Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-08-18
EXEMPTION LAWS.

In our last paper we published the Home
stead Exemption Bill, which has passed both
branches of our State Legislature, and is to
become ID law of the land after the FIRST OF
January next, aud we this week publish the
act exenlpting certain personal property from
forced sale. " e are not much IN the Lt.5lt
Of finding fault with our l'.,y- makers. bat we
must be permitted, IN this case, to offer seine
objections to the bills in question. We are
well aware that it wocld be difficult matter
TO pass an exemption law that would be per-
feet in every particular, or bear equally upon
all, but we are OF opinion the present laws
will have contrary effect from that inteded
by their friends. In the first place, We believe
there are few men will give credit under these
laws, without FIRST taking mortgage upon
property as security for the collection of
their pay; aud few, we presume, VIII be the
number to blame them for so doing-ior the
makers Of the law themselves. we cannot be-
lieye, intend it TO operate as a means for de-
irauding an honest creditor. After property
IS thus mortgaged. the debtor fAds himself
entirely at the mercy of the creditor, and Il
larger portion, We jnmagIne, VIII lose their
homesteads than under the present law
Should the merchant, mechanic, &c. still
continue TO indulge in the credit system, this
law certainly opens wide the doe. for viilany
on the part OF those vino choose to get in debt,
and pay when they please or not at all, as
best suits their interest. This exemption
clause, we believe, is one of the principal Tea
lures OF the old constitution, which defeated
At when submitted to the people, aud we pre-
sumo it would meet with ID similar disappro-
baton, il again submitted to them before it
became a law. ,.aszs
The personal property exemption bill which
we publish tins week, we consider worse,
if possible than that exempting the Home
stead. From this Law it Will appear that
the farmer has exempted his team, TWO cows
ten sheep, hogs wagon, sleigh, plough &C.,
&c, including all that IS ne cessary Tor car
ryiug or his business, to almost any extent,
which property is exempt without It gard to
raLue SO chat IA may be the uctgal own
er Of property to the amount OF thousands OF
dollars, and yet bid defiance 10 the man who
has perhaps, sold HIM these very necessary,
articles Of husbandry and given him little
time for the payment. On the other hand,
the mechanic, who has Iabored hard for years
to obtain sufficient tools to carry on his trade
and who is not (as in very many cases they
are nOt( able to own a homestead, is confined
to property to the amount OF taro hundred
| dollars, which. in majority OF cases, is not
sufficient to enable him TO earn livelihood.
/ This inequality is sufficient to condemn tie
whole law. Why not, pass law to exempt
a certain amount of property. in dollars and
cents, giving the debtor his choice as to the
| kind, and thus make it bear eq ualy upon ali q!
! We are by no means opposed to eXemp-
ton law, but we are opposed to such ones as
have been passed by our Legislature, aud nm
/ less they shall be repealed by the next Leg
Is.ature, before they are felt by the commu-
nifty, we are of the opinion their i'll effects,
VIII be seriously felt by all. We have not
room to pursue the subject further this week
but may resume ii hereafter.