a release, and many twenty dollars,
debt and costs, have had To pay for them
in consequence ofthe debtor. and the bail.
and the wife, and the children and the pigs
all running away at the same time. But
they were all very fond o! met was 'long
life 10 your honor" The blessings Of ST. Pat
rick be upon you !" but they were sure new
er 10 vote for me when | was a candidate
they could not bring it over their consciencel
the villains. with all their attac hment 10 me,
which was very sincere and Unaffected
One plan they devised in giving bail, which
was very amusing, and they thought was
not up 10 it, They had Connaught man
amongst them--a hod man. a tall. hand
some. genieel fellow, full OF Inn and impu
whenever they wanted security they
would dress him up in neat black coat
aud rufiled shirt, give him gold watch, a
cane, and pair of gloves. md thus disguis-
ed he would strut into the Office withthe air
of AN Alderman. II come TO bail Ter,
renee q Flynn, Sir" "Wbat is the amount"
Only twenty dollars. Sra trine, your.
honor /; hut we must not let our countrymen
suffer, you know" So saying he would pull
out the gold watch, which he would look at
long enough for all the deputies in the Of.
flee to see the article adjust his ruffles. take
a pinch out OF old Hays snuf-box. sign the
bond, and strut out. This fellow was bail
for the whole Five Points. which was in the
limits, and as often as l saw him clanking
his iron heeled boots over the pavement of
the City HalLtwirling his cane, and imita-
Ting. and very cleverly too, the air Of man
of wealth and importance. used to say to
him, "Well, Rory. who are you gong to
bail now2"
lost great deal by him of course in
small sums, but he made rife occasionally
by the experiment" and his friends always
made point of stripping him of his dor
rowed robes the moment he came off duty !;
and have seen him one hour after signing
a bail bond on the top OF ladder. with
bod lull ofbrick, chip hat without rim,
and a terrible rent in the rear of his cordu-
roys.
1 was glad that the whole limit system
was abandoned--it was painful to all par
ties. and did good TO none. One day / threw
open The jail Tor public inspection | had
cleared out all the debtors, some by compro-
mise, some by bail, and very few by con-
sent OF crediiors-ii was the old Provost du
ring the revolutionary war--a terrible look
ing place. now transformed into the beauli
ul Hall OF Records. but as the devil would
have it before night, an officer brought in a
wild young Frenchman, arrested for small
sum His mother, well known and respec-