The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-02-28
From the Saturday Courier.
The Manor Of EenssciaerwiCh.

t'iH thc CdtuFudy tOutler.
The Manor Of Eenszciaerwich.
A son Of the late PATRON, Rev. e. Van
Rensselaer,, Of Burlington, N. j., has
written an account of the origin and pro-
gress of the difficulties in The Manor of
Rensselaerwick, which are surely Of con
sequence enough to create the mos, dec-
ded alarm.
lie states thai he has no interest in that
part of his fathers estate. which is now
the cause Of so much trouble, and thinks,
therefore, that his statement is no, a one
sided one. The main features Of his
statement are as follows:
The Manor of Rensselaerwick extends
from a point twelve miles below, to u
point twelve miles above Albany, North
and South, and TO distance each side of
the Hudson Of twenty.four miles: i, is
therefore "a miles in length and 4S in
width, embracing the counties of Albany
and Rensselaer,, the cities Of Albany and
Troy and some villages excepted: its
population is 100000.
The title Of the land rests on these
grounds. Holland. in order to encourage
emigrunts, made liberal offers to PATRONS
who should plant colonies in New Meth
erlands. Klllian Van Rensselaer,, at va.
rIons times from 1850 to 1887, purchased
lands from the Indian Chiefs, in presence
of the Governor, making payment in full.
These purchases were confirmed Nv the
authorities al Fort Amsterdam; by the
Dutch Government at home /; by the En-
giish in 1864 again in 1885; and sill
again in 1904; aud finally Wy the state of
New York in 1921, by Il provision of the
Constitution, saying. that nothing in that
instrument shall 'allec, any grants of land
within this State, made by authority of
the King or his predecessors
Most of The Manor is sclile1 underper-
pelual leases, by which tenants hold the
farms in perpelnity, with a reservation to
the proprietor Of mines and streams, the
right to erect mills and to cut timber for
them. the right of ngress and cgress over
the land he paying for the land so used
and quarter of the purchase money
on every alienation oC the estate other
wise than by will. The tenant is bound
to pay yearly rem, in wheat, four IA,
fowls. and days service, and pay all
taxes.
The rents paid by the Ilederburg and
Rensselaer, iaamers, are 10 bushels Of
wheat per 100 acres, and the average of
the whole manor is IL bushels per 100
acres less than one bushcl To nine acres.
These are the prominent facts concern.
ing The tenure by which these lands are
held.
The grievances complained of by the
tenants, and which are made The preteAis
for the rebellion, and refusal to paw the
rent, are thus stated: |. They aIege
want Of tide in the landlord. =. Some of
them complain because they pay in whea,
instead of money. 3. The pair of fowls
and the days service are represented as
anli-republican. 4. The reservation 10
the landlord of quarter of the money
wien the farms are sold, is complained
Of 5. The reservation of mines and
streams is complained of. 6. Tie ten
ants say they have paid for the land bv
paying rent Tor a series of years, and
should therefore be its owners. 7. An
other complaint is, that back rents have
been allowed TO accumulate. 8. II is
said the tenants have been degraded to
vassals and SETS. o. A difference arises
as 10 the price of the whea, aud the rate
OF interest; the proprietors wish 10 take
the average price of wheat for the last Zen
years, (which would be about 81 25,) and
10 estimate the interest al 8 per cent.
The tenants refuse to allow over ST per
bushel for The wheat, aud demand the in
teres, be estimated at per cent.-The
difference between these views will he
seen at a glauce-22i bushels at 81 %
per bushel, are S2S SO, which would be
the annual rent, and this at 5 per cent.
would he the interest of S57S, the price
OF the hrm on the proprietors' scale. Or
the other hand, 22a bushels, ut 81 90
make the yearly rem, only s22 so. and a
7 per cent. would call for principal oil
1922 on the tenants scale.