Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-04-07
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

AAo-SAIc 51AD EAEMPIION
ne loio"lng is an extract from a speech dtIiy-
cred in the Michigan Legislature on the bin to o.,
empt the homestead OF a family from forced sale
by }, d. Pierce, of Calhoun county. Mr.. P was
formerly Superintendent of Public Instruction :;
Michigan, where he is held in high estimation fr
sound Judgment and philanthropic heart 1la
principle for which he contends is every where
gaining ground rapidly, and the day is not far Dis.
tant when the turning family naked upon the
world for the misfortune improvdence of its head
will be regarded with as much horror as imprisor
ment for debt now is:
Il care not what the profession of a man NAV he
he may affirm that he is friendly to the poor-to
the laborer-but when he adopts such a course Of
action and especially such principles OF legislation
that must IN the end turn that laborer with de-
pendant family into the highway, have a right 70
put my own estimate upon the value of those pro-
LESSONS.
. said, sir that the relations of the gentleman
Were such that expected he would oppose tbe
bill. The great leader of of the party, Henry CLAY
has gone so far as to represent that class of men
who have been deprived by the operation of laws
in the older states OF home and who have left all
and sought home upon the wild, uncultivated I'M
appropriated lands OF the far west where the wolf
and deer, with the Indians have roamed for ages as
trespassers suppose he would write them down
the labor Of these very men had given value 10
this land for it had no value before the cD,pid of
wealth is in hot pursu; share in the spoils and
to push them onward still.
Now, sir, l undertake to say, that there is no
right, justice, equity, no reason in that system
Of legislation which puts it into the power of the
man vino has voluntarily trusted another, to de,
priye that man Of a home, and turn his family out
OF doors.
Sir, 90 further. | plant myself on this broad
principle, that every man has a natural inherent
right to a being on the earth. He has right to
enter into the family state, and to subsis that fan.
ly and he has equal right to portion of this
earth ON which he may plant vine and fig tree;
and under that Vine and fig tree it is his right to
sit, and no other man has can have the right to
modest make afraid. This is the right of every
man, independent of all human legislation.
Sir, the God of nature hath made of one blood
all nations OF men, to dwell all the face of the
earth. And yet the legislation of this republic de
priyes thousands of home; not only men able to
labor, but the feeble, the sick, the lame the halt
the blind, and more Justice requires me to add
to the list the helpless women and children. But
all such legislation is founded the grossest usur-
patton and is the perfection of barbarsm.
One word in this connection with regard to the
sheer at what is termed progressive democracy. |
cannot but rejoice, sir that it has been my lot to
live in an age of improvement. ! can remember
the time when scch thing q steamboat, a rail,
road, a canal the magnetic telegraph, was wholly
unknown-when scarcely any OF those things had
entered into the dreaming Ieyeries Of tie widest
imagination There has been improvement in
every branch OF sclencc--in the arts and manuiac
lures, and in the mechanic arts
Ard is there to be improvement in the sci
cnce Of govemrnent-no adyancementml legislation
and in the social condition OF man4 What ifthe
conservative principle had been adopted al the time
Of the reyoutiou2 What would h,a been the con
dtion OF these statesz Look 10 Canada for an an,
sWor There the conservative princp lie has been
predominant in the government and It's fruits may
be seen, go where YOU will
Sir let us 90 back a little The first dsNison
of land ofuhich we have any account was between
Lot aud Abraham. 70 prevent strife, one tna.
the plain, the other the hill country. The next
division was, when the people OF Israel took pos
session of the land granted to their oreIatEers by
deed al ccssion ages before The whole land was
divided by lot Every man had portion every
man had his possession--yea more, when there
were no sons in the family the daughters came in
for portirn. Under that system OF legislation all
were cared ior--; shared in tie Inheritance But
this is not all-that estate could never be aicuHci
under any circumstances for debt Such was the
policy of the Jewish law, It gay every man home
1t took care that family should be lett
desttnte-it allowed every man a piece Of ground
On which he might live and plant hun Vine and
liz iree.
True the use OF this estate might be taken 'or
Limit ted time for the benefit o tie creditor. Bat
it never could be aeua1cd on account OF debt. And
in fifty years all debts were cancelled By the
operation II iesv. Unlike ..e Bankrupt law he
United tates, drSi4nea sa8 adapted 10 favor GER
taintclass--the $4,000 debtor tuat law applied
equally 10 all classes Every man and every fam
lily return to tue full and quiet possession OF the pa
rental inheritance.
How liberal the provisions OF that code IN com
parison with our system OF legislation With us
the man has been nothng--his family nothing
but money all IN all. Wealth has rued-has made
iaWs--has governed with an iron unrelentlag
hand
Again, sir, the old English law of the Baro's
the law of liberty. Under that law every
mans house was his castle; and it should be So
True, there many without home-many poor
and dependent on tie Barons. But it is the prnc-
pie of the law to which refer. That principe
was right--t constituted the first element OF clyl
liberty Without it liberty is but name, and free
dom hut an empty sound. The same principle
ought TO be extended to every man IN this country,
who shall procure for himself and family
home That home should be inalenable except
by his own hand and seal. Every mans house
should be his castle. 1t is the bushes OF the leg
islature to make it Soto throw around that home
the shield ofits protection"