1933. CRIME, Flight from debts.—
The
carrying away of the property of another May
be reasonably made to found a civil action.
A convention, then, may include forgery and
the carrying away the property of others
under the head of “Flight from Debts.” To
remit the fugitive in this case, would be to
remit him in every case; for in the present state
of things, it is next to impossible not to owe
something. But I see neither injustice nor
inconvenience in permitting the fugitive to be
sued in our courts. The laws of some countries
punishing the unfortunate debtor by
perpetual imprisonment, he is right to liberate
himself by flight, and it would be wrong to
reimprison him in the country to which he
flies. Let all process, therefore, be confined
to his property.—
Report on Spanish Convention. Washington ed. iii, 354.
Ford ed., v, 484.
(1792)
