Remarks of Mr. James Barbour, On the Bill for Abolishing...
An Eloquent Attack on Imprisonment for Debt: OCLC Locates 5 Copies, 1 Copy in a Law Library Barbour, James [1775-1842]. Remarks of Mr. James Barbour, On the Bill for Abolishing Imprisonment for Debt. At head of title: Senate of the United States, February 17th, 1824. [(Washington, DC): Printed at the Columbian Office, (1824?)]. 16 pp. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; 21.5 x 14 cm). Disbound, moderate toning, light foxing. A good copy. $450. * Only edition. Bankruptcy was a hotly debated topic in eighteenth-century America. Some saw bankruptcy protections as necessary to encourage economic risk and commercial growth, while others decried them as shields for financial recklessness. The first federal bankruptcy act was passed in 1800, but proved unpopular and was allowed to expire. Despite the bill's general unpopularity, the prospect of another similar bill was frequently discussed. In this speech made during his time as a senator for Virginia, Barbour speaks eloquently on the injustices of imprisonment for debt and prays "that every where this stain on our statute book will be effaced; that the doors of every jail will be thrown open, and the captive set free." He went on to serve as Secretary of War under John Quincy Adams after a long career in state and federal government. This is a scarce title. OCLC locates 5 copies, 1 in a law library (Library of Congress). Shoemaker, A Checklist of American Imprints for 1820-1829 15264.
Price: $450.00
Book number 85641