New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-30

MANY Austria and Hungary by the great uPneaEai OF
1s4e-which. il it has left behind il no other benefit
will be honorahly mentioned in history, for the em'nc
pston Of millions of peasants. But this continent
under Parliamentary Government and with the fran
ebses of British subjects the feuda regime survives
The lands Of Lower Canada are still generally held
under feuda tenure Their cultivators do not owa
them. but occupy as tenants paying 70 the lords per-
peusl rent, which though somewhat modified. is still
essentially the system Of the Middle Ages Astrking
consequence is the standsti unimprOvng appearance
Of the country aud the chsngeess hereditary habit. OF
the people After tie lapse OF above two centuries IN
new lard and climate they are, in all important par
tculsrs the same the ancient pesssntrY oil their
mother country With the same language, religion, and
customs protected by geographical remo'eness from
the revolutionary commissions and innOvatng Ideas
which have sgtatsd and transformed their breth-
ren at home, We can look nowhere else Tor
so faithful an image of what the rustic popu-
ation and manners of France were before ts teldal
constitution disappeared in the carnage Of w. Perhaps
something more Of personal independence belongs TO the
French Canadian Ieasanty for they have grown mp I'M
der the protection Of law but in social character IN
many agreeable and even charming qualities. and IN the
stupidity Of spontaneous conversation they are the same
The material or political ameioraOns that have taken
Mace around them have LEFT them untouched. The
Esquimaux not more unaffected by American ideas
and American enterprise reform is now, however,
abont to be rauguFated which will eventually, though
gradually change their condition. and tend to make
them members Of the great American community, in
which, or rather near which, they have hitherto lived
apart.
We have before us Bib to define the Rights of
4 nj 70
facilitate the redemption thereof" introduced into
the Canadian Assembly by MI. Attorney General Drum
mond an Address against the same delivered at the
bar Of the House by CHRISTOPHER Ddnkin, NJ. a, adTo-
cate comprising the matter OF thick volume octavo
Mr. Druumonds reply thereto; and several blue
books, containing historical aud statistical information
on the subject Of the Feudal Tenure OF Land in that
Province These several documents the materials
for most important chapter in the history of Lower
Canada They are the records of the ast struggle OF
lis eudal lords and the first tangible step made by the
people toward throwing of the shackes of Feudalism,
and lssimGtiDg their laws in a very important partcu
lar. to those of their more prosperous neghbors
The inconvenience of the Seignioral Tenure may be
briefly stated Though the rents at which lands were
conceded to settlers oV-seldom exceeding four
sous and never eight-thOse rents were rredeemable
and the occupant could not compel his landlord 20
Grant him the freehold Of Lis fa~m. Tns was one
serious objection 10 the system Sales and in tact all
mutations except transmssions by Inheritance involved
fine 90 the Segnior OF One-twelfh the purchase money
and though in practice so heavy per age sell
dem e1acted tle fne claimed always so heavy as
10 be serious obstacle to sales Of real estate. At
common law, the Seisnior was authorized to resume
=, e H.. hsl al anl1 sf
he price he had received for it and this right fur
ther secured by express stipulation IN most concession
deeds. SO inqultous Il system needs comment.
seenors claimed and Courts of Justice sustained them
in night Of property in all streams and non-naygabe
rivers flowing through their segnOres thus depriylng
the Tenant on the shore of bis natural right TO the
water adjacent Tie former thus exercised monopoly
Of lucrative branch of trade in Canada, viz that OF
cutting saw.logs and floating them down TO the st.
Lawrence. Flour and grst-mills we're likewise
seignioria monopoly: the common law expressly
declared that the Tenant should be bound TO
carry his corn to the Seigniors mill. Without
stopping 10 notice other minor rules of the feudal
law, which bore as heavily on the tenants as those
we have mentioned, it viii probably be admitted
that a system under which could not become the
bona fde owner of bis farm sell it, develop It's re-
sources, was about unsuted 10 the condition Of
Young country as any thar could be devised Such nev
erhtless is the system under which Lower Canada has
groaped for 100 years without faint show Of
discomfort however from time TO time. The records
Of the old Courts held by the French Intendsn. show
that the STRIFE between Segnor and Tenant almost
coeyal with the establishment of the Tenure. AZ the
Conquest the Segnors stripped Of their Judicial
powers and some other rights which coniicted with
the preIcga,iye Of the Crown Again later period,
as soon as popu ar party formed in the old Par
lament a feeble sgitation against Feudssu set
foog but though Commission appointed 10 in
ouire into the state of the law many Of the Ogsr
chical rulers of the Province themselves SeguiOrs
to permit any practical measure Of reform 10 the
hpht IL was reserved for the Liberal Ministry, which
took Office in lSi7 10 commence the work Of abolition.
| The biz now before introduced into the Ca
madam Parliament by Mr. Drummond during the last
session Of the late Parliament. At the dissolution it
was in he bands of Committee and the principle Of
abolition was a test question ST the elections large
majority Of the Lower Canadian members elected
on pledge to support il and the retirement of Messr
Iafontaine and Baldwin having necesssted the fOrna-
,ion Of new Ministry Mr. DrummOnd the father of
the project was appointed Attorney General. After
searching examination in Committee, the bill again
introduced and passed the third reading few days ago
by vote of 81 TO 20.
Its operation affects both Wild lands and lands that
hsve already been settled under the Tenure, With
gard 70 the former il enAets that Segnors shall here
.fsr Ia bornd IN eoDrede 10 any apnleant auanritv