The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1841-01-11
From the .Neto York Courier and Inquirer.
IMP RISONMENT FOR DEBT.

In debate ON the motion of Mr.. GREY in the
House of Commons in 1891, for raising Com
mittee to inquire into the effects of Imprisonment
for Debt, Mr. BURKE said, that the public was
under many obligations to the gentleman for
bringing forward so laborious and delicate
business. cit had been said, he continued eethat
it was state of liberty in society to be governed
by law. They had not only their prisons full
but they had commonwealth of debtors, a com
monwealth of prisoners--a commonwealth as
numerous many that had existed in ancient
history. These prisoners not distinguished
from slaves but actually e0eTe slaUeS existing in
a country that valued itself ON its laws, and
boasting its freedom, but in which they endured
a greater portion ofslavery than ever had been
exercised by the most despotic power. 1t GER
tainly was blemish IN our law, that il produced
all the effects of the MOST HORRIBLE TYRANNY,
and likewise all the effects of the MOST AFFECT
SLAVERY. If any alteration was introduced with
regard to imprisonment of insolvent debtors, it
would be said, perhaps, that such alteration
would affect public credit. He denied it.
cit looatId make men cautious, and tend to
protect them. There was no such thing as a
corps of debtors; there was no such thing as a
corps of creditors. Debts were contracted by
the rash and incoDsiderate credit that was given
Debtor and creditor should never be separated;
they were person, and what for the be-
nefit of the one, was evidently for the advantaoe
of the other Besides Mr.. BURKE observed
where they had one man in Jail, they had two or
three who were in daily terror of Imprisonment.
If there were ten thousand people in prison,
there were, at least, thirty thousand shut out
from the means Of getting their bread, and
aOhO eitkeT mere IN the prison of the mind, or
in tie prison Of terror How many persons
were there, who existed in the prison of flight,
and in hiding places; Dh0 acre q loss to SOcie-
ty, and dead tceight TO the cOnlnlonity?-
Mr. BURKE concluded with observing that 1T
was disgrace to the country, to say that it had
imprisoned more than the most absolute power
had done in any other country"
Such were the views ola man who added to
as sincere and ardent love OF liberty as ever
burned in human bosom, a stern sentiment of
justice, and a disposition in matters of govern
ment eminently conservative. In his eye, the
prisoner for debt was slave-an EEabject slave"
of the sfmost horrible tyranny" Such is the
present universal sentiment of civilizations; and
yet, from the deficiencies of the laws, from the
neglect or oversight oflegslators, or reluctance
to expuBge from the statute books enactments
condemned by public opinion, we find that hun
dreds of human beings have been incarcerated
in this city during the last twelvemonth; al
though Imprisonment for debt porports to have
been abolished in the State, and Congress has at
temped to accommodate Federal legislation on
this su ect, to the legislation of the several
States
The statesman who shall place this matter on
its true ground, who shall enforce and establish
the broad principle, that Imprisonment for debt
shall be no longer toleratedin any form or under
any circumstances-that the person OF freeman
unaccused of crime shall be sacred in the eye OF
the law-that it shall be beyond the reach of in
dividuals or government-that neither Federal
nor State authority, nor that of municipal cor
porations shall violate it; the statesman who
Shall embody this great principle in the Consti-
tution will entitle himself to the everlasting gra
titude of the country, and win name that no
time shall eface from its history. 1t is but an
idle boast, to claim for our Republic the epithet
of 'free'-to pretend that liberty is dear to her
citizens-e'dearer than lifen-when man may
be thrown into dungeon, and fed from the
same platter with convicts, and so lodged as no
humane man would lodge his beasts of burden
because he owes moneys to his neighbor, or can
not liquidate the costs Of suit or the fine of a
Corporation!