Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-04-16
debtor before the day Of payment should

1
arrive.
The abolition of the laws for the col
lection of large debts would breal: up the
system OF loaning large SUMS Of money
for long time, secured by landed prop
erty, which has become common, and
by business men considered SO indspensi-
Bile in large busines transactions. II
would also do away with more odvanla.
geous species Of credit, 10 /; that given
to the purchaser of real estate, by which
he is enabled 10 obtain very long credit,
by pledging the property purchased, to the
payment of the purchase money!
by means of which men without much
means are enabled by industry aud pros
perity ITO paw for homestead from the
income arising from the management ofil
lfit be said that the project recommend
ed is an assault upon old settled principles,
and an attack upon long established pol.
icy in the law, and calculated only to a.
sist unprnciped debtors to shield them.
selves from the paymeu, of just debts, and
therefore dangerous and pernicious, | re-
ply, that every change in the usages and
customs OF the past in such matters, has
been thus characterized. rha, it is an in.
vasion upon the policy of former times.
affords no argument against it, utility. If
society had put down all innavatons--i!
the wisdom Of those who had gone before,
had been regarded as an infallibe guide to
those coming after, where would now
have been all the progress which has been
made in civilization and the arts and SCI
ences?
1t is the duty of every citizen TO en-.
courage inquiry and investigation; and
when the public mind is convinced lha. er.
rors exist in any established policy in the
government, 10 cooperate in the applca.
ton of the remedy to correct the evil, end
thus profiling by The experience and
wisdom of the past, society may coniinne
to advance step by step towards perfection
in their laws and government 4 great
change has taken plnce within the last fifty
years in the laws of this country; many
features in the laws that were regard d
not only as humane, but highly beneficial,
fifty years since are now regarded as little
better than barbarism; and yet innovation
upon them was resisted with grea, peril
nacity, and changes effected not without
The severest struggles. The first struggle
that took place when Imprisonment for
debt was abolished, is vel fresh in The
memory of all midde aged cilizens.-
Whenever propositions for the exemption
of greater amount Of property have
been proposed, they have been denounced
as attacks upon the rights of the creditor,
and as injurious both to the debtor aud
creditor.
The struggle that ensued in this state
when the project for exemp,ing the home
stead from forced sale has hardly passed.
As much as that project was denounced
when first brought before the public, its u
tility is now f-mly established here, and
several states have followed our examp e;
and il is now conceded that there is just as
many debts paid in this State before the
passage of the exemption law.
The abolition of capital punishment in
this State was resisted by powerful and
respectable portion of the community, and
was regarded by them with dread and hor-
ror; and vet now il would require as pow
erful an effort to re.establish il here as 1t
would 10 establish the inquisi,ion. The
tendency of the public mind here sets
strongly towards benevolent aud humane
laws, and the establishment Of equality in
society, and from the very nature Of the
institutions Of this country, il is impossi
bic that the public mind should recede
from projects of a humane, enlightened
and beneficial character; bot on the con-
trary it will continue TO advance. And
the undersigned regarding that which he
has herein recommended OF that character
anticipates with confidence that il will
meet with the appreciation Of the House,
and the public sentiment Of the state, and
at no distant period, be carried into eilec,
by the necessary legal enactments.
The undersigned has reported no bill
10 carry into effect his recommendation,
nor has he recommended any immediate
action in the premises, for the reason that
q change so radical should not, in his opin-
ion, be effected until fully canvassed By
the public. and an expression made which
would Justify the belief that it would meet
with their appreciation. II. ). MEAD.
Why one should not Swear.