Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-05

This is strong view OF the matter But il is Just
clear that to reduce the bushel to fysix pounds is
wrong to me. When made my contract my tenant was
at liberty to pay 2,l50 inches, sixty pounds To
duce FIRST the measured bushel 900 inches and then
the weight to ftysix pounds is evidently unjust
receive neither OF the things promised me-
Unnecessary then, if the Legislature keeps up double
standard that they shall interfere either with recent
with old contracts think not.
What is the object of having legal standard 1t is to
preserve justice between and man. from time to time
by determining his obligations by invariable
That is difficult, indeed perhaps impossible. But in
the currency, gold and silver remain almost unchanged in
value from year to year, in grain bushe Of wheat
of sixty pounds will contain nearly the nutriment
from to Now, if the Legislature alter the
standard they ought do it that the value the
same benefit the real utility should be transferred
agreed by the original contractors Is that
practicable in the present case think it is.
There four parties to be considered-my tenant
and myself the recent contractor and his landlord JUS
tice to all requires not that the nominal amount
should be transferred in each case but the real
Since the recent contract made it is agreed
all hands that the wheat has deprecated To require
the recent tenant, who produces wheat inferior
that which planted at the time he made his contract
pay the weight he had agreed to gve is only
quirng him to pay his landlord the real value If
he should give the measure, he would transfer
the nourishment, the utility, the same value
The therefore, that is evidently just between
my tenant and me is alike real and substantial justice
between the recent contractor and his landlord The
quality Of the wheat has declined since the last contract
made and justice between these parties requires that
the tenant should transfer the weight and the
same measure SO as to transfer the same value Thus
the advocate distributes justice every one Of
the four parties The wrong it do the recent
contractor is only nominal His real intention to pay
certain fixed amount ofhour Of food value of utility
and the law that does justice only requires him
carry out the spirit of his contract.
The clear undoubted object Of the law is establish
standard that will change little possible 1t is no
part of the design of the law in using double standard
to give the obgor any choice That is incidental
trey If the party had agreed pay either thousand
bushels OF wheat two thousand bushels corn it would
have been part of the design of the contracting parties
that the tenant should have his choice But SO constant
and uniform has been the equality between the measured
and the bush that neither party any thought
or intention of taking any advantage from that quarter
Justice requires of the contractor to give larger
bulk of his deprecated product And Government should
despse the injustice of authorizing the payment in an
inferior article and at the time impose on US the
grossest wrong and injustice
We cannot but hope that the Legislature will hesitate
before it imposes this gross injustice To reduce
the bushe from $50 inches to 1900 in order
to make the measure agree with the weight and then if
teen years afterwards to reduce the weight from sixty
ftysix pounds to make the weight agree with the
sure when is acknowledged that the wheat has
deprecated in quality, and more productive but
lighter seed being introduced is unjust and unfair as
Congress first reduce the gold dollar make it
agree with the silver and then the silver dollar make
it agree with the gold when it universally acknowledge
ed that the gold has deprecated and such injustice
cannot think it possible for Congress to perperae
JUSTICE.