Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-10-06
ron TUE FREE pRHssI
The Vermont Law Of Attachment.


October "a, 1854.
Mn. Enron IL notice in your SATURDAYS t.sut
communication from A Sufferer" who seems to
suggest reform in our attachment system without
naming any remedy for what hc considers to be an
evil We are not Informed in what respect your
correspondent 'u.t, nnc,. it be, "n. appear. from
the face Of the rccord,' from 0 want Of common
sense and common observation. Either of these
must suggest to their owner the propricty Of the
claws i"voring the vg'snt;'' and securing him
against the fraud and dishonesty Of others. And
although am Young Amu,ca," / comics. that
see no improperly in the principle or injustice &C.
casioncd through the practical workings Of our pre-
sent system. Indeed I cannot conceive of a law
more liberal than present Assignment Act,
which was framed by one of the greatest philsp-
hropsts Of the age, aud enacted by the most liberal
Legislature ever convened. 1t allows person in
failing circumstances TO place his property in the
hands OF Irustecs,-in trust for the bench. of hi.
creditors and when placed it is beyond the reach
oil attachment and it places the power of prcfcring
creditors in the hands Of the debtor himself Can hu
man ingenuity conceive Of anything more liberal :
1t at once removes the objection raised by your cor.
respondent provided the debtor honest, and will
ing to surrender his property to pay his honest debts
before his yigiIant creditor is made aware of his
situation, and resorts to the attachment system to
secure his claim.
Vermont has made herself conspicuous among her
sister states for her liberal treatment of the poor
and each successive Legislature has seemed to vic
with those which have preceded it, in enIoavoring
to protect their rights against tho entertainments of
the rich and powerful, So much so that now the
poor man the mandate of a writ issued to en-
force the collection Of debt. Instead Of the laws
being superior to him, he i. above tho law and
like petted child, who takes advantage Of the
kindness Of hi. friends, in order to crafty his
foolish whims, he, ofttimcs nvais himself Of the
indulgence Of the law, to defraud his creditors and
| make them pay for the qualification Of his vicious
| and cxtravagant tastes. Why should one who has
| spent life in toll to gain for himself and family
competency and wealth, be placed upon a level with
and made to contribute to the foolish extravaganza
Of his loss prutidcnt ncighbor
| The crying evil of the prcscn, day particular,
with portion of Young Americas i, .rtrava
gdnce, and am not surprised to hear a Suf,rer-
whose suffering i. perhaps occs,ionod by this very
evii-calng upon his associates and colea gues, t.
devise, in their extraordinary wisdom, some method
by which they may indulge themselves, at tho q I
persc Of that othor cass-not oil old for,c,-uho Ar,
! willing to earn an honest Livelihood by honest tot
and by vigilance md perseverance,. am not with
out sympathy for the poor but believe that singh,
word " covers multitude of sins" and is oft time
| the hsbilimcn Of fraud.
| Let us pause then ere we attempt any further in
nov0ton upon the existing laws, for the cnforcin,
collection Of debts and consider whether we do not