American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-14
Correspondence of the American Telegraph.
imprisonment for Debt in Virginia.

ALEXANDRIA, June 13, 1851.
The impression had generally obtained here
and elsewhere, that imprisonment for debt was
among the things that were, SO far as Virginia
is concerned; but such impression, it seems is
mistake, as shown by the fact that II Mary
lander who is indebted to one of our citizens,
on venturing across the water, was nabbed and
Immediately placed in limbo. On Tuesday, after
having been in Jail several days, he was brought
before Judge Tyler by habeas corpus, and his
discharge invoked by able counsel, but it was
"no go" norwas he even permitted, under the
circumstances, to give bail.
1t appears, by recent law. that if citizen
or nonresident debtor be about to quit the
State, he can, on oath of the creditor, be ar
rested and imprisoned, unless he gives bail on
being arrested that he will be forthcoming, and
answer fairly, fully, and satisfactorily, when
called upon, certain interrogatories, to be pro-
pounded to him by the creditor as to his effects.
If he fails to give bail on being arrested, he will
be committed to Jail, and will not then be al
lowed to give bail; but will have to remain in
confinement until he shall have paid the utter
most farthing, or satisfactorily responded to
the interrogatories, or is discharged by the
debtor; nor can he avail himself of the benefit
of an insolvent law. Moreover, the creditor
can not only keep him in Jail until Judgment
hhs pSeh obtiln1u, III uuc Ol law, DuI IOr
four months thereafter, though he be prepared
on the instant to answer satisfactorily the ques-
tons he may be asked; and just so long as he
declines to answer legally, just SO long can he
be kept in Jail. Such is one of the laws, and
of recent enactment, comprised in our Virginia
code. 1t is certainly hard upon the debtor in
not allowing him to give bail at any time after
his arrest, or, if unable to give bail, in not re-
quiring the creditor to PROFOUND his interroga-
tories Immediately or sooner. In the Mary
lander's case, other creditors arc ready to have
ut him so soon as he shall have satisfied the
present writ, when he will be subject to the
same routine as in the first case. M.
BATHING IN THE DEAD SEA-Heated and
fatigued, we prepared for general bathe-
as private party; for the pilgrims determined
to reserve their energies for the sacred Jordan,
the lake of Sodom being held by them in horror
and abomination. The bad odur in which the
lake was held, did not, however deter us, and
having called n halt, we plunged like young
ducks into the liquid element Paulo chuckling
like an old hen on the banks. We plunged
Disastrous was the plunge; rapidly enough
head after head popped up from the execrable
waters; with hair matted eyes smarting and
tongues burning from the intense sulphurous,
bitter saltness of the detestable liquid in which
men, nor salt. nor sulphur, but disgusting
compound of all four.
A hogshead of it would serve as an emetic for
all Asia Minor, and leave some gallons to spare
against the next epidemic; you could neither
sink nor swim in it. Talk Of fly in molasses,
or a wasp in barrel of tar--I can find no par
allel for n bath in the Dead Sea. But the suf
ferings of my companions were trife to what
felt: cut and manned in consequence Of my
superior horsemanship, jumped into the wa
ter as raw as beefsteak, and jumped out of it
as if | were hayed alive. However, let me be
just to this abomnabe mixture if ! smarted
for it, my wounds we're cffectually cauterized,
completely skinned over. The cure was perfect
to miracle We dressed with the comfortable
sensation of men who had been well coated with
mutton suet-stiff, greasy, and entirely out of
sorts, with n tingng, creeping feeling over the
skin; and remounting, turned our steps to the
iords of the Jordan.--DuJitn University Nag