All laws relative to imprisonment for debt are
made for the convenience of trade, and encourage-
ment of commerce. Admitting the laws on this sub-
ject, now in force, to bo morally just, and for the
sake of argument only, will I admit them to be so,
let us enquire whether they answer the great object
for which they are made.
For the purpose of securing creditors, the law
allows of arrest and imprisonment for debt in all case?
except that of a citizen having a, family who is sued
for a sum under twenty five dollars. Under thig au-
thority of law about two thousand five hundred peo-
ple are annually imprisoned for debt in this city only.
Excluding Sundays, this number will average nearly
eight persons per day. What would we say of Hayti
and Tripoli, of Franco and England, if, for the con-
venience of trade, they should imprison eight of our
citizens per day, and give them the liberty of star-



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Of this Dumber of prisoners, how many are com-
pelled to secure their debtors ? this is an important
inquiry, and I venture to say decidedly, that the
answer will be conclusive against the present system.
