New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-29

Flu.r D. lev he dec atu tlAA the extent OF tern
tory covered By the euures Of the controversy and h
great number VI citizens interested IN H. rendered tn
subec; worthy of the consiferaton Of the Legislature
Tbs; lille full force allowed % the circumstance
that The tenants hAi entered voluntarily into such stpu
s;ons the state had always recognized it. Obligation
% promote the general welfare and guard individuals
sgausf oppression That the Legislature had the
power over the remedies upon contracts between land
i0rd and al other forms Of legal redress
And DE- expressed a conviction that s0ne measures
ought % b. adopted which without violating contracts
working Injustice O. either party would sssmilste the
tenures IN question tu those Which experience had
proved 10 b more sccgrdanf with the principles OF Re
publican Governments sHd conducive % the gene
"a prosperity AID The peace and harmony OF society
Encouraged by this recommendation from the Chief
Magistrate OF the state given in performance Of his Con
sttua0nsi duty % recommend such measures - be
should deem expeden the tenants covered tie tables Of
the Legislature win petitions. Those, with the tNscl
tive recommendation. were referred % a very able
Committee who heard counsel in support OF them. snd
10 due time submitted eisbOraie rspor; In which they
discussed the obnoxious tenures alluded 90 the questions
raised concerning the tie Cd the proprietor OF Rens
seaerVick and % tie various hArihips and wrongs 81
which tie tenants complained
The Committee declared nat these tcnures unu-
susl ard contrary % good policy and detrimental 70 Ag
rculfure l1e Committee tlf Judiciary. upon due
r0nsd, ration of the subject had introduced BIZ
Tor the lief Of the tenants which provided Ia the frst
place q abolish distress for rent in al where rent
wa payable not in money. And also for taxing away
the remedy by action Ct efctmelt when the lease hsd
become forfeited by the n0npayment hy the tenant Of
Whist i called the quarter sale. The Select Committee
reviewed that Report and expressed opinion thar
these measures could not Be eHectualy adopted be-
cause they would violate the Constitution OF the United
States But the Committee declared their opinion that
the state possessing the night OF eminent domain might
nterpOse by virtue OF ~ sovereign 20 change tue
tenures upol just compensation 10 be inside BY the ten
ants 10 the not for the interest OF the tenants
nor 70 impair the rights remedies OF the landlord
but for the public good and they referred to the mem
orsble passed in the 18th year Of Charles H. By
which tpuures n chivsiry were Abolished
The Committee concluded by recommending that
Board Of Commissioners be appointed 20 examine fully
All the grievances complained Of and TO exert their e
iorts 10 eject compromise, which would obviste the
necessity OF farther legislation. Accordingly law
passed in the year. under which two enlightened
Commissioners, Hugh Maxwell and Garry y. sackett
Esqrs were appointed 10 examine the grievances Of The
tenants and 20 cudcsvor effect compromise These
Commissioners abored assiduousy IN the discharge Of
their duties but their report made In ei showed that
while they found these exceedingly injurious 10
the interests of the tenants and the country their efforts
for the adjustment of the controversy had been NEGLECT
usl Nothing done by the Legislature for several
years thereafter to the difficulties which mad
come to be regarded incurabe. The spirit OF con.
uOversy had diusei itself throughout the central
portions OF the State coe xiensvey with the large lease
hold estates ltsppesred in manifestations OF III sup
pressed discomfort combinations were organized some
Of which proceeded openly and contemplated redress
by lawful measures and others secretly, banded to-
gether disordery persons disguised armed and deter
mined TO achieve the same objects by sediton and NO
lence.
These combinations in one form or the other length
extenied from Albany and Rensselaer, counties into Co
lumbis schenectady Delaware, Greene, Ulster, ~ulh
van, sehoharie, Montgomery Fulton. Otsego Oneida,
Niagara and Cataraugus. Applications were continually
made 10 the Legislature Tor redress IN forms AS various
a. the characters OF the persons who had become en-
gagged in these combinations, or sympathzed with them
some prayed FOR a law which would prohibit any per
son after the ith day Of July. $40, from possessing
more than thousand acres Of land some that GER
tain statutes which prevented the commencement of
the the estates covered
BY the obnoxious tenurcs might be repealed Others
desired laws modifying the leases 40 a. To allow rents
reserved in wheat be paid in money Others Insisted
that law should be passed which should oblige land
lords 30 sell the demsct premises a. their tenans nj TOE
appraisal OF Commissioners. Others required that ds
tress for rent should be abolished Others again. that
the landlords should be assessed by sn income tax
And all united IN praying tor the passage OF law which
would compel the landlord u prove his title In an action
founded on covenant or condition contained IN his
Lease at least that the tenant igh show by way OF de
fence that the landlord was without tile regardless of
time the provisions OF the lease under which he held
The denial Of all these petitions in manner which
seemed 10 forbid all hope OF legislative nterposton In
the year l-iJ. attended by multiplied law suits.
