Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-01-25
w ISCON SIN III E r A L d j,
THE ANTl-RENT TROUBLES.

THE ANTl-RENT TROU BLES.
The AniI.rent troubles in New Yo:k, are at
preSen. The most important theme Of cores
pondence in The east, every paper being occu-
pied TO great extent in chronicleing the dis
turbances created thereby. The true unmsg
nihed cause Of these outbreaks, we presume,
is very little understood by our readers gener-
ally; CT at least, not sufficiently so. as TO ena.
ole them TO judge undersandingly Of This case.
= here set Of men have assumed The Iespon-
sibllny OF violating all law,and Of se.tngthe
supreme authority Of a state al defiance As
there will be more Of this matter yet to be
heard, we think our readers will not deem il a
miss in our endeavors 10 serve hem proftably
and 10 their qualification, in beginning al the
foundation Of the trouble, by giving at length,
the regulations governing the Renssel aerwiek
Manor, which is the principal, as similar
rules govern all others.
/. The Manor Of Rensselaerwrk extends
from poin, Twelve miles below ~ point
twelve miles above Albany, north and south.
and to a distance each side Of the Hudson Of
twenty -four miles; il is therefore "a miles in
length and IS in width embracing the couples
Of Albany and Rensselaer,, The cities Of Albany
and Troy, and some villages, excepted: its pop
ulaion is so 600
2. The tile TO the land rests on these
grounds. Holland, in order 10 encourage EN-.
igrants, made liberal offers 10 PATRONS who
should plant colonies 10 New Neiherlands -
klllan Van Rensselaer,, at various times from
5000 1857, purchased lands from the Indian
chiefs, 10 presence Of the Governor, making
paymedrf6 full. These purchases were con-
frmed by The authorities al Fort Amsterdam
by the Du;ch government at home; by the
English 10 1864. again in 1868, and still again
in l70l and finally by the State Of New York
IN 1921 by provision If the constitution, say
ing that nothing in that INSTRUMENT shall af
feet any grants of land within this State, made
by authority Of the King OF his predecessors :"
The Judiciary Committee in the Legislature,
last year, said expressly that if this as mol a
good title, there can certainly be none in
this State"
3. Most Of The Manor is settled unjer per.
| peiual leases. by which tenants hold The farms
4 in perpeluity, with reservation TO The propre-
tor, Of mines and streams, the right to erect
mills and cut timber for them. the right OF in
gress aud egress 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 by will The tenant is bound to
pay yearly rent 10 wheat, four fat fowls, and
days service, and to pay all taxes.
i 4. The rents paid by the Heidelberg and
Rensselaer, farmers are 10 bushels Of wheat
per 90 acres, and the average Of the whole
manor is abou, II bushels per 100 acres, less
than one bushels 10 nine acres. These terms
were preferred by tho original tenants TO pur-
chase in fec.
These are the prominen, facts concerning
the tenure by which these lands are held
The lille Of the propfieiors is perfectly good;-
the rents are very low and tho who'e is held
according TO express agreement. 4he gricre-
anees complained Of by the To- ats, and which
are made the pretexis Of r. rebellion and re-
fusal TO pay the rents, are thus stated. |.
They allege want Of title in the landlord;
this has been disproved, and if il were well
founded, they. certainly. have no better lille
than the proprietor. 2. Some complain be-
cause they pay IN wheat instead Of money -
There can be no practical grievance IN this
provision. as with money wheat can always be
purchased; the requisite amount can always
be raised; and the arrangement was made ex.
pressy for the bene6 OF the tenants 3, The
pair Of fowls aud the days service arc repre-
scented as anli-republican. These have always
been COMMITTED at the market price. when de-
sired. 4. The reservation TO the landlord of a
quarter Of the money, when the farms are sold,
is complained Of; but ii should bo borne in
mind that it eos, the holder nothing; that he
agreed TO the condition; that he gets three
touriks when he has no ownership in il. and
- -, i
/ been eraeied by the proprietor and may al,rays
be commuted at very small prices. The re-
scrvatiJn Of mines and streams is complained
of; but il is parI Of the contract, and pIactic.
ally has no effect, es no mines have been dis
covered. G, Tue tenants say they have paid
Cor the lsuds, by paying rent for series Of
years. and should therefore be ilS owners; the
same rule would release a borrower from the
oblig a,on 10 repay the principal Of debt,
when he had kept it long enough to let the &C
cumulaied interests equal the original sam =
:. Auo,her complaint is, that hack rents have
been allowed to accumulate; this is as much
the fault Of the tenant as the proprietor: and
moreover the late PATRON made The most pos.
Tive aud benevolent provisions in his will. for
abatement in whole OF in part Of these back
rents s. II is said the tenants have been de-
&Afhth W 'aNeoio n"o StAiSs NV SNNitiosl
Committee Of the las, Legislature have de-
clarrd their belief that this grievance exists
only in imagination
These are the grievances Of which the ten
ants complain; and no one can fail to see that
they are utterly unfounded. or at least made
quate TO Justify the steps they have taken
The writer Of the communication next aGudes
10 the proposition that have been made TO re-
.,,nrn ..rnn thnsn slinhi cnnsns Of Lissalisfac-