Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-12-05
JOLIET SIGNAL.
JOLIET ILL.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER B, ISAS.
HoIneste ad Exemption.
Ne are proud 10 Be classed wit

who believe in law, exempling from
execution to sheads Of families, a sufficient
amount ofFproperty, both personal and
real, to secuFe'them from want and suffer.
ing. That there are those among us who,
oppose all laws ofthis nature we afe.weiF
aware; but the more we examine the
subject the more we become convinced
ofthe justice and ezpediency ofthe meas. !,
ure. $1,000 ~ ~
All must admit. that the protection Of
person and property. is fundamental
principle Of Government. The protec.
ton of person should be the lir-t object
OF Legislation. 1t was, in a great meas.
ure, for this purpose that Governments
were instituted. Property has occupied
the attention of our legislative bodies, al
most to the exclusion ofeverything else.
II is undoubtedly owing tothis system of
legislation, that, in a great degree, fhe
present great inequality in the distribution
of property has been brought about
Much of the misery and distress Thai we
now behold around US, might have been
prevented, if the EQUAL RIGHTS of
the people the first principle OF free gov
-ernment-had been observed by our leg,
islators. al
In advocating homestead exemption,
we do not set ourselves up in hostile at
titude to the rights of property. By the
passage of law of this kind, 10 take eff
feet on future contracts, we cannot for
our lives see how the rights of a single
individua1w0uld be eEec,ed or violated in
The least possible degree NopprincipIe
OF social rights or social order, weuid be
infriDged by Che enactment of "a home stead
exemption Jaw under these considera
tions. 1t is not our wish to pull down the
rich, but we are opposed TO bolste ring
them up by system Of legislation which
grinds The poor to the dUst. Al We de-
sire is to see the % operty Of the wealthy
placed on the sanre footing with labor OF
the INDUSTRIOUS producer.
AS the coming session Of our Legisla-
ture, will be the first that has been held I'm.
der the new constitution, we trust that The
subject ofgranting homestead exemp
ton will receives share its considera-
tfon. The passage of such law at this
crisis in Our State affairs, would be
sanctioned by policy and expediency-
Our territory is capable of sustaining an
immense population; and ali that is want.
ing to induce immigration is the enact
ment ola law so as to guarantee to eve
ny man, under all cir, umstancps HOME
| free from execution. herever exemp
tons have been made, the friends of such
measures have realized their most san
guine expectations. Let the Legisla
ture net lose sight Of this. and remember
that such law would induce lax payers
into our State, who would assist in paying
off her debts. ,a.a .a#a.s -assa ha-
Let the republican principle, that hz.
manly is superior to property. be recog-
nzed by our legislature, and we would
not behold annually hundreds of fam
lies, as We nov do. ruined by CON-
tracing improvident debts Pass law
securing homestead from execution, and
every man owning one, would become
more stougly attacked to the State; as he
would be confident ofthe means ofrearing
and educating his family, and enabling
them to become useful members Of socie-
ty. 1t has ever been the object of large
portion OF the rich, to engage the poor
to toll for them at the lowest possible
rates-hence they invoke special legisIa-
ton to enable them to increase their
wealth by Unnatural means, while they
oppose all laws making liberal exemptions
from execution. The vast disparity Of
human condition, is evidence that there
are errors in our systemof legislation
We hope, at least, that DIR next Legisla
ture will not consider the rights of prop
erty of greater moment than the rights of
man, which will certainly be5the case if
they pass bank law and refuse to pass
a homestead exemption, law. E ~
ARKANSAS q. S SENATORS. The Ar
kansas Legislature has elected Scion