New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-23

The Renssciaerwyck Troubles.
We notice in the journals OF the day, especially
In those of our City, many fippant illusions TO
the differences which have arisen between Messrs.
Stephen and William P. Van Rensselaer,, inherit
ors of the estate Of Stephen Vdn Rensselaer, de-
ceased, and the tenants of that estate, as though
these differences we're trning matters, aud would
soon blow over. We cannot SO regard them. So
far as our contemporaries censurc the resistance TO
law, Indian parades, violence to the Shcrltis, &c.
by some of the tenants, they quite right. All
this is wrong, and ought to be frowncd down, or
put down. That done, we think the public at
tention should be called 10 the grievances Of the
tenants, which are most serious, and, Ill our judy
mcnt, must be removed. Let US give hurried
statement:
The ancestor of the Van Rensselaers received
1--WE believe without considsraton) from the Dutch
Government the fee simple of a tract of land
twenty. four miles up and down the Hudson and
twelve miles each way from thatnyer, excepting
certain reservations specified in the patcnt,) the
Northern limit being somewhere at the South end
of Troy. This large estate has been settled, and
being unable to ALLEVIATE the fee simple from his
descendants; the tenants usually STIMULATING in
their leases TO pay in kind SO much Wheat, so
much Wood, SO many Fowls, &c. as annual rent.
AS the land no longer produces Wheat, and as
Wood has become scarce these payments in kind
are no longer exacted, but a Communication in
money is agreed on This is u source of constant
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give less, the Patreons agent to exact Iaore.
The evils of this antagonism need not be set forth.
But some OF the uniform stipuatons in those
old feudal tenures arc still more objectionable, be-
cause directly calculated to ares. and discourage
improvement. One Of them is an express reser-
walton to the Pdtrocn of all mines and minerals
and even all watcr-power on the lands leased.
The tenant who puts wheel into the little
stream which passes his door 10 turn his GRIND
stone or move churn is trcspasSer, convicted
by his lease. To construct grisi-Enl on the
premises his father and grandfather have paid
rent for through century may be ever so great
convenience to the town, but is grave offence,
subjectng him to severe reckoning with the
laws ministers.-Then there are the reservation
of quarter sales, still more niquitous. a hardy,
thrifty man takes leased farm, which pays a
rent of $50 per year to the PATRON, aud puts ten
years hard work On it, renovating It's buildings,
clearing up its lapsed lands, fertilizing its ex-
hausted fields, &c. &c. At last he says, have
children growing up around me, and l don't
want to leave them another mans farm. L
will sell out here, and buy where | can own
'the land improve. He does SO, and gets
$4,000 for his 'bettermcnts,' as they say. Now
his lease binds him to pay $3.50 of this to the
PATRON, and is void il he keeps back a farthiug.
What reason is there in this Every dollar OF
the $4,000 is the fruit of his own, honest useful
TOLL and is his righteous due. But his lease binds
him to give nc-fourth OF it to another, who has
had no shadow Of agency in producing IT. This
requirement is so clearly unjust and mlschlevous
that we understand it is now rarely or never ex-
acted. That should be its condemnation. 1t
ought no longer to stand in the leases, discour-
aging industry and thrift by threatening 10 dc.
privc them of their honest reward. Whenever
an exacton is too bad to be put in force, ii is too
bad to have the law on its side 1t ought II.
once to be abandoned and abolished.
The grievances of the tenants are no abstrac
tons. Take this case: \ farmer IN Bethlehem
went recently to an Albany capitalist to sell his
farm. Is there no PATRON claim on II 2 was
the first question. "Why, yes, there is little
out-rent-ffteen bushels of wheat, couple OF
cords of wood and few fowls per annum, but It
amounts 10 very little" Well,' says the man
of money l wouldn't take your farm as gift.
won't pay tribute to the Patroon-l won't DC
bothered with tins sort OF payment. won't put
my property where another man may take It from
moi l don't observe all the conditions OF one of
these old feudal leases So the farmer, who want
ed badly to sell, went his way with heavy heart.
Such cases are frequent. They account for the
general stagnaton OF enterprise and improvement
all over the Manor of kensSclacrwyck. An in.
telligent business man of Albany (the city is not
embraced in the Manor estimates that that Coun
ty alone would have been Two Millions richer
to-day if the Manor had never existed.
What then ought to be done First, the law
must be sustained and enforced-that is vital
point Then an appeal should be made to the
PATRONS (Stephcn inherising the West side, vii
ham P. the East OF the River to come forward
and make magnsnimous offer OF compromise
with the tenants for the extinction Of the ieuda
tenure. If.they have no power to extinguish the
nights of their descendants let the Legislature be
applied to and the requisite power obtained, as it
would DO by a unanimous vote. Let the quit-rents
be fairly estimated by eminent and impartial UNI
piree, and let the present actual value OF the same
be paid by the tenants If they have the money, or
charged on their farms as mortgage, drawing
per cent. interest," and payable in instruments
through the next five or ten years. Let this be
dons promptly, and the estate may at once be re-
heved from itsh heavy membranes (about $780,
DOC, we understand,> the inheritcIs placed in far
better circumstances than at prcsedt, and the ten.
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