Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-01-09
HISTORY OF rnE VAN RENssELAER MANOR.


The continued troubles among the tenantry oil
the Van Rensselaer, Manor, and the progress Of
revolt and outrage upon other similarly situated
estates in the State of New York, have naturally
excited general desire to!know some,hinu Of the
history of the case. The Rev. Cortland Van
Rensselaer,, Of Burlington, New Jersey, "a son Of
the late PATRON, but who has no interest in that
part OF his fathers estate,) has responded to this
DESIRE IN long letter, which presents a compre-
hensive view of the origin and condition of the
Manor, and the causes of the existing disailec,ion
among the tenants. We avail ourselves of tho
Following Ineligible abstract Of i, by the Courier
and Enquirer:
l. The Manor Of Rensselaerwick extends from
"A point twelve miles below, to a point ,welve
miles above Albany, Nor,h and South. and 70 =
distance each side Of the Hudson of twenty. four
miles IS therefore 81 miles in length and AZ
in width, embracing the counties of Albany and
Rensselaer, the cities of Albany and Troy. and
some villages excepted its population is SO 600
.. The title to the land rests on these grounds
Holland, In order to encourage emigran,s. made
liberal offers to PATRONS who should plant colo
MES In New Netherlands. Kilian Van Rensse-
aae,' al various times from 1880 to 1857, purchas-
ea iands from the Indian chiefs, in presence of
me Governor, making payment in full These
purchases were confirmed by the authorities at
tort Amsterdam; by the Dutch government at
nome by the English i'm 1864; again in 1885 {;
ana sun again In 1904; and finally by the State
OF New York In 1921, by provision of the con.
siituton saying, that nothing i'm thai instrument
"shall affect any grants of land within this State,
made by authority OF the King or his predeces.
sors" The Judiciary Committee, in the Legs-
iature last year, said expressly that if i, was no,
Sg oou '''e "fAere can certainty be in ne
3. Most of the Manor is settled under perper-
al leases, by which tenants hold the farms in per-
Po'ritJ, with reservation to the proprietor of
mines and streams, the right TO erect mills and
cut timber for them, the right of inoress and e.
gress over the land he paying for the land SO
used'-and quarter OF the purchase money on
every alienation of the estate Other wise than bv
will The tenant is bound TO pay yearly rem,
IN wheat, four fat fowls, and days service, and
to pay all taxes. '"N
a. The rent paid by the Heidelberg and Rens-
seiaer FARMERS are 10 bushels of wheat per loo
acres anu tne average OF the whole manor is IL
bushels per 100 acres less than one bushel tn
nine acres. These are the prominent facts con.
cern'ng the tenure by which these lands are held.
dhe Title Oh ihe proprietors is perfectly rood
the rents are very low; and the whole is
held according to express agreement The grie-
odnees complained OF by the tenants, and which
are made the pretexts of the rebellion and refusal
TO pay the rents, are thus stated: 1. They al.
iege want OF title in the Landlord; this has
'oeen dlsproved, and if it were well-founded. hen
certainly, have no better title than the proprietor.
2. Some complain because they pay in wheat in.
stead OF money. There can be no practical prie-
vance In this provision, as with money wheat ran
always be purchased the requisite amount can
always be raised (; and the arrangement WAS made
expressly Tor the benefit of the tenants 3 TIE
pair OF fowls and the days service are represent
ed as anti-republcan. These have ALWAYS heen
oommnled at the market price, when desired. 4.
The reservation 10 the landlord of quarter of tho
money, when the farms arc sold, is comn,,;nod
oil; but 1t should be borne in mind, that II COS,
the holder nofhsng, that he agreed to the condi
ton, that he gets ree-fourMs when he has nm
ownership In 1t, and above all, these quarter-sales
have very rarely been eTac!ed by the proprietors.
and may al,DayS be commuted a. yery small n,i,
ces. 0. The reservation of mines and streams is
complained of;-but il is a part of The contrsct
and practically 1t has no effect, as no mines bav.
been discovered. 6. The tenants saw thew bave
PAID fcr the land, by paying rent for series of
years, ana should therefore be its owners the
same rule would release borrower from The oh
legation TO repay the principal of debt. when he
mad Kept 1t long enough to have the accumulated
interest equal the original sum. 7. Another
complaint Is that back rents have been allowed IN
accumulate this is much the fault of the
tenant, as the proprietor, and moreover the late
ta'rooh maze the most positive and benevolent
In part of these back rents. g. 1t is said The lem
ants have been degraded to vassals and serfs the
Judiciary committee OF The last Legislature have
declared their belief that This grievance exists only
in Imagination.
These are the grievances of which the tenants
complain; and no one can fail 10 see that thew are
utterly unfounded. at least inadequate TO iustifv
the steps they have taken. The writer of the
communication next alludes to the propositions
mat nave been made to remove even these slight
causes OF dissatisfaction on the part of the len
ants. The proprletors have never proposed, in
new leases, 70 renew any OF the Objectionable
clauses, but have been perfectly willing to unite
with The tenants in cancelling all the old leases
and changing the mode of tenure, SO that wheat
rent should be converted into money rent and the
farms purchased at the price of which the rent
due would be the interest. The tenants profess
TO agree 10 these terms but difference arises as
10 the price OF the wheat and the rate Of interests
the proprietors wish to take the average price Of
wheat Tor the last zen years, (Which would be
about Sl ,25 and TO estimate the interest at per
cent? tenants refuse 10 allow over S 90 per
bushel tor the wheat, and demand The interest bs
estimated at per cent. The difference between
these views will be seen at plance-221 bnsb
els, at ST. ,25 per bushel, are S28 so, which would
be the annual rent, and this at 5 per cent, would
be the interest OF $50, the price of the farm on
the Proprietor's scale. On the other hand. .221
bushels, at Sl,O0, make the yearly rent only S2o,
5O, and at per cent, would call Tor principal
oil only 1922 on the tenants scale. AS this seems
much the more honest difference of opinion in.
volved In the case, we copy the following passage
IN vndicatlon OF the proprietor's claim from the
communication of Mr. Van Rensselaer,:
1.-The proprletors have in their favor, The con-
sideraiion that the rate Of interest on long and
permanent 'oans' (such as these must be estima-
ied,) has always been s per cent, which is The
rate at the present time and furibermore ,Ia,
money does not now command, even for a sinnIe