New-York daily tribune., 1844-09-05
THE TRIBU=N E
oRensse;aer,v5 elk Troubles."

r;tn,s Of Friday 23i inst. under the Editorial
"a although cannot, ioE moment, believe that
.dicle Was written by either Of the Editors, dis
..,r;.bed "a hitherto they have been for publish
=. .,o,h;ur but the simple truth, and especially,
the truth could easily, as in this case, have
arrived at)
lu.eud Of requiring that the tenants should fulfil
s.;, Jeral obligations, lin which, will be shown
l.r.,er. other persons than the immediate devisees
.fas ls,s Pa,roon have in,erest) the writer as
.ss.. that the tenants laboring under grievances
a:aS demand immediate redress-thst the law and
~ /, clearly With the tenants and tha; the peace
y he community demands that they should bc
nrouo,ly relieved.
T,s 6ets connected with his subject are few and
.;,a.I, and will be stated briefly ss possible, in
srr ,hat the merits Of The whole difficulty may be
understood.
- ubst j, known rs the Manor OF Rensseiserwyck,
sE.pd 10 lease the same Isubd.lded into farms or
a,.ti1 rerpe,ui.y reserving certain rents end sub
ts,, ~ ether covenants and agreements perfectly
a,,tent with The laws of The Government, then and
s;,re. No consideration was paid by the tenant 10
te landlord, nor wasaDy to be paid until after seven
y,ar when the stipulated rent was 10 be paid. One
Or me privileges TO the 'nant was, that he should
,pi,y the land for the first seven years. upon pay
msni Of pepper or barley corn, if demanded; and
saer tho expiration OF the years, then the siip-
Mated rent became payable. The wealth OF the
he eatroon enabled him 10 live and to carry out 10
acertan extent his benevolent purposes, and his in
conc il his rents had been ngidly exacted and paid
,yery year, would have been abundant for all the
ohiects which claimed his charities. But his rents
were no, paid and yet he did not withhold his bene
rnence. He borrowed the money 10 falGl all his
exaess or implied charitable engagements; and this
was the beginning OF his Indebtedness, which has
from year To yeur Increased until The time Of hi
desh, confident that 1t the arrears OF rent were paid
biz debts could be paid from ihst source uione poD
tne money thus borrowed he paid Interest, but did
mol al that pe exact or receive ntereston his rens.
The interest thus paid amounted 10 II large sum
pu.iy: as payment OF thu interest would not have
bsen ucce-sary, II his rents IN had heen pad
uwas in fact pa, Gg the amount OF that interest
nusly for his tenants. Thus II will be that he
was induIgrnt-indeed nduigent 10 bis own injury,
and MS devisees are nov reupng the tiier fruits al
hi. Indulgence by refusal ot many tno' alI) Of tn,
ieasnrs 10 pay their OF reDI, ard from ins
ensures OF somr, not conveTsanl th The merits OF
the cafc who assume upon themselves, not only Il
sympah r. with the tenants, who array thems elves
against due execution of process issuing out OF
our Courts aud resist The fulfimen, OF their legal
obligations, and thus aggTnvale, rather than aliay
Lbs uuwhfanlable eXcileme mt existing among NAM
OF The tenants.
The pa,rOon by his will gave the West Manor 10
Sr,ph.n, aad the East Manor 10 William, and be-
qiralhed the rents in arreur specifically for the pay
of his debts; aud If the arrears oi rent, when
lcfed, .houd prove Insufficient ior ue payment
Of bis dehs then the def iency charged upon
iAs said ilanprs. The PATRON died in January
l3j-his viii dui, proven, aud letters testa
Heaiary ISSUED thrrcon; und notices published IL
all the pm pers printed IN both the Counties oi
Alban, and Rensselaer,. requesting nll indebted 10
lhs esale TO pay such Indebtedness : which notice
4
public places in both Counties aud letters We're
also addressed To most Of the tenants by name, re
,hsl,ng them 10 come in and pay their arrears OF
i.n,, and which have been repeated at least ten
tines IN many cases. The tenants in the County OF
Albany who refused TO pay their arrears of rent,
alleged as reason, that The Pairoon had no title TO
the land al the lime he leased, or that his title
ended but 10 twelve miles each side OF the river
tha; when he established his title they would pay.
and uot before. A Committee of tenants was ap-
: pOiated 10 take the legal opinion Of eminent Law
yers inhe CITY of Albany the question OF title,
and also OF Daniel Cady, Esq. who then resided in
Johns,Own; and all the opinions concurred in pro-
bouncing the title perfect. Yet many OF the ten
snls refused 10 pay, and then alleged that the cove
aants in the Leases were grevotss ind oppressive.
