The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-02-14
For The Northern Tribune.
Imprisonme. t for Debt.
No. IL.

some years ago brought up in the Legislature.
Rut the mountain brought forth mouse-af-
ter much labor, passing a law that if poor
man could, by hook or by crook. get pair OF
bull calves, he should hold them exempt fro m
attachment and execution after they became
oxen. But some wisaacre, few years ago,
made the astonishing discovery that a farmer
used yoke as well as cattle to haul his pro-
duce to market as we'll as to mill, and that he
would be placed in a very awkward predica-
ment should his yoke be seized while at mar
ket and his cattle turned loose in the street.
And the Legislature, after spending nearly
three weeks in passing law to protect the
pickerel in Joel Beals' mill pond, and an act
in addition to an act respecting stud horses,
passed the act to exempt from attachment one
OK yoke, two bows and one ring and staple
being particular to specify each component
part, that there should be no mistake-and af
ter this wonderful fecundity fled from the
Capitol. But one thing escaped their penetra-
ton, Notwithstanding their great wisdom, and
that was, that at the same time of eXempting
the yoke, bows, ring and staple, they, by some
unaccountable neglect, forgot to exempt the
bow pins. This very necessary and indispen-
sable requisite will undoubtedly be a subject
for some future Legislature to exhaust their
great stores of wisdom upon.
But, seriously, let us see if there is really
any good and tenable ground of objection to
the immediate repeal of this law.
One objection to the repeal of this law is,
that it will PROSTATE the credit system gener
ally, that the industrious poor and middle
class will be severely injured thereby, as near
ly the whole weight will fall on them, and
they be at once crushed by the load, as bank
discounts would cease and capitalists lock their
Golfers against mere promises to pay, as much
as to say, that men never will be honest and
honorable unless the terrors of the law are
held over them to ensure obedience.
Although sound reason and Judgment are
necessary for the enacting of good and whole.
some laws, it is not a mark of wisdom, but
rather of supineness or fear to retain upon the
Statute Books an obnoxious law through mere
fear and apprehension of what might follow
its repeal. 1t would be something like the
case of the man descending the shaft of coal
mine, the rope by which the miners descended
being of just sufficient length to reach. with
the addition of the man descending, to the
bottom, and a stranger having occasion to de-
scend the mine alone, who was of rather short
stature, and who, after descending into the
dark shaft the length of the rope, found he
could not reach the bottom, and here he hung
by the hands, dangling in the mine, without
the power to ascend, and fearing the fearful
consequences in the fall among the sharp crags
below; but nature could endure no more
his hands were fast becoming paralyzed and
must relinquish their death grippe. and after
bidding adieu to all he held dear in life, he
fell-whep, 10 he found his toes had been
all the time within two inches of the firm bot
tom of the mine! And so it would be to
some if this law were repealed and no dread
full consequences were to follow. H. L.
"John," said his master to him one day,
''they really say that your wife beats you. Is
it true :"
"Yoy," drawled John, with most provoking
GOODNESS.
"Yoy !" responded the master, with indig.
nation. "What do you mean you louta A
great humping fellow like you, as strong as a
steam engine or an elephant, to let little wo-
man like your wife thrash you! What a
blockhead you must be -
"Whoy, whoy," was the patient answer,