New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-09-11
THE TRIRlIN Z;
rae Ren.se,aervyyck Troubles.

Inai with much interest and satisfaction your
.,;,le in late Tribune on the troubles in the Ma
,o,of Rensselaer, ! was glad to find that there
r,, one paper not afraid TO speak for the Van
Rensselaer, tenants, and to point out boldly and
dly some of the grievances aud disabilities under
{ which they labor. | was also pleased with your
enarks in answer TO the communication Of An
American in the Tribune Of the 9th ult
Viii you allow an old friend, quandom editor
and lawyer, TO say few words upon this trouble
ron, question:
And frs one or two remarks in answer 10 An
American. He says that the land which the ten
ans occupy is worth, as wild land, from $40 to $75
p.r acre. A large portion OF the Manor was leased
PREVIOUS 10 the Year 1900. AN American admits
TIA, the tenants were 10 pay al annual rent Of II
cents per acre. Now assert and can prove that Ut
Ii. time most OF the LAID was leased, as good aud
il many cases better land could have been pur-
thssed IN fee in this State for 10 cents an acre. In
deed Stephen Van Rensselaer, himself, long suhse-
quenl 10 1909, purchased broad domain in the
northern part OF this State-a domain which Prince
Estsrhazy might have coveted, for price ayerag-
ing less than 90 cents per acre.
The truth is that the tenants paid more than the
land werth III the time they took t-especiully
rher yoG consider that ell mines and minerals all
i;reaus OF water with the soil under them all mill
prvisees, with the right of building dams and
orefoaiGg meadows, and the right Of way through
and over every farm, and the right OF cu,IIDg down
and using ali such hfewo0d and timber us NE
crsssy 10 build and repair sud mills and work and
cary said mines, and the right TO lay roads,
with free liberty 10 dig trench and the ground
f0r sny o the above purposes was resers ed 10 Van
Rensselaer,. No lankee. no son OF the Puritans,
who resisted and defeated similar grants 10 Mason
and Gorges and other land-sharks, and would.be
lord-proprirtoTs, would think the land. with such
nSsNatiuG1, worth having as eltt. Outrageous
injustice has been frequently done, has bren
recently done, TO my owa know ledge, by the
else 0 this righI Ia mili-pivileges reserved. The
most vaIua5'e portion OF man land is frequently
i1Hed by tie building OF dums. und the only RENEE
d, lin. lease provides reduction Of rent, proper,
tomato to The whole r. Mt oi The farm. The valuable
Haler.power on the Poesisn klIi in troy, lately
purchased and now occupied bs ilr Marshall, is
slh,n the bounds oi Il iarm al first rented wIlhcu'
recreation BY verbal lease 10 man wh0 was al
leIwnId compelled 10 take written lease with all
tbs unrg he1us rsrr' auOns. or b- eJeced from the
prcni.es winch he nd recialinod from The wilder
ne,s and upon which he had expended d.e profits
Of ears u; inbur aud SAVING Industry.
tuei the larger portion OF The orisina. tenants al
Tie Mater We're ii4lch and German immigrants,
unabie L. rs-t snd write. 10 iuduceG tn take
years "iliiuui reat, ami Nan hi'rt they neG ccc".
ped titEl suUie wears. ND hut houses AMI baTuS.
