New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-06-25
Land Tenures.

10 ne MEMBER Of the ". 7. CoH1EutioRG! CoapshttoA
coSscsI7r FATHERS!
or The magnitude and enduring consequence OF
the ardrous duties 10 which you have been called,
you will doubtless have need TO be reminded.
OF the high bopes " hich the People have been in
auced 10 cheri.h concerning the results OF your la.
bors, you have doubtless had pleasan, yet painful
assurance Or the vital distinction between the la.
pcrs required yuur uanos aud ls~-- -vhinh prop.
erly pertain to ordinary Legislative bodes-the ne
oessity that you should recur constantly to first
principles andlet your deliberations be guided your
decisions be governed, by radical elementary JUS
tioe-I will not presume any Of you ignorant And
indeed the simple fact that you have been impeled
TO place among your regular Standing Committees
ono Z" Onh CREATION and d'rnion Of Estates IN
Land" is OF itself an evidence hat ideas which
sinoe the ori.io Of Society have fitted casually and
timioly the aching brain Of The enslaved the
bouseless the starving, but have till recently never
ventured to cross the thresholds Of thrifty mems
houses much less 2rsen the doors Of Halls Of Leg
isa,ion, are becoming familiar 10 the eminent and
tolerable TO the po,e-or atleast must be tolerated
whether deemed iolerabe or not. am aware that
recent and mournful events 10 our own State have
here compelled the public consideration OF iunda-
mental questions respecting Land sooner than would
have Otherwise occurred. | mean that these events
have caused large number TO consider hat few
only had previously reflected and spoken upon
The results OF this consideration, in The minds Of
many citizens may be briefly embodied In the fol
lowing propositions, viz;
j. The Earth is the LORDS, and the fullness
thereof
g. 1t was given by Him for the sus,enance and
enjoyment of the whole Human Family. and, sub
ordina,ey thereto. of the animal kingdom.
3. lii the duty of erery human being able to work
to subsistence by hearty, persistent Industry
In some department of Useful Labor.
L. He that will not work should not eat
S. The apportionment of the Earth's surface TO
different individuals and families is properly calcu
lated 10 promote and should be made to sub
serve the great end of compelling the idle to work
for living and securing to The industrious the entire
fruits of their toll.
g. Every man certainly, every innocent mani hos
God given RIGHT TO LIVE. This Right of course
implies that there is come place where he has right
to live-some means by which he assuredly may
i've He has, by the fact of his birth, right TO the
use and enjoyment Of a reasonable portion OF the
elements provided by the Creator for Mans develop
mont, eus,enance and comfort.
Blu, this right is practically denied where the
Soil Ia legally made the Property Of the few or even
many, to The exclusion OF others OF like wants and
faculties with themselves. Thus we say man has
right 10 breathe air and drink water but If the
Government were 10 grant sell all the air and wa
ter to certain individuals and companies who should
In turn sell permits 10 breathe ut cent hour and
TO drink when thirsty ats corresponding rate, the
rights 10 breathe and quench their thirst with wa.
ter would be practically subverted, though every
one should continue breathe and drink hitherto
by contract with the Air.lords and Wa,er-lords
So of Labor. Man must labor that he may hon.
sstly subsist He is dvnely commanded to labor.
But the principle of Landlordsm says. You shall
mot obey the Divine command withou, obtaining
nay permission and paying me tribute Though
poor mans gnRwing stomach aud suffering children
imperatively incite him 20 work yet the Law for
hids him to do until he can find some one who be-
Loves he can make profit by giving the needy ap-
plcnnt employ ment. II he ventures to dig
roots pick berries in the wood, TO satisfy The i'm
peralise cravings of Nature, the Law pronounces
hi tre.passer, and liable TO an action for damages
Here are fundamental errors-wropgs in Princ
pie, which evidently lead TO wrongs 10 Prsctice.-
That they may not IN every case do so is cheerfuy
conceded. Thousands of men owning no land and
having no legal Right to Labor save BY others per-
mission do we, live comfortably, have abundant
ployreni and enjoy the full fruits OF their toll
Many great landowners among the best of men
much better than the laws which authorize them
10 deny The use of the soil to those who need it
But for this there can be no security TO eny while
tho few own what the many cannot do without AT
this moment hear of one man who owns Etght
Millions of fertile acres In Texas; another wants
20 cell over One Mion of acres this State. They
ara both good men. 1t is not their faux that Lsnd
Monopoly Is legaI,zed aud saDc,ihed The world over
aud has been Ia almost every Constitution but that
given by God 10 Moses. IL lie yotr business 10 rec
sify elemental Political abuses, even though soened
and disguised by Time. Compare that old Cons,i
tuition given through Moses, and say whether its
rigid requirements of perpetual divisions and res,o
rarons OF Land be the necessary dictate OF that
earlier and universal Law which prescrbes alter
nate seasons of Labor and Rest and erlons their OBJ
servancs On the whole Human Face.
The evils of Land Monopoly. like those OF Slave
~ Idol-worship and Incompetence, and every ven
cradle wrong, only obscured 10 the general
mind by custom aud familiarity. Volumes OF start
ing truth nigh, be filled wiki them. The recent
Anti Rent troubles would find parallels nesrly
every page of a true Social History of man, This
Monopoly is the oversbsdowing curse OF the fam
i.hsd Millions of Great British and Ireland. In vain
have these run through round of Political eonvul-
sions 10 escape them in vain do they now shout for
Cheap Bread or Repeal if the Soil from which
Twenty eight Millions must be subsised is TO con-
tinus mainly The absolute property OF few thou
sands, with the furnishing multitude bidding despeI-
sely agans, each other for the sad privilege OF do
Ing the most work upon it for the least fraction OF
The proceeds. Repeal will prove mainly valuable
TO iceland as aaordins her chance for some reiet
from, the horrors of rents absentee landlords
Land Tenares which discourage improvement aud
diminish employment. Free Corn, ii so0d for any
thing TO England, is 90 only as aFosdins some mill
cation of the exactions of Landlordisna--This is
vha, France has gained by her Revolution and she
l. .Ar1t rk1 hntf.A