Iten twas that the proprietor on the West side
OF the river made the offer, substantially SET forth
by the Judiciary Committee OF the Assembly in their
report the petition OF sundry residents OF the Ma
nor OF Rensselaerwick, praying for certain modica.
ions OF the law respecting the rights OF Landlord
I and Tenant, &c. made On the Goth April 1874, No.
iSJ. In page - OF said report the Committee say:
Your Committee are well assured tina, the tenants
s've a the relief to which. Justice and equity. they
,etd tI'seiy from The proprelor Of the Manor and that
e landlords VIII al sny tune the grain rent into
ssareuI money rent aad release all the covenants and
sraons complained of without consideration upon the pay
nent OF settlement o, the rcn will cept prn
ot which the rent the interest, such rate
would be estimated far rate lnterelt for such an invest;
and, Ia thef nonfS
Page 50 OF same reports
THE Committee deem proper tn state the terms on which
Ne OF the Manor IN Albany County proposes
WsspHh ma teeivaoas-io which srms many OF the
;e Wesierloc Bernard Knox the heat rese ye US rent
| seimu'ed AZ Tea shlllnss per bu,hsl:-"
Here would observe that the average price OF
sHs' ior inrly years preceding the latc Patroon's
'eaia was 81 10 per bushel.
and that taken a, the cash rent in full oCall ~
aysnva' aud release executed OF all the covenants and
aaens which are compIaoed Of retaining alone the cove
80. py .ns cash rent thus fixed and aScersned full
Qn claim VIII be one hundred uol arS Tor
ue oolais OF FSn thus ssceaine AID fixed. aud time
- e Ieaens on, asks thar the of the quar-
ma 49, ~ ~ " eaased entirely. the proprietor offers
A V many instances released and that
sss so5 tSig ~ d,s', his i soand the COMMITTEES
syrs .eose 'iHied-then all TIE complaints foil the
Il 'intAS Is lr ist asant Of foanaation.''
y. p T'e saelect OF the title, the Committee in the
sy- 'Na''''""oH' ~ F"Se No.
your committee are compelled 10 say. that
ss, ~ uast color of tie for 2G years and actual tite
Eovernmen. If The land for lao
ytch - eaan,me1 aS The governments through
pave and ratified not orly by the laws. but by
,s =, oar own State is not perfect utle. Il
ssas nts =; cttcu, 10 find there certainly
;s.ae So@mi,iee conclude their Repor, by off-r
> Ppetae Pai Consideration of the House the follow
as ~ lhatihe bill reported by the Select Committee
l-,-p sS,st ssa,aed, An Act concerning Tenures by
Nd .'n passed into q law. he uneonsti,uu nai and
the LEGISLATURE have The Constitutional
'sen s;n and vary The relations whch cat re
~ ens and teIaht uncer contracts heretofore M de-
sssarts ,rS'.ue rS.ue rerst asked by tbs II iiione's
aaa ~, ~, hc Legislature have not the power 10 mod
sfuq. ess.e ebrTes, eker upon ju't compensation or
saeay A., - 20 the Landlord. 80 as 10 remove OF
g In. n " he evils Complained of.
roas !" q 'a't'ee who signed the Report were unan-
TIN ar'r opn'uas end consisted OF Willism r
hlas, ssSa'ri Stevens, Ashley sampson, Jesse
5ntd.nn'..e '.e Sylvester Hszen-ail lawyers, and o
H. Ia the profession.
sa-s ,sa ,aa 'ast as the land no longer produces
Mn, b'a .s Communication in money Is agreed ou
rsasl WIS rs constant source of collision between
Ihe ba,