New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-17
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, MAY II.

| Tnputatlon OF being raud. " Lods a. rentcs, De
nc a charge of 81 per cent upon the value Of prop
erty cash time it is sold, checks the spirit Of enter
Prise and improvement and literally turns aside the
emigrant from these shores. Who would, for In
stance, reclaim the forest land, build houses and
barns drain, fence and cultivate the SOIL and plant
orchards, with the certainty before him that when
inclined to sell, onetwehh of his outlay and skill
should find its way into the pocket Of the segnior.
The Island Of Montreal, including the town, was
claimed by the Order Of St. Sulpicians bat doubt
lowered their pretensions, aud Lord Sydenham,
a ski,lful though inscriptions tactician, needing
the countenance Of the priests, confirmed their
title, with the condition that they should when ap-
piled to by any proprietor, commute the property
Of the individual applying. Thus the ma or part
OF Montreal was rescued from the benumbing infu-
OF feudalisn and the city has been embelished
and almost rebuilt since that period. | say the
major part, because certain portions yet remain
subject 10 the feudal tenure for instance the fef
Lagauchetierre, bounded by the main street, ST.
Lawrence, suburbs which belong to Mr. Lafontaine,
Attorney General, Mr.. Bourret, President of the
Council, and DR.. Bcauben, paid physician ~ the
Montreal jail Curiosity will ask, What's 10 be
the result OF the agitation against ieudahsm and,
Shall the disconnected succeed | confess, that
looking at the question under every possible aspect,
perceive such numerous and such formidable OBJ
staces in the way, that believe the ieudal tenure
will exist until swept away by a revolution it is
ngrained into our legal system; II is consecrated as
right as unassallabe as any other iOrm OF pos
session it is guaranteed by the articles of capitula
ton when Canada changed owners 1t Is recognised
and sustained by our legal tribunals and It cannot
be invaded unless by spOliation or revolution-ln
either case spoliaton. II it could be proved that
the seenories have been transmitted in unbroken
descent from the original grantees 70 their present
descendants there would be some color OF reason IN
saying to the men of the present day You are ex-
tOrtoners and cheats; you cling u the letter but
escape the spirit OF the law which originated LOIS
ct rentes y resume the position Of your ancestors,
and il you claim mutation fine at every sale, let
the value be that which the lands were worth when
your ancestor obtained the grant ffom the French
monarch The present proprietors on the contrary,
are men who have invested their m 1ney within the
last thirty forty years. large proportional the
seignors are AnglO-Saxons, they have, moreover,
paid the crown the qunt," one-fiith of the pur
chase money, or price at which they purchased
their seigniories To strip these men OF their prop
ties would be spoliation and as many of them have
creditors, the consequences OF spolaton would not
be limte TO d narrow circle. The more reasOna-
bic course would be for the censitaires to raise the
money required to iberate the segniory, but this is
imp actcable from poverty, Indifference, or less
reputable reasons, aud the agitation, like all con-
ficts waged by the masses against individuals, IS
degenerating fast into sullen feeling on the part
OF the people, that they have been so long wronged
and delrauded, that il is time the selgnlOrs began
to suffer. Very little prompting isrequisite to sug
gest passive resistance, which would involve the
whole structure in ruin, attaining indirectly that
spollatiOn which is certain to attend revolution |
might, at the hazard of exhausting the patience OF
your readers, enter into details which would eX-
plain the difficulties which beset the reiormer when
bof hos V,.,rft. If M ha
easy to introduce some aristocratic element into
your constitution, IL would be TO democraucse
monarchical institution. The clumsy expedent OF
patching and mending, men of sense abandon as
worse than folly. Feudallsm was suited to the age
when it vas instituted, and the companionship of
censlt0ire and segnieur applicable TO state oil So
ciety when the ncursions OF the Indian were 70 DE
checked and repressed France, the parent Of our
feuda tenure, emancipated herself from tins thral
dom more than half q century since, but Canada
by the grace Of conquest, retains the oppressive
gift.
The approaching session Of Parliament has
prompted Ministers to throw out feelers to ascer-
tain the public pulse. Retrenchment is now openly
avowed Of their doctrines, though it needed
a good deal of public writing and public speaking to
extract the confession DO not anticipate that the
Cabinet will come down with bill setting forth
the poverty of the Colony the exhorbtant salaries
attached to Office, and specifying the nature and
extent Of the reductions recommended Such will |
not be their policy. They are too subtle and too |
insincere to adopt so simple n proceeding They |
will most likely ask the House to form a Commit |
tee, to whom the whole question will be submitted |
and by whose report the Cabinet will pledge them
selves TO act. But in this Colony office holders or
expectants Of office, throng the House, consequently
sefinterest will exercise its influence and neutral
Use the disnterested efforts of the patriotic. Still
ii is step in the right direction, and every sue
from which the working Of your State Government
has smoothed all obstacles and relieved the expert
ment from the charge OF novelty or danger.
Next in Importance 10 the retrenchmcnt scheme,
the Ministry place their intended proposal to in
'rease the representation; bat to carry out the idea
hey require majority of twothrds the House,
md as the principle To be discussed will revive the
lever slumberng instinct of nationality the bill of
$50 may meet the fate of its elder brother OF 1879
IN the other hand, the Conservatives may be
empted TO renew, in more favorable locality, the
ebellion losses bill, for in Toronto they can do aud
ay things which in Montreal would have been i'm
olitic in the face of numerous French population
A.
~ AIR. Francis Parkman, Jr. only son Of the
Ne DR.. q Parkmsn, Of Boston, was married on Monday
si, al Kings Chapel" dsughter Of Dr. Jacoo Bige.
w, OF the same city
This is another of the Erpresss bunders. Mr..
rancis Parkman, Jr. is not the only sou of the
tie DR.. q. ParkmaD," but of Rev. DR.. Francis
arkman. He is well-known TO the literary world
; the author of " The California and Oregon Trail
very picturesque and spirited book Of Rocky
fountain life.
Lg- Among the passengers in the Canada, from
oston Tor Liverpool on Wednesday, were Prof
itchcock and wife, OF Amhers, College EIhu
urrtt of Worcester
COST or RIors IN PHILADELPHIA-The PhllQ.
1ptia Inquirer says From official sources, we
arm that the following sums have been paid by !
Re County OF Philadelphia for riots. pay OF military
30 cVi posse, since the year 1872 up to ls49 in