New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-25
The Rxacfious and OppressiOns of Land No.
nopoIy in Western New-York.


HOLLAND LAND PURCHASE March % ga
10 tie Editor o. Tie 7ri5sne-
| promised you in letter dated Dec q, i-46. 70
lay before the public the manner in which two
Agents Of Trust Company in the City Of New.
York DO business with the farmers and others
against whom this Company holds mortgages
now proceed to ful6l my promise I shall sustain
the charges with facts which viii be eloquent
enough Of themselves, and viii require bat few
comments from me. add one more page TO the
history Of that silent and widespread war which
the strong-strong in wealth, in legal knowledge
Or cunning-are waging against the poor, the igno-
rant the helpless laborers and against which bit
here and there a Voice is rased-generally Kissed
down by the power Of the stronger party.
The facts which shall present have derived
from the different Clerks OFces in the Counties Of
Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming,
and also from the Chancery Clerks Office at Ro-
chester. have obtained in addition a good deal
Of information from quite a number OF persons ia
the several Counties who have taken pains TO in.
form themselves upon the subject
In the course oil my letter. VIII explain % the
gentlemen OF the Trust Company how they them
selves, as well the poor farmers, have been Ie-
gqiy eiefimi,ed by their representatives here. the
two lawyers in question. an confident that the
Trust Company loses by the maneuvers Of its law
yer agents $4,000 per annum, for the rapscious
policy Of these men is a two-edged sword-t cuts
both ways. The Company will understand this il
it win bat look closely into the matter
And now for the facts TO sustain tie charges
which bring
The number Of LIS psaieas fled IN heo gems ~
fire C0UHfias in which this Trust Company holds
mortgages is SIR huHdrcd and .f6y,fref Three
hundred and twenty Of these Chancery suits were
brought in the County Of Wyoming alone. In the
Counties Of Orleans, Niagara and Genesee the in
terest Of the Company being very small, the num-
Der Of suits is proportionsbly small
To these 655 suits in Chancery are to be added
fre hundred and trerty suits at law by advertise
nent This information is derived from the best
sources-from persons who have taken pains to ex-
anime carefully the newspapers in their respective
Counties in which the advertisements appeared
Thus TO 52o foreclosures at lew add the o35 in
Chsucery and you have total Of ll73 foreco-
sures in two years
But this is only part Of the burden bsaped upon
the farmers the crying evil is yet to come, and il
comes in the shape OF the most shameless extortion
that was ever practiced-leg9l e-t0rti0H Of course
and for which men may 60 unwhipped Of justice,
but in comparison with which highway robbery
loses lie atrocity and appears quite an innocent
pastime allude 10 the Notice Sysfsm as It 10
called and is carried on by these Agents and which
shall describe in a subsequent part Of this letter
Suffice to say ct present that the number Of suits
commenced. in which Notices only are given. and
then settled by the legally defrauded se;tlers-they
paving Of course the costs-must exceed during the
las, two wears one thousand. known only 10 these
AGENTS and their confidential Clerks This swells
the number Of all kinds OF suits, commenced and
carried through to 2l75 Is this not picture Of
legal robbery disgusting as il IS infamous and
TO show this system. pursued By these vampires
Of the law in all its naked hideousness II IS 10 be
remembered that during thirty seven years OF own
ersbip OF these lands by the Holland Land Com
pnny-the original owDer-oHiy three sEHs were
brought and these merely for The purpose OF estao
fishing the validity Of the title. Whence comes
this difference in the policy OF the two Companies
The explanation IS 10 be found IN the TACT thst the
AGENTS of the original Company were not nHP'R-
cipled and rapaci0Es ia1ryers and were not permit
ted by the Company 70 rob the unfortunate settlers
the men who, by their labor. have given 10 tins
important region its entire value
Tn. costs as obtained from the Chancery Clerk 8
Office at Rochester and from other sources amount Tor
the last three years 70 the enormous sum O al least
sI320OO s., as shown by the following e'il
mate
Amount Of taxed costs la Chancery Tor tie -,
last three years. ~ =
This sum Is taken from the records in the
Eighth Circuit but does not include lees OF
sale which are not put in the taxed bills
they amount 10 at least 5000 per snnun' - 80.
which for three years gives-.-----..--. HOo "
Total of Chsncery law expenses. SAFE -
More costs ere paid BY he farmers on the settle
rntnt of suits before DEGREES are obtained,
than after: a great majority OF the suits are
settled a. the records show before DEGREES
are obtained / cannot obtain the precise
number of suits 50 settled. because many
are adjusted before he bills are fed riih ihe
Clerks Of TIE C5urf9f CzqRc0y. Let sup
pose that the costs such suits are the
same as on those that weai % decrees-
which estimate, | am confident l. Below the - 80
MARYLAND We have y second sum 81 Il2 -
have not been able " examine The records
10 ascertain the amount o. costs made IN
fJreeiossres q lar hut judging frog' ths
number Of cases whiab - published in
the papers, estimate the amount 70 De quite
a. much As that ia Chancery. but 20 De Ger.
tain Of not making an over estimate, viii
call il two thirds. msking. .----...-.-.-s lb'4io =
Taese sum- il = 10 be Observed, include the
costs only OF the Eighth Circsit Several
Counties OF the Sixth Circuit are CON.
rris,d IN the territory OF these Agents, and
ala estimated by the Vice Chancellor Of
sixth Circuit that the costs o. s4its ftif 20
inc ds,Yess amount 10 S6ooo pr annum- .. ~,
Ia three years This ylelds............. lew" W
Aaa 70 ths sum Masters fees On sAles when
are AZ least oue.third a. much IS the taxed ~, ~
costs and we have. wv ~
Asd "a this costs on suits commenced IA re
SIKH Circuit but setied before DEGREES
which will suppose 70 De round NUM- =, 90 N
bers aud not above the isct- ~'900 -
Add Again the costs on foreclosures a. @W
In the sixth Circuit, which aTe 81 least eqas4 a., ~
10 the total amount OF Chancery COSTS. NV "
Commission paid on collections 20 ne sgent'
and which il said 20 be $500 per snuum' -, -
and we have tor three years----.------- -1---- -
~ .sI52.sl0 -
This enormous amount has been distracted iF9'1
the farmers in this region, and has gone ih'o q
hands Of these two Lawyer Agents curing Ine
course OF the last three years. II THIS sun 49,
out of the Trust Company y wo1ld deserve 70 "
subjected 70 such legal extortion. but pFV'so-!
abou, 500 900 Of il comes out OF the hard earnings
OF the settlers r;h.h
The number OF suits in Chsncery in the Eisntn
Circuit has been increased since the yea. .Sso,
iron, Eine up to thousands. The AMOUNT o. axe
costs. as appears by the records have oeea "a
creased during tue same period, and In 'he $50
- Manly - coo. without lnc4N1-