Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-04-04

Serious disturbances have recently taken
place among the tenants of the vast landed es-
state, which embraces large portion of three of
the counties of New York AS many of our
readers are ignorant of the merits of the contro-
versy between the tenants and landholders we
subjon the following from Meals Gazette.
"a portion of Columbia county, and nearly
all of Albany and Rensselaer, counties belonged
to the estate of the PATRON, who died lately leav
ing his vast inheritance to be divided between
his two sons. The family is Of Dutch origin,
and took up the land in dispute about 200 years
ago, obtaining their title from the State Holland,
then in possession of New York. When that
province was conquered by the English, the
property of the Van Rennsaaers was confirmed
to them; and subsequently, on the revolt of the
colonies, and the adoption of revised constitu-
ton for New York, the title was again acknoWl-
edged. The claim of the family is, therefore,
indefeasiblc; no landholder in America has a
better title than Mr.. Van Rensselaer,, and few
have so good one.
Most of this vast property is leased out on
long terms, according to tenure much used at
the time the leases originated. In considera-
ton that all mines and streams of water be re-
served to the landlord, and that whenever a ten
ant parts with his leases except by will, one fourth
of the price be paid to the Van Rennselaers; the
rent was almost nominal being on an average
eleven bushels of wheat for every hundred acres,
four fowls, days service of horses and wagon
and the payment of all taxes The tenure and
mode of paying rent, it must be remembered
was adopted when money was scarce, and was
then more convenient than the direct method
now in use.
But against this tenure the tenants complain
Accustomed only to pay slight rent yearly they
feel more acutely the vexatious portion of the
tenure which compels them, on selling their lease
to pay one fourth of the money to their landlord
His right to the streams and mills is also con-
slant eye-sore Moreover, among the poorer ten
ants large arrearages Orient have accumulated
for the old PATRON, who administered the estate
for more than half a century, was lenlent man.
All these things have conspred to create the I'M
preston on the tenants mind that they are hard
lily dealt with if an officer is sent to distrain for
rent. They look only at the fact that they and
their fathers have been in possession of the farms
they hold, for more than a century, and that dur
ing this period, the aggregate rent has amount
ed to the value ofthe land. But they forget that
this rent has not equaled year in and year out,
five per cent. on the value of the property; and
that the same doctrine they urge would Justify
State, or private individual, in refusing longer to
pay interest for debt, after they had enjoyed the
loan for sixteen years, in which period, at six per
cent, the aggregate annual interest will amount
to the principal. Yet such doctrine would be
considered preposterous.
On the part of the proprietors it is offered to
cancel the leases in the whole manor.-The prn-
ciples on which this change ought to be made,
are substantially admitted by both parties, viz:
The wheat rent to be converted into money
rent, and the farms to be purchased if desired,
at the sum, of which the money rent, at a given
per cent is the interest But difficulty arises
in carrying out this plan-for the parties disa-
gree as to the price at which he'wheat ought to
be estimated, and also as to the per cent, which
the principal ought to bear, The propretors
arc "HiliS W lahC th0 "FCiaS PRIV VI "h0a' lo'
the last ten years, which is about s. 25 per bush
ell The tenants refuse to allow more than rs
cents to ST. In regard to the principal, which
ought to be considered the price of the farm on
the new arrangement, the proprietors think it
ought to be estimated as bearing 5 per cent.
while the tenants think it ought to be estimated
at per cent. The difference between the two
is, that at the landlords valuation, the land
would bring about 81 per acre: at the tenants
valuation, SO. But the average at which the
tenants hitherto have sold their farms, subject t.
the annual rent, has been $25 per acre. 1t seems
to us, after careful examination of the subject
that not only right, but equity, is on the side o.
the landlords,