New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-03-28

I ~ ~~~NN~'
Mr. guel counsel for Mr. P Van Rensselaer, agreed
with Mr. Hayner and confessed that remedy ought
TO be provided for these evils by legislation.
Mr. GAMALIgL BowDIsE, of Montgomery Co.
Memoer Of Assembly, said that most of the leased land
In his county Clarke's patent-that the leases
generally for three lives with an tha' me
tenat and his hers soud occupy them for 81 years and
contract on the part of the tenant that he would put
upon the land within eight years good barn. plant
certain number OF acres oforchard and enclose certain
quantity of arabic land.
Mr. Bowdish gave description of the face Of the coun
try and the present Of cultivation He stated that
The lands were held by durable leases or the occu
pants had title in fee without rent 1t would DC ncrea
I'd In value fifty per cent the buildings would be kept in
better repair and the farms would be more highly cut
vated and be more productive
Mr. Senator Spencer here said that in passing ever
Clarkes Patent the face of the country looked as ii it
had recently been invaded By the Indians laid desoat
and deserted by the inhabitants He inquired oil MI b.
whether the tenants had ever tried to purchase oil r
Clarke the title In fee to the lands In Montgomery 20
Mr. Bowdish replied, Yes, they had, and Mr. Clarke
had told them he would not give God Almighty title
in fee"
tenants doubted whether Mr. Clarke had any legal paper
! title TO the lands he claimed
Some discussion here 10 whether the title OF
Clarke had ever been tested in suit at law. No mem
Der of the Committee and present knew Of such
suit, II had been stated in letter in the Argus lew
DAYS ago. that the validity Of Carkes title had been sus
tanned in suit in the Supreme Court OF the United
ney for than twenty years. and had no knowledge
OF any such suit
Mr. John BowDIsK made some excellent remarks
upon the general evils of leasing land. he said that
lands held under lease always more poorly cult
waited that the interest Of the tenant was to make as
much az he could of the land and leave as little
AZ possible of the avais of his labor upon it, On the
other hand the man who owned absolutely the land
he cultivated induced TO keep It 10 the best or
der and under the highest state OF cultivation Inc
difference between leased land and land held in fee
m nhgnr T
lie interest that the cutvator should be the owner oil
the land While leased land would not bring more
than $40 an acre, account Of poor husbandry and
dlapidated buildings land of the same quality held in
fee without the incumbrance oil rent, was worth dou'
Bile that sum.
Judge WHEELER, from Delaware Co. said that
he had been requested to make statement of the com
plants and wishes Of the Anti Renters Of Delaware He
began by stating that he among the cass OF per-
sons called Anti Renters He said that the leased land In
his county principally under the great Hardenbug
patent and the landlords John Hunter. the Messrs
Armstrong the heirs of Gov. Lewis, the heirs OF Ed
ward P. Livingston and the heirs of kortright Geo.
Clarke also claims some land in the County
He stated that the title to the land between the two
branches of the Delaware river had always been ques
toned by the tenants Mr. Spencer asked what advice
discreet gave in relation to the purchase OF the fee
of the d-Mr. Wheeler replied that might not be-
come him to assume to say who were discreet men.
Mr. Spencer then asked If many of the tenants were
buying the fee He replied in the Affirmative but that
all still doubted the validity of the title. They believed
have title when in fact they had none.
Mr. Wheeler also made remarks upon the difference
between the state of cultivation of lands Under lease and
lands owned by the occupants without incambrance-
He agreed substantially with Mr.. Bowdish in regard to
the evil tendencies of leaseholdtenures.
Mr. HEzRKIAH REYNOLDS OF Knox, Albany Co.
stated that the original grant of the Lvingstons in Co
uubia Co. contained Ga 900 acres-and that they now
claim and assume 10 lease over two hundred
thousand The larger part of it has been leased
upon leases for one three lives He related
of one Anthony Poucher being compelled TO pay
for farm three times Nineteen out OF twenty
when they took their leases could read them, and
sometimes had lifeeases imposed upon them instead of
deeds fee. lie also said that he knew Of the practice
of the following piece of fraud One Spurback, agreed
with the late Mr. Stephen Van Rensselaer,, for lease
with simple wheat rent reserved That he went upon
the land and after getting it in pretty good Of cu
tvaton, called the land.ohce for his lease. One was
read him. containing only the reservation of the
wheatrent He signed il and took counterpart home.
his neghbors told him that his lease contained all the
usual Objectionable reservations He returned TO the Of
fee and demanded lease in accordance with his agree
ment but it refused him, and he compelled to
submit to the fraud.
