1 72 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ‘ 
point of view; they now saw a positive ad¬ 
vantage in paying their debts into the treasury 
in these paper dollars., which were a legal ten¬ 
der; accordingly'.they did so* and in conse¬ 
quence were exonerated of their debts by the 
laws of their country* though in reality they 
had not paid more than one hundreth part of 
them. In vain did the British merchant sue 
for his money when hostilities were terminat¬ 
ed ; he could obtain no redress in any court of 
justice in Virginia. Tims juggled out of his 
property* he naturally became distrustful of the 
Virginians; lie refused to trade with them on 
the. same terms as with the people of the other 
states* and the Virginians have consequently 
reaped the fruits of their very dishonourable 
conduct V 
Another law* baneful in the highest degree 
to the trading interest* is one which renders 
all landed property inviolable. This law has 
induced numbers to run into debt; and as long 
as it exists* foreigners will be cautious of giving 
credit to a large amount to men who* if they 
chose to purchase a tract of land with the goods 
or money entrusted to their care* may sit down 
* In February I Jg 6 , this nefarious business was at last 
brought before the supreme court of the United States in 
Philadelphia* by the agents of the British merchants 5 and 
the decisions of the judges were such as redounded to their 
hpnour 5 for they declared that these debts should all h# 
paid aver again* bona hde* to the British merchant. 
r 
