Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-16
THURSDAY, JUNE Is, 1859.

While the Homestead Exemption law was
pending in the House of Representatives,
during the session of 1872, Col. NEITHER
LAND supported the following amendment
"Tbat whenever the slave or other property,
of any housekeeper or head OF family, who
is not the owner of land, shall be levied upon
by virtue of any execution, such portion
thereof as he or she may select, to the value
of five hundred dollars, shall be set apart,
and the officer levying such execution shall
for that purpose summon three disinterested
persons not connected with the parties, who
shall on OATH value and set apart to such
debtor the property selected, to the value OF
the sum aforesaid, and the remainder only of
such property levied upon shall be subject TO
sale.
THAT when the slave or property levied
upon by virtue of an execution is OF greater
value than five hundred dollars, and is so sit
mated that it cannot be divided so as 10 pre-
serve to the debtor the value of not more
than five hundred dollars, without a sale,
then and i'm that case the officer may proceed
10 sell the same by virtue of his execution,
and upon such sale he shall, out of the pro-
ceeds thereof first pay over to said debtor
the sum Of five hundred dollars, which may
by him be laid out in the purchase OF home
stead, aud only surplus over and above the
sum of five hundred dollars shall be applied
to the payment of the execution"
The Memphis AUaLa,iche quotes the above
and says
"The five hundred dollars worth of person
al property referred Ia in this amendment, Is
the amount fixed beyond the articles then ex-
empt from execution, and was designated
mainly 10 place the stakeholder on an equal
footing with the landhOlder."
Any one who reads the amendment will see
that the Avalanche does not do justice either
TO Col. NETHERLAND or its own intelligence.
The words ''Or other property" make the
amendment applicable to all classes of house
holders or head of families.
The object of the homestead exemption was
to allow every head of family to own
home of the value of five hundred dollars,
where he and his wife and children might rest
secure against the visits of the sheriff and the
constable. 1t was one Of those beneficent
laws which are authorized by the superior
civilization and enlightenment of the age.
The object of the amendment was to extend
the benefits of the law. Under its operations
the renter of piece of land, could reserve
from execution, in addition to what the ex-
emption laws already allowed him, five hun
dred dollars worth of any other property. If
he had q slave worth five hundred dollars
he might reserve the slave. If he had no
slave, he might set apart five hundred dollars
worth of any other property he owned. So
also with the mechanic. who owned no home
stead, aud had other property. Indeed. every
class of society was embraced in the humane
provisions of the amendment.
Col NETHERLANDS vote upon the home
stead bill and amendment shows conclusivcly
that he has enlarged and liberal views; and
would place the poor men of the country
the widow and her family-in such condi-
ton that they cannot be forced into want and
restitution by merciless creditors. If he de-
serves censure for his humanity-let him
receive it.