The Sun.
London, England, 1818-11-28 00:00:00

fluff).

year.

This is a very serious charge. To let lands atcents so touch
below their value, and moreover to prevent their improve-
ment by tying them up for so long a term of years, is cer-
tainly not the way is which persons would deal with their
own estates ; arid, therefore, any Trustees of Charity estates,
letting them in this disadvantageous manner, must be guilty
either of gross negligence, or of a corrupt motive.
But the facts are these. Of the above-mentioned Twenty-
six Acres, one parcel of ground, containing lA. 2K. 32P.,
was let, in the year 1786, upon a lease of ninety-nine years,
at the yearly rent of 481. and the lessee was to lay out 160u1.
in building Houses thereon, of such dimensions, and with
such materials, tko. as is in the lease particularly prescribed.
This parcel of ground lies adjoining to the Turnpike Road
leading from LOlltloll to Deptford. The 16001. and a great
deal more money, has been laid out by the lessee in building-a
row of good houses, and doubtless this estate is now (as the
witnesses state) very valuable. The Trustees treated for the
lease with the advice of a surveyor ; and the measure is, iu
every respect, an advantageous one for the Charity. This Is
the state of the case with respect to such part oft he Twenty-
six Acres, viz. IA. 2R. 32P. as is let upon a long lease.•
But the information given to the Committee (and since
published) is, that the whole of the Twenty-six Acres is let
on .a ninety-years lease. Except the lA. 2R. 32 ;to part
of the Twenty-six Acres lies in a situation for improvement
by building, but is user, and must be used, simply as land
in the ordinary course of cultivation; and it is let on twenty-
une-years leases. The last leases expired at Lady-day 1799,
and, a , short time previous to that period, the Trustees pub-
licly advertised that they should meet at the New-Cross Inn,
on the 99th March, 1799, to let these lands, in. certain speci-
fied lots, .‘ on leases for twenty-one years, to the bidders vf
the highest rents, provided the responsibility of such bidders
should be approved of by the Trustees :" and the lands were
thereupon let as follows :
A. It. P.

•
14 2 18 to Robert Ednionds, at the rent of 501.
8 2 21 John Holcombe - 35
1 2 13 John Evans - - - 10
Leases were granted accordingly, and the rents are regu-
larly paid. At this letting there was a competition, and an
improvement in the rents took place. The reins before were
511. 10s.; the rents procured by this letting amount to 951.
This 931. added to the 481., (the rent under the budding
lease,) makes 1431., the total rental (as stated by the witnes-
ses) of these Twenty-six Acres of laud.
With respect tor the Buildings, the Trustees have taken
care to have them all erected according to the stipulations
in the lease. One instance occurred of an under-lessee build-
ing a house without giving (as by the lease he was required to
do) notice to the Trustees; mid he had constructed part of it
in an insufficient manner, inconsistently with the regula-
tions expressed in theltase. As soon, however, as the Trus-
tees learnt that a building was going on, they caused it to be
examined, and they found that it was tiled instead ol slated,
and that the timber in the roof was of insufficient 'scantling;
and they obliged the lessee to cause the toot to be taken otf,
and the house to be finished in conformity, in every respect,
,with the terms of the lease. The Trustees occasionally visit
the houses, and see that they are kept in a proper slate of
repair.

According to this statement of mine, (and I am prepared to
prove the truth of every part of it,) the conduct of the Trus-
tees is not such as it has been represented to be. They have
not abused their trust by foolishly or basely letting, for
nearly a century, at 1431., what ought to produce 10001. or
15001. a year. They have let for ninety-nine years such part
only of the land as could be advantageously let on a Building
Lease, and have thereby procured for the Charity a present
rent beyond what could have been procured by any-other
means, and, at the same time, a valuable reversion; and all
the remainder of the land they have let on usual flushantiry
leases, to respectable tenants, and at the highest rents that
could be obtained.

It is admitted in the evidence, that the rents of the two
Charity estates are paid, though the term by which that filet
is expressed is a singular one. It is said, " The money is
brought•forward by Mr. Drummond of Croydon, and brought
into the Clrurchwarden,' Accounts." The tenants pay their
rents at a meeting of the trustees; the senior Churchwar-
den is always apprized by me of the meeting, and he attends
to receive the money. The Trustees, being the lessors, sign
the receipts, and the money is forthwith paid over to be
Churchwardens. The money never goes into the pockets of
'the Trustees for an instant, nor ever into mine. The term
" brought forward by Mr. Drummond," seems therefore not
to express very correctly the part I have in the payment of the
money, which, in troth, is no more than this—l count the
Money when it is paid down by the tenants, I prepare the re-
ceipts for the Ti haters to sign, and I see the money imme-
diately banded over to the Churchwardens.

But it is said (4) that "there are petitions in Chancery which
stop it, and things are not brought forward as they should
hre:"' The purpose of the present proceedings is to regulate
the manner in which these rents shall be administered to the
objects of the Charity by the Parish Officers. The duty of
the Trustees is only to let and manage the estates properly,
and to see the rents pail into the Park!) Officers' hands.
But, the proceedings being commenced, the Ctiunset for the
Trustees adsised them that, while the question respecting
the mode of application of these Charity funds was pending,
the Trustees should not pay over the money to the Church-
wardens a's usual, but should retain it till they can pay
it over under the direction and sanction of the Court. The
Trustees, therefore, at present, receive the rents from the
►enants, and invest the money, immediately after they re-
ceive it, in :the Funds, adding the dividends every half-year
to the capital.

Thus 1 have shown, I hope, that the accwation against the
Trustees, as contained in the Evidence; is groundless :-3ut,
severe as this accusation is, it falls short of that which is
contained in your Letter.. I should hare supposed that the
statements in your Letter would be the result of the Evidence
taken before the Committee, and would, of course, be sup-
ported by that evidence---but, in the present case, though the
Ev:dence (erroneous as it is in other respects) does admit that
the seven acres at Streatham are let for 351. a-year (5), and
that the twenty-six acres at New Cross are let for a-
year (6), yet you have in your Letter (7) stated the situation
of these two Charities tlins—" There are two estates belong-
ing to the Pour of Croydon, whirl] ought to bring between
10001. and 15001. a year, and yet worth nothing, from be-
ing badly let on ninety-years lessee." .
I appeal, Sir, to your understanding and to yonrsense of
justice, whether he ye-presentation thus inade to the Public
of the conduct of these Trustees is fair,and just.
•
I have the hemmer to b&, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
PATRICK DRCAINIONT),
Solicitor to the Trustees.

To Henry Brougham, Esq.