The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-11-01
DEBTORS, PRISON in PARIS.

ark Advertiser, furnishes the lolloWing
account Of the Debtors Prison in
Paris:
The Prison for Debtors is situated in
the Rue de Cichy. a retired quarter,
where most of the English population
live. To be a candidate for admission
to this retreat, debt of thirty dollars,
in the case of foreigner. is neces-
sary qualification. 1t must be payable
to the original creditors; and the candl-
date must be under seventy years Of
age. No person can be arrested on
Sunday or fete day; or in any place
of religious worship, or of the consti-
tuted authorities; or in any private
house. If admittance is refused; or be-
tween sunset and sunrise. These pop
uIar enactments naturally cause many
debtors from England, 10 take refuge
IN this city. The creditor who puts a
man in prison, must make monthly.
advance Of his board at the rate of six
dollars per month, neglecting which
only for day, the debtor is set at lib
erty. The doors are opened to him at
the fixed time, in proportion to the
amount Of the debt, and the creditor
has no further power to again conline
him. the de bt being thus legally cancel
led. Imprisonment for 4 debt less than
S1OO ceases in two years; in four
years for $2o0--and in ten years for
all sums above thousand.
The lot of these individuals is not
very unfortunate. They are deprived
of liberty indeed; but they pass a life
of ease at the cost of others, and, judg-
ing from their faces, imagine they
have a merry time of it. Notwith-
standing the universal cry of freedom,
men in all countries are ever ready
enough to sell it; the only question be-
ing about the price. The twenty cents
day is given directly to the debtor,
with which sum he is to provide him
self with food and lodging. The gov
ernment charges him six cents a day
for his room, furnished with bed, two
tables and three chairs. One would
think it would puzzle him to keep house
with the small remainder of this sum,
even with an allowance of a sufficient
length of thether to enable him to do
his marketing himself. But most of
them have money at command, or
friends, who come to see them, laden
with provisions. Should no such prov
idential manna be deposited for their
gathering, they still can manage to
keep the great enemy of hunger at bay,
and even pass the time quite comforta-
bly,.
The whole interior administration S
vested in a committee of Ways and
Means, elected by the prisoners. A
republican government is, thus you
will observe, established in the very
heart of France. This Board have a
table d. hote, where all who wish can
take their meals at stipulated sum
per day. They have also capacious
kitchen, and grant every one tine privi-
lege of cooking whatever he chooses
for two cents day, which is ascer-
tanned to renumerate them for the
charcoal used. rhey have, besides,
some property, which belongs to the
prisoners; such as billiard table, a
nine-pin alley, and other things which
they let to those who have money they
can spare, at the rate, for instance, Of
two cents or thirty rolls at the alley.
The friends Of the prisoners are like
wise allowed to spend their time with
them from 10 o'clock A. M. to 6 P.
w.. of every day. Each one has his
room, which is furnished by himself or
friends with various degrees of luxury.
according to his ability or taste. a
fine garden, adorned with trees and
flowers, affords an agreeable prone
made; and no labor is exacted, but every
one consumes his time precisely as he
pIeases. Many individuals might en-
poly themselves as well within these
walls as without; taiIors, for instance.
And so might the poet, The flight of
whose fancy is not to be hemmed in
by stone partitions. mean this hint
for his particular benefit, for though
the poets corner may be after death IN
some grand old Westminster Abbey,
1t is Notwithstanding, in his life time, :
apt to be the ingorious debtors prison.
This, the only institution for the con-
finement Of debtors in the city,is capa-
Bile of containing four hundred individ.
uas; but at present encloses only one
men and eight women, who
are kept, Of course, in separate apart
ments.
"We have always good many of
your countrymen," said the guide
.s What countrYW "English." 81 am