Samuel Nelson, Pratt v. Fitzhugh — Opinion of the Court
“ Afterwards a writ of habeas corpus was issued by the Circuit Court for the northern district of New York, and upon a return of the marshal, setting forth the above facts, as furnishing the authority for the imprisonment, an order was entered discharging them from imprisonment, holding that, as the State of New York had abolished imprisonment for debt on contracts, the defendants could not be imprisoned within the acts of Congress of the 28th February, 1839, and 14th June, 1841.The case is before us on a writ of error. A motion has been made to dismiss the case for want of jurisdiction. ”
