Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-09-15

misc thcir Indebtedness to Northern merchant
o'' most liberal terms surely, the creditc
c'ass VIII practice forbcarance and give tbci
aeDtors still further Indulgence. If compellc
ENFORCE collections, they should, in the eam
isir ana liberal spirit, make compremises wit
debtors, 80 ~ not to drive tbe,a aud their fan
ilies from home, kindred and friends.
Ihe existing embarrassments GROWING on
OF the indebtedness of the country Wiz iii
Il otisar.eyil Producs- -bruefo;al. xoeaite.
Y ois rs interest 60 mako finii
adJustncnt of their debts, even though tLo
arc compelled TO osnrrendcr their property. A
long as their debts remain, interest will be NO
eumulatlng to culminute in more disastrou
panhruPtcy II they surrender their property
now 10 creditors, they can resume their occu
pations ana labor with cheerfuncss- knowing
that Its proceeds will, sooner or later. rcbnilS
their broken fortunes. ~
Iho debtor who desires to COMPROMISE with
his creditors bas the means of comnclfn,, ~, H.
rericst Shylock to accept fair terms % ax
clude him in all share o! his estate bv oss;un
ment, giving liberal creditors the preference
OF Dy voluntary confession of Judgment.
Believing that no Stay Law car, be nasscd
embracing antecedcnt debts, that will not cor.
htct with that clause of tile Constitution ~
the United States which declares thai q no
stttte shall pass any Inv impairing the oblira.
tlons OF contracts" respectfully recommend
lor your consideration for tho relief of debtors
ist. That imprisonment for debt, on mense
ana hnai process, be abolished, except in case
ot fraud and then, as punishment for tbe
CRIME rather than as means Of cnforcino M ~
nient of the debt. psaS'
~ taat no cost be taxed against defen.
dant, either for the officers Of tho Court or
for the Attorney. - =
81. That the Insovent Debtors Laws be So
.extonded as that any debtor may, by petition.
after due notice, summon in all his creditors
and, upon assigning Ills estate and cffcots for
their benefit, be discharged from all further
liability, not only to sueing, but to all other
creditors. Bcing thus relieved from the in.
cubus resting on him, the honest and enter.
+Rf's're't dc btor @ill 20 to work with alacrity
Tie Congress of tho United States Eas. .aH=
thority, under tue Constitution, to pass uni
form laws of bankruptcy; but there is 10 pro
hibition upon the States, and as Congress has
not exercised the authority delegated to thsni
tho States may, with great propriety, pass such
laws-and they will continue of force, until
Congress adopts u general, bankrupt act
which would supcrccdo all State Legislation
on the subject.
The General Bankrupt Act of 1871, pass
cd by the Congress of the United States, OK
tended its provisions to antcccdcnt debts, and
its constitutionality was not controvcrtcd by
the Courts. No constitutional obstacle, there
fore, would preclude the General Assembly
from Incorporating the same feature in their
legislation.
1t is proper here to remark, that if a Stay
Law could be passed which could be froc from
all Constitutional objection, it would not pro-
| tcct debtors from suits in the Federal Courts
creditor residing in the State who had de-
tcrmincd to enforce the payment of his debt,
could readily transfer it to nonresident,
md IT the sum exceeded five hundred dollars,
such resident could at once institute suit
IN the United States Court, recover Judgment,
issue executions and sell the debtors proper.
ty, notwithstanding the existence of Stay
Law. Such law would not be recognized OF
enforced in Federal Court
| The complete disorganization of the labor
OF tho State in 1865, resulted in the produo
ton OF very short provision crops and tc
supply the deficiency, large quantities Of bread
stuns nave already been imported into the
State, at enormous cost. The imperfect or
ganizntion Of the system of free labor, and
the unpreccdcnt drought which has prevailed
during the months of July aid August through
out the State, as well as an unusually short
wheat crop, forcshadow gloomy future 70,
the people for the next year Coming MS you
do from every District, you have the means Of
making an estimate, approximating accuracy
of the extent of the failure Of the provision
crop, and what amount of supplies will be need
cd to save the poor, dependent and helpless
from starvation. invite your earnest and
prompt consideration Of the subject
Soundpoltioal econom. ordinarily condemns
the feeding Of its population by the Govern
ment, as the inevitable consequences arc to in
crease idleness, paupcrism and crime. Bu
where the provision crop of whole country il
destroyed by blight, or where production i.
suspended by long continued drought, and
the deficiency is traoeablo to these causes ra
thcr than to the idleness of the population, hu
manity and sound policy nike Justify thf