had CLEARED and fenced aud -ubdu-c rsir i-'ds. a,d
h-d rrgGn 10 ifp cuitiufIabN nrd n p,.lS, weir
prfempauly req iuel ga leave ;ber iaruB or si-n
lhe.e it.st5, lie !erms conditions Of V1hich
Re IS uuu.t,iiSbie To them us II Arilien in San
scrt. lev. wnU knew tiicir legal rght-, resisted
AID oblrin,d leases without the OBNOXIOUS ie5rIva
tluus MANY nj the German tenants cane from iijt
pihcipa;ies OF GernauS, AID dad not dIeatu thai
ties could hoGd lend III any Uner way than undera
lease and lord. The late Stephen Van Rensse-
laer, kiud-heaIted Se : SAID To- have been, MAS
not ihs msn 10 instruct them better. He required
them 10 sign has leases yield up all their past
isbnr for his benefit. Ii was hard alternative
SUBMISSION 10 his exact0ns or once again poverty,
restitution, ana fresh sturt for the nUcuitivnled
wilderness. Their ignorance, their fears, and III
msny cases the claims OF young family, consiruln
ed them 10 submit. have heard the old tenants
repeatedly tell hOvy they Were wheedl,d and cheated
IN the mater OF g.vDg their leases. These unjust
and oppressive contracts and covenants were aclI-
ally wTung out OF ther ignorance, their fears and
their necessities. Such the origin OF the leases,
an such HE justice in which they were exacted
add gwen.
One thing more in reply TO AN American
You recommended that appraiscment OF the quit
fens should be made, and that tie tenants should
pay Tor the same al their actual value aud he asks,
Ale you not aware that any tenant has been ut
liberty TO do this at auy time = You might have
answered HIM, No! and If AN American is aware
oil H. he ia aware OF what never has been true and
is not true now. The proprietor Of Rensselaer,
County has always refused III enter into any such
arrangement. He refused before there was any
trouble ID this County, and he now refuses, because
he Will not deigu TO treat with men who are openly
violating the lass of the land. Perhaps il will not
be amlss 10 Jog his memory little Does he re-
collect. soon ufer the charter Of the Railroad
irom Troy TO Grrenbush, how he came with
posse armed with clubs and drove tho engineers
from the ue OF the road and ioIcibly prevented them
irnm surveying the route And does he reco!ecl
hoN The late Richard Z. Hart OF tins CITY told him
be was the last man who should iorcibly resist line
laws of the land-iha; ms own example might be
quoted against him, and the poisoned chace re-
turned 10 his own lips man who appeals 10
eiub-law, uugh, not 20 complain OF the execution OF
eiut-iaw sgainst HIM.
An American knows, or may know, that quit
r,nts are regarded BY capitalists the very best
had OF property. They cling 10 II with tenacious
srsSp, and nothing bat necessity will make them
past with H. Ii Id thought 10 be The safest and most
prc6table mode OF investment. il pays no taxes
A. uniaxed income o, 100000 year is very de-
srabir iuf,une and not willingly changed
INTO taxable form. MIR. Ven Rensselaer, rreierred
rather mortgage tins income than 10 selt out TO
tie iensnts Tor tine purpose OF raising money. He
Calls upon the Government - and hn IN the colec
lion of his rents, when thuse rents pay nothing iuf
Tor the support Of Government their leases binding
,hrm TO pay all taxes ordinary and extraordinary,
assessed upon the land. Quit.reuts, or ground
rsnts, az thuy are called have been assessed
and taxed in Ihls STATE, and for this reason rich
lien prefer that KIDD Of property. In this way they
toatrtve TO ct the protection oi the laws, while
they contribute nothing toward maintaining Them.
flch mel. resort 10 uiany expedents 10 ave tax
aa0u. They conceal their property they Will live
N one place aud make Their Investments M another
Viey Will hatch up fictitious debts, ant then swear
'aat these debts exceed their personal estate, and 10
Various other way manage put their property 10
ca unassts-ablc form. What pracuca difference is
ue'e between these modes OF deiraudDg the reve-
nue. ard eH,ezziem,n, and deialcslonl
a. 10 the original tale OF the Vaa Rensseiaers,
~oald undoubtedly have been bad ior Gnce uainty.
aAe territory granted had definite limits aud
Ve"undaiies. But by the aid Of coufrmuory grants,
:, ont oil asserting their claim and Issuing leases,
sa BY obtaining legislative 1nactrnenIs Of one KIND
'l aaotnor they have probably succeeded iu set
unS valid anu legal i.ic. II The Slate ever had