Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-11-03
Legislative Discussions.
EXEMPTIONS FROM ATTACHMENT.


On Thursday last the Judiciary Com
mittee of the House reported bill en-
titled Gan Act to amend section 1, of
No. 80 of the Public Acts, approved Nov.
10Th, 1866, entitled "of levy of exeou-
ton" which reads as follows:
SEC. /. Section one of number thirty
nine Of the public acts, approved Novem-
Der 10, 1866, is hereby amended so as to
read Ms follows:
The following articles shall be exempt
from attachment and execution, unless
turned out to the officer to be taken on
the attachment or execution, by the
debtor, to wit: Such suitable apparel,
bedding, tools, arms and articles of house
hold furniture as may be necessary for
UNFOLDING life, one sewing machine kept
for use, one COW, the best swine, or the
meat of one swine, ten sheep not exceed
ing fifty dollars in value, and one years
product of said sheep in wool, ynrn or
cloth, one yoke of oxen or steers, as the
debtor may select, two horses kept and
used for team work, and such as the
debtor may select i'll lieu of oxen or steers
such oxen or horses not exceeding in value
two hundred dollars, with sufficient for
age for keeping not exceeding ten sheep,
one cow, and such oxen or horses through
one winter, ten cords of fire wood, twenty
bushels of potatoes, such military arms
and Announcements as the debtor Is re-
uuired by law to furnish all growing CROP
ten bushels of grain, one barrel OF flour,
three swarms of bees and hives together
with their produce in honey, two hun
dred pounds of sugar, and all lettered
grave stouee, the Bibles and other book
used in family, one pew or clip in Il
meeting house or place of religious wor-
ship. together with a horse-shed connect
ed Herewith, live poultry not exceeding
in value the sum of ten dollars, the pro
fessional books and instruments of physi'
ciane, and the professional books OF cler-
aymen and attorntys-at-law to the value
of two hundred dollars and also two
work harnesses, one lumber wagon Bnd
one sled, with the necessary fixtures foi
using the same; provided, however, that
exemption of said harnesses, wagon and
sled is not to extend or affect any attach
ment issued on any contract made on OIL
before the first day of December next, OF
10 any execution iasued on q judgment
| founded on any such contract.
SEC. 2. This act SD III take effect from
it's passage.
The passage of the till was briefly op
posed by Mr.. Brown Of Richford on the
ground that the law now exempts suth
cient property from attachment, and we
are fast tending to a state of affairs il
which poor man can get no credit at all
Mr.. Bisbee of Newport said the Law
| fO a fuyn hnrsp1 fo1
team purposes, but takes away the har
uesses and wagons, leaving the horses on
his hands Of no practical utility to him
! This bill also limits the value of the ten
sheep to $50, instead of leaving it un
limited; it also exempts a shed at meet
| ing house which is not now exempt; il
also includes pair OF harnesses, a sled
and wagon. He hoped the bill would
be passed.
Mr.. Brown of Riohford did not like the
bill and hoped it would not pass. He
moved that it be dismissed. a.r.
Mr.. Hinckley of Chelsea said the list
of property now exempt from attachment
is large enough, and ought TO be cutldowr
by one half. 1t is simply aiding and
abetting shiftless and unprinoipled men
in cheating their creditors of their honest
dues. He would do all that is neces sary
to keep the sheriff out of the house, but
he would not aid men in robbery in thi
way.
Mr.. Ballard of Fairfax said the provisc
that the exemption of harnesses, wagon
and sled ia not to extend to nor affect any
attachment issued on any contract made
on or before the first day of December
next took away the charge of robbery
If any man sells any thing to poor maj
after December /, he does 50 knowing
that this property is not liable to attach
ment to pay the bills, 50 that no man i,
injured by the provision but we benefit
both the poor man and the creditor, by
putting into the hands of the poor NAL
the means by which he can earn enough
to pay his debts, and say to the creditor
you must not strip that mans horses Of
his harnesses, or his oxen of their yoke
but leave him the means to pay his debts
He was in favor of the bill and hoped II
would become law.
Mr. Hinckley said that when be used
the term robbery" it is possible that be
may have used 1t too strongly. He made
no distinction between robbery dc fdctC
and the kind of robbery that allows the
| debtor to cheat the creditor. Ought the
latter to be called less than robbery? Do
you think less of man who breaks intt
your house a. midnight and carries away
your property than yo1 do of the man il
whose honor you have trusted, and who
screens himself from paying what be
Dyes you behind the law that exempts sc
much Of bic property from liability TO,
his debts?