The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-01-24
ADVERTISING TERMS.
give that it can be found within
twenty veors2 .N

twenty yearsg A
If it cannot be found within three
years, what reason is there for hav-
ing it found after three years. If
the state OF things briefly referred
to as being the moving cause of
this bill, then the defect is in the
machinery by which the law is to
be carried into execution. Rene
dy that, and do not repeal your old
statutes. These oAenses commit
ted against the majesty of the
State are those of all others which
are soonest healed by the action of
time. There has never been any
sedition, any treason, any rebellion,
in which parties of the same coun-
try and nation, arrayed in arms
against each other, when at anoth-
er period they have not been found
acting together. 1t il contrary to
the history of nations to suppose
that they can be permanently or
even long divided on political ques-
tons, even though those questions
have driven them to arms.
Mr.. Speaker, we have examples
in history of the error of this kind
of legislation. We might go back
to the Bepublic of Rome, and find
a consul arraigned, after forty
years, for the murder of leader of
sedition. We can 60 back to Eng
lish history, and cite cases in addi-
ton to those cited by the gentle
man from Pennsylvania (Mr. Ste-
vehs) yesterday, where persons,
long after the commission of The
ollense, have been tried, convicted,
and executed. We may look even
to the case in England which IN
our statute falls in the exception,
where a Governor of an island was
indicted in London, tried, convict
ed, condemned, and executed twen-
ty years after the commission of
the ollense. If we repeal all stat
utes Of limitations and refuse to
pass statutes of indemnity, the
Judge Advocate who prosecuted
the assaSsins of President Lincoln,
the Court that tried them, the Pres
ident who signed their death war.
rant, might be arraigned before an
adverse court and jury in this Dis
trict without limit as to time ex-
cept the duration of their natural
lives, and condemned and executed.
Such state of things is foreign to
the spirit of the law, of the age,
and of Christianity, and it ought
not to be suffered to be reinstated
in the laws of this nation. 1t had
but briet existence, if it had any,
from the time of the adoption of
The Constitution until the passage
Of the statute OF April, 1890, and
never ought to be imported into
our laws from the English or any
other law.
Nay, Mr.. Speaker, we might go
The last Congress passed
acts in the nature of statutes of
limitation to prevent the prosecu-
ion Of loyal men in arms obeying
,he orders of their superiors. And
his Congress nas before it bills Of
J similar character following the
examples of these precedents. A
Congress of a different mind might
'epeal all these statutes and sub
ect the innocent servants of the
Republic to suits for damages or
prosecution for crime at any time,
Is this bill expresses it, or within
my new limit which another Con.
sress might fix to it,.
| trust, Mr.. Speaker, that this bill
will not pass; that we shall look at
this statute of 1890 as learned
courts and wise judges have looked
At this and other statutes of limi-
yation, as a statute Of repose,"a
statute of peace, and leave the
punishment of crimes, the time and
manner of their prosecution, TO
he law as il stood when the olfense
vas committed.
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