Mr. Spencer asked why he had not sought legal
Dress Which he might have obtained Mr.. Reynold re-
piled that he was poor man and could not raise the
means TO carry lawsuit with the landlord.
Mr. Spencer asked Mr.. Reynolds wha, difference 1t
made the tenants whether the title of Van Rensselaer,
good so long hey were undsturbed in their pos
session under their leases i-Mr Reynolds replied that
tho tenants did consider that the lapse of any
Der of years could make wrong right or give legality
and stability to fraud.
Mr. Reynolds also stated that individual in Co
lumbia County whose lease contained con dton 10
pay his rent within thirty days OF specified time had
agreed with his landlord TO wait six months for it, but
was elected the end of the thirty days and the farm
leased to another person who was willing 10 pay $50
more In consequence OF his own Improvements de
went the landlord and rendered the money but was
refused and turned away.
Hs also stated that there were five suits pending
on Columbia county for the recovery OF the quarter sale
reservation
He also stated that the tenants upon the Duanes
burgh patent doubted the validity Of that title They
had been referred for the original grant to the office OF
the Secretary State All that could be found in tha,
Office order from an ELglishman to sell two or
three soldiers grants thirty miles west Of Albany
They could ind nothing farther in the shape OF patent
| or grant ofthe Duanesbureh lands.
Mr.. Wands, of New-Scotland, Albany County
ssid that h. understood that there strip of land
Massachusetts,, on which the Van Rensselaers did no,
pretend to collect rent although it included in their
pretended claim of twenty -four miles back from the
I Hudson River each side He supposed the laws of
Massachusetts and New.York were nearly alike and be
did not understand why strip OF four miles in Massa
cbusets should be exempt and the lands similarly sit
ua,ed on the west of The River subject to rent.
Mr.. Spencer replied that the grant TO Van Rens-
selaer or the athortes of the Colony Of NewYork
and conveyed only such territory included within the
boundaries of New-York Consequently. when the eoun
Diary line settled between Massachusetts and
and fixed 81 20 miles from the Hudson River Mr. Van
Rensselaer, limited within the confines OF the State
Mr. Joseph Gregory. of Rensselaer, Co. stated that
!
induce settlers take leases Of him OF four miles
Of land that fell within the bounds Of Massachusetts,. He
prevailed upon one Mr. Babcock TO execute lease re-
serving pepper-corns rent Others about
doing the same but notified by the authorities of
Massachusetts, that Mr. Van Rensselaer, had claim upon
lands II scheme the part OF Van Rensselaer,
to get constructive possession of that strip land
Mr.. j. l. Slingerand, of Albany Co., presented TO
the Committee purchase made By his ancestor Teunis
Slngerland May sth A. D. 1885, of the and original
legal thereof in pursuance Of license granted by
Gov. Dongan dated March 9th, A. D. l6S+-surveyei BY
Nicholas schuyler surveyor contsninc thousand
the land in Albany county He then stated that
he could better title any the
landlords have shown produce. BE then sta
ted that ponSan could have been big knave
confirm this OF land first 10 the Sngerlands, and
then six months AFTER the Van Renssesers. He then
stated 10 the agents OF the landlord that present,
they had right 10 this large tract OF land his ancestors
bought OF the rghtf owners 10 show it. Blu, they a
silent He ssid there wrong committed sDd
fraud pracSced from the commencement We love our
rights, and no shall take away those rights for we
ask nothing but what is clearly right and TO sub
NIT nothing that is wrong. He said his father i'm
posed upon that he compelled take lease when
he knew the land his and his father had been
paving rent for great length Of time Now ask the
Legislature pass law by which this and. practced
upon our fathers, shall be done away with for II the
In aJ