The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-05-05

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ment of the number Of frecholders WITHIN
her limits. Bound by interest to the soil
they cultivate, they become the natural
supporters of the government that confers
and protects their titles. The land own
er. unlike the capitalist, cannot fly With
his property, nor change it with the shift
ing government and laws. His safety
lies in the stability Of law and good order
in society The Commonwealth should
not allow her humblest citizen to be driv-
en- to extreme poverty by the remorsc-
Iessness of single creditor. God pre-
scribed limits to the prosecutions of his
servant, and the Commonwealth should
prescribe line beyond which the pur-
suit of her honest poor should cease She
owes this alike 10 the poor aud the tax
payers for each class are alike sufferers
by the extreme exantions of credit.
But what wrong oomId this law do to
creditors? 1t is prospective in its char
acter. No contract could be effected by
it, except those made after the date of ns
passage Suppose at the time a credit is
given it is stipulated by the parties that
in case of failure to pay, the creditor
should have DO lien upon his dwelling
house Would any one say that upon
the happening of the contingency provid
ed for. the CT, ditor should not be allowed
TO violate his contract and drive his un-
Fortunate debtor into the street | pre-
tsume not Yet parties contract in view
of the existing laws Of the State, and IN
their contemplation such laws are as much
a part of the contract, as If drawn up at
length and inserted in it. Now, will it
be claimed that the creditor may violate
his Implied any more than his express
contract? And if not, in what respect is
he injured ? So far from being injured,
the general class of creditors would be
benefited. There is no wisdom in the
law that strips the falling debtor at once
For, from that time however numerous or
honest bis debts, he pays 20 more Briy-
en- from his 6resde aud compelled to seek
home IN new and changing places, his
ambition and energy are gone. His less
ened earnings are absorbed in rents, if
not wasted in diSsi patton The inheritor
Of Suffering knows not there is a cup of
happiness he never tasted. Man school
ed 10 want mav bear It's hard,hips with a
callous heart. But falling affFuence or
forced Insolvency wears a heavier chain.
The child always homeless, may forget
his sorrows on the pillow of occasional
charity, but one cast upOn the world by
fresh misfortune, rarely finds ab cosy pill
low, till he finds it on the bosom of moth
er earth Real want and fancied shame
pursue him to the last.
Let the homestead, unless one of fraud-
ulent extravaganza, be held sacred by the
law Let it be made, what the law now
wrongly declares it, the owners castle
Let no servant Of exacting credit come
within its gates. Let the atchstring be
pulled only by familiar hands, and the
Threshold crossed only by the feet of
friendship.
The following is the new Exemption
Law as it passed and was approved by
the Governor:
An act relative to the exemption Of three hun
dred dollars. and to the widows u children
of decedents.
SECTION |. BE 1t enacted, DC, That
the widow or children Of any cedent
entitled to retain three hundred dollars
out of such deccdent's estate by The law
of this Commonwealth, and every person
entitled to the exemption provided for in
the act, entitled IAN Act to exempt prop
erty to the value Of three hundred dol
lars from levy and sale on execution or
distress for rent, approved the ninth day
OF April, Ammo Domipl one thousand
eight hundred and forty uine," may elect
to retain the same, or any par. thereof
out of any bank notes, money, stocks,
judgments, or any Indebtedness to such
person; and that in all eases hereafter
where property shal! be set apart for the
widow and children Of any decedent, the
same shall be appraised and set apart tt
said widow and children Dy the apprais-
ers of the other personal estate Of said
decedent.
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