The Montana post., 1868-12-18
OUR VIRGINIA LETTER.
Amendment TO the Exemption Law.
Discussion I'm the Council.

EDITORS or POST An important bill
was introduced into the Council yester-
day. in the form of an amendment TO
the Exemption Law, the author of which
Is Mr.. Cullen. In my opinion, few
measures can be adopted by this Legis-
lature which will meet with more gene
ral approval IL provides that person
residing upon farm, shall be entitled 10
hold his dwelling house, with eighty
acres of land. and inhabitants of towns
shall hold their dwellings and one-toIrth
OF an acre exempt from execution. The
bin stirred up considerable excitement
Mr.. Rand thinking 10 kill IL by a ruse.
moved to strike out the first section,
which was equivalent 10 striking out
the enacting clause. In his argument,
he suggested that such a measure was
calculated 10 make men dishonest, and
20 bring reproach upon the fair char
aCJer of the people Of the Territory.
This he illustrated by n severe and
dcclamatory line of remark. He was
replied 10 10y our member, Mr. English,
who supported the measure l.eartily,
and with good. strong reasons, which
showed that he not only comprehended
the wants Of our citizens, but sympa-
thiZed with them in all the privations,
10 which, by a residence in this Terri
tory. they were subjected. He illus
rrated the folly of leaving family with
barely furniture enough TO supply
? room. and no room to put it in.
lie was followed by Judge Dance,
who opposed the measure in a
brief speech, the substance of which
was. that if the measure passed, great
many merchants would lose their bills.
That irrepressible squeaker, Sample
Orr, snarled out a speech of about twenty
minutes, from which ] gathered that he
lived in house worth three hundred
dollars, built and chinked with his own
hands, and that he was sOured against
every man who happened TO dwell in a
better one. This gun having exploded,
the Deer Lodge roarer. smarting. per
haps, under the circumstances of his
defeat as President, rose from his feet
and hurled his thunderbolts, volume
after volume, against the opponents of
the measure. He walked the echoes, as
they have not been walked before since
the announcement of Grants election.
On the whole. amid the mingled declaS
nation and argument, and what is very
strange, there was more TO approve
than To condemn in his speech. He said
some good things, and was doubtless ac-
tuated by proper motives. Mr.. Bsgg is
a good man in his place. Judge Davis
was the next speaker. His argument
was directed mainly against the old
law, and the poor facilities il afforded
towns people, and very properly de-
nounced class exemptions. | could not
see why his opposition 10 the old law
should inspire dislike to the one under
consideration. as they were entirely dis
similar in their provisions, and both in
some degree necessary TO make the ex-
emption law complete. L left the Coun-
Gil while Mr. Cullen was making his
speech. which promised TO be good ar
gument in favor of the measure. un~
derstood that the direction finally given
20 it was to renew the discussion at
some future day. i sincerely hope that
this measure, or one equally cOnpre-
hensive ia its humanities will be
adopted The Territory needs it, and
all this argument. which regards il
through a selfish medium, is wrong in
principle, unjust TO the people, and uns
worthy those who engage in il.
MORE ANON.
VIRGINIA CITY, NJ. T., Dec. 10, 1868.