The prevalent disc0nents in many parts Of the state
rose into spirit OF determined and sedtOus resistance
The cause OF the tenants had now found advocates in
the press in the Courts Of Justice fnd in popular cleo
tons as well as In the Legislature while IS not to De
denied that the great orderly and law abiding
citizens the unlawful associations which had been or
yanzed In their behalf sbsolved themselves from All
control The Governor In his annual Message in l-i5,
Informed the Legislature that
The difficulties which have been described had entered
INTO Tie popular elections That without waiting for The
scion ~ the legislature stance 10 the law ana 10 oil
had been ell IN forms and under
Of the deepest aggragatou That 0rgnn "a hands OF men
be hsnd. Rsi sS. -, ia sss 81 & l S' ~ ~,
cess and is oere and n repeated instances and IN more
nan one county had pat The ne Of the Sheriff and h.
Deputies n imminent peril fociby taken from them their
oheia papers and buried ihem n open day AM compelled
he ohesrs 9 des't rom me farther dshaffr ol iheir
duties Thai .he misguided yoai0rs Of hs iaw and ~
isturbes oi te public peace had no. Lfnd their out
RACES within even THIS limit But uai already ma ives OF
TWO peaceahe sad unoheuing czers had been taken n
both Instances when neither the Sheriff hs officers
process"
lie declared ihai he question between the landlord sud
tenant was ia what av contracts onerous 10 their exsc
tons and ienures In their snt character
nal with tie habits and opinions oft culen- could be-
nesceably. Iustly anI con-iutionay Modified 10 meet
fie changed circu of The times. Inst
question 10 which tle feelings and sympses Of me PEG
pie deeply sled and strongly ncnng in favor Do
ie tenants and that under other circumstances be- might
have infedihe careful aieniiunoi the Legislature ID nose
buf hl be- was preclded from ~ hat
character by tle eAraVagaut ard Dtecn-ioc posi1ns
gwen 10 he conro cray hy the unlawful and violent pro
Greetings ~ those who assumed; TO take charge Of the
rights snd interests 81 DE- tenants involved n tie litigation
The Governor then informed ihe Legis that the
principal disturbances OF recent dss had been coufred %
he counties Of Columbia and Rensselaer, That
Pa- concerned N resistance 10 the Sheriff ard -gsPec
Columbia county I'D BEEN arrested I'D eonfsea IN he
JAIL At Hudson has srescue Threatened and move
nenis made BY disguised bsnfs effect De. oble, Thai
military force had been c-tlh std 1T Hudson sustain
he public suihor.irs. and would remain there until he
offenders In prs0l should be tried for their crmns The
Governor recommended the passage Of a law prom BIZ
persons from wearing disguise 10 facilitate the commits
sion oferne, or % escape us penalties.
Tho Legislature passed the law recommended on the
18th day OF January l-ij and the 18th day Of April
the same Legislature passed An Act 10 enforce the
laws and preserve public order whereby the Govern
or was authorized 20 declare any county IN q state OF
nsuuection and to adopt extraordinary measures for
the preservation OF the public peace. The Governor
IN his annual message Of the following year announced
tina, the county Of Delaware, heretofore comparatively
peaceful had after the passage OF the law Of the
9TH Of January l-i5 become the theatre Of more open
End sctve resistance against the officers OF the law than
had previously prevailed elsewherethat the Courts
and Juries Of the county well is citizens general
~. had proved firm and fathul-tha several persons
were az an early day arrested for violation Of that law
tried and convicted, and three OF their number .en.
fenced % imprisonment in the state Prison the
term Of two years-thst siterwafd Sch0hare County
the scene Of various outrsges and Of forcble re-.
ss'snce 10 the public ofcers-tha, great outrsges
against the rights Of property and private persons had
been committed and that IN the month Of May the
sheriff and his assistants had been repeatedly red upon
and one Of those ASSISTANTS severely wounded.
That on the tn Of August l-ij these mistaken and
sdysed disturbances In the county OF Delaware we're
brought 70 open insurrecon and the long Catalogue Of
crimes were crowned with cold deliberate and cruel
murder That the under sheriff OF that county had
been shot 70 death from behind the protection masks
and dguises in the middle Of the day IN the open field
.N