{ title: 'The reflector. volume (Palmyra [N.Y.]) 1828-1831, February 28, 1831, Page 3, Image 3', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83032054/1831-02-28/ed-1/seq-3/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83032054/1831-02-28/ed-1/seq-3.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83032054/1831-02-28/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83032054/1831-02-28/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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the •.jrigina! of * judgment pru.ioun d by tbe judg*’ of Lavjgny in Bour^ against a sow with lier six pi^s whieh had committed homicide bpon the prison of a child 5 years old named Jane Martin. Tiie following are a few of tlie passages of thIs? important sentence : “ After having considered the cast* and heard the testimony, haviug consulted the customs and usages of Bourgogne, and considering ourselves in the presence of God, we coudemued Jean B a illi’s sow to be confiscated and delivered to the execu tioner, to be hang by the neck until she shall be dead; and with reference to the pigs, as it has not i>een clearly proved that they bad any participation in the crime, we defer sentence upon them, and consent that they be restored to the s.ud Jean Bail! i, lie giving security for their appearance, should their guilt be made manifest hereafter. A reference to a report of the case shows that the little pigs were afterwards honorably acquit ted ” — U. S G/tzet' A d v e n t u r e . — ‘ boy who had been hroi'frbt i:p m * Io 2 house in Ohio, which of cuvi was h.^t much encumbered with useless furniture, was one day sent on an errand lo a neighbor's house, w here sev eral articles of more fashionable furniture had ju't hem received from u the East ward,” and anion 5 other things a looking glass, which was suspended opposite the door. The bov had never before seen his own face ; and whe’i , on entering tlie house, the first object w h ich presen ted itself was a dirty looking face, sur- roundt d by long yellow shaggy hair, &c. he was so affrighted, that w ithout further ceremony he ran home as fast as his legs would carry him, exclaiming tl Daddy , daddy , Vve seen ihe devil /” The State of Massachusetts con tains 14,110 females, more than males Tl ic circulating medium of the Uni ted States, including bank notes are estimated at s?100,000,000. The coins alone, at 6*23,000,000. There are at this time about 500 in corporated hanks in the United States. COMMUNICATIONS* [From Geneva.!. S P E C T A T O R R E fV I V E D . A O . 9. at illegally in prison.’* W h e n an alteration in a law becomes expedient, every individual in the com* munitv Miould exert his inOueuee &ndjque(4tjy unconstitutional ? power to accomplish the desired ref- m, T l * e i. 11 * r 1 he liberty of one man should never crime ex- abridged on and among these are life , liber iy^ and the pursuit of happiness ? 1— thus we readily see that the above Law is at varience with the “ land mark” of our constitution ; con sequently, il is illegal^ unjust, aud oppres sive ; for if life, liberty, &c. is tbe unal ienable gift of our Creator, is not tbe law abridging them, unjust , illegal, and conse- seen by the where a W ith the above premises in view, h i contw c teJ/ the creditor’s profit u s ,,a r a i W th.- s u b j e c t o f I m p r i s o n m e n t o f t h « collection of jFo» D e b t , and sec if in it. ertec.s, it is ! Le 01 i f l,d ^ o u M a » a n ’• / « * « < » stand not illegal and unjust i - o r uh.-ih.r tht- Jeopardy where profit is the cxpecU- incarcerating of men for honest poverty , tl0“ 0< t!,e crf'd,tor? C « t a i a l j net. does not poduce a baneful influtnce, an tj. Secondly. The known adage of trade, an evil tendency \u its operation uponjj* lo “ b u * °heap and sell dearand how men and society at large. jisthis beiter effected than bv giving the Behold a man, who has been r e d u c e d j P ul'c h a s e r a long credit ? There is no- to poverty, by sickness, Misfortune, or'lllinS morM deceptive to the bqyer; and it som« other of the various unlocked forl^ tin “■ cred t system” that lead* So ma- accidents, which are common to ma:.,’ beyond their ability to pay; while on and is, by a trilling debt, iu the power ofjf>1'J ''her hand, the tradesman is reaily^ 'inching encrmo t$ i/ains from the puc^s* some unfeeling u Gripus,” — who, rather than forgive the small pittance, causes him to be seized and imprisoned, leaving a destitute family, who are dependent u p on his daily labor for their food , to fam ish! or be relieved by individual or pub lic charity. The above remarks will lead us, seri ously to consider the following question, v iz : Sh ould the liberty of one man, be thus placed in the power of another ? or is it not illegal fdr subjects of liberty to be thus abridged, taking for our stand the declaration of American Independence ? According to the now existing law, a debt or’s liberty is completely in the power of his creditor! who can, i f there was a col lision in their sentiments, vent his spleen by incarcerating his debtor in prison!— The etil tendency of the now existing law, is clearly shown by the above hy pothesis, creating by degrees, an Aristoc racy which is a powerful barrier against freedom o f speech - freedom o f voting—free- wealth by b r e a k i n g DowNrwill be thus dom of religious opinions, and in fact, of c o u n teracted, and every individual will ----------- ~ . j. i- -- — »i-. ___________ . i . . ^ f&r ser. And this is justified by a law which places the individual’* liberty Completely in the power of hit creditor. * Let impris onment for debt, aud the j a i l limits > be a- bolished, and the cojji muni ly will not be tom with so many feuds; there will not be seen so many men plungiog them selves in those excesses, which are det rimental to their health, property and happiness ; while at the same time, the tradesman wili be placed on a more favor able footing, as then he can require, and that too, without any equivocation, secu rity for the payment of such debts as ^hall be contracted. And also, those who 1 contract debts, with the intention to cheat their creditors out of the same, will be taught the “ mo ral lesson,” that fraud will be punished by imprisonment, as it is a crime . Upon these principles, will justice* and liberty be firmly established, and the amassing of Republicanism ; as it brings the debtor so completely under the control of the credi tor that he acts as his creditor shall dic tate, under no less penalty ihau imprison ment in case of refusal ! The law authorising the imprisonment for debt, is illejal , according to that u ad mirable scroll,” that proclaimed us unto the w orld a free and independent nation ; for that expressly declares that “ mankind i* endowed w>ith certaiu unalienable rights receive his d u e ; for WH property of the debtor must be given up; if liot, it is fraud, and will receive its chastisement, W h e n this change inwrought in com munity, all attempts to amass wealth bv traud will be checked, which in the end*j will produce fair and honest dealings; if| man that is poor, wil! still retain alienable gift, liberty, and it is then that j <he heart of every philanthropist can tni^Jj ly exclaim, “ Where liberty dwells, t!u*re^ is my country.” * D.
