New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-11
CANADA.
.,o,r1oN OF THE rEUDAL TENURE.

QUEBEC Saturday, Nov. 4, 1854.
Ths time seems N have come when the seigno'
,,.l Tenure can - longer escape absolute eht'nc'
.,on The Government measure, in the shape In
.h,eh "A was introduced, does not propose 70
e., this-it leaves a residudm Of the old feudai
-,,,sm. But from d, clarstion made last night
=. ,hs Attorney. General, there is little reason to
-, hist twill be 40 altered, In its passage
,,yeu,h the House, ss to effect the absolute e1'
,,.e,ion a the tenure. The question came up
sor the Hou,e TO 20 into Committee OF the Whole
an the hin. when fMr. D0riOn Of Montreal the
leader Of the EOEg6s moved an instruction to the
Cammittee 10 make the immediate and absolute
EXTINCTION Of the tenure the basis Of the measure,
aus regard being had 10 the ri, hts Of all parties In
teres,ed Toward the close Of the debate, the
Attorney General for Canada East announced that
ne should not bring the strength ofthe Government
10 oppose the principle OF the instruction: Inc
poi1t NAV therefore be considered 10 be yielded
IN the public is to be called upon 70 pay for an
ameloraton Of the system, the general feeling
.sems Ia be that the reform should not stop short
of the entire extinction Of the tenure and the sub
stituton Of free aud common socage. Why the
public should be called upon at all TO pay for such
a refoim some will demand to be informed.
Filth, the dues demanded by the segniors are
exactions. which want IN, warrant Of legality, or
they are legal IL not just; and az the eonshdire
has deliberately agreed TO pay them, why should
The public be compelled to bear any OF the burdens
which individuals have Voluntarily assumed In
Ills STYLE directors treat the question. The
answer ia, that Parliament, by IT'S neglect to
rem, dy the evil has become responsible for
fts existence and may fairly be called upon TO
nav for tie extinc ion Of an abuse which II was
bound 10 have put an end to long ago. For IN
stance, take the question OF rent. The seIgnors
we're entitled to charge tie accustomed rate;
Al. hot hot 10 tyac An
aryet was issued by the French King, when
Canada was a colony Of that crown declaring
that the rent should not exceed two sOus per ar
psnt But notwithstanding this the seigniors
came In time 20 exact rs much os FIVE times that
amount in some cases. The question came be-
fore the Courts. and they decided that they had
no power 20 settle it, Here was clear case Tor
the inter erence Ofthe Legislature. An evil existed
for which no remedy was provided. Clearly II was
the duty Of the Legislature TO provide thatremedy.
II was in ls2s that the question was hrst brought
before the Legislature Of Lower Canada-when
Mr. MORN the present Commissioner of Crown
Lands, introduced a remedial measure into the
house of Assembly II passed that branch OF the
Legislature, but, like almost every popular mea-
sure in those times, il was thrown out by the
Legislative Council. From that day to this all
attempts 10 effect settlement Of the question
have proved aborive; once again, so lately az
1853, from the same cause that defeated the bill
Of 1928 Meanwhile, the evil has gone on increas-
ing The seigniors have continue to exact ille-
cal dues in the shape Of rent. The tOds 81 reHies,
payable upon every sale of seignoria lands, hsve
prevented the exchange Of such lands, and c0nse-
qusntly their Improvement, 10 a very gre at extent.
fhe iods n peRtes are equal TO one-twefth of the
whole purchase money, and probably constitute
the worst grievance Of this whole tenure. They
are a dead weight upon improvement, for, if a
person make $I2,0Ol worth of Improvement on a
soignorial property, aud afterward sells IT, he
must give the seignior $4,000 of the purchase
money. In this particular the operation OF the
tenure is robbery pure and simple. IL is easy t.
estimate the effect upon all Improvement Of the
seignier having monopoly OF all water-power OF
seignorial lands. There can De no machinery
driven by such water, except such as he thlnk'
proper 10 set agoing However, this monopoly il
simply an obstruction TO progress, without being il
the nature Of an Illegal exactOn. The oensi'air'
contends that he has no right TO pay what tho
scignor had, by the law and custom of France
no right 10 exact; and as the Legislature has tOer
sted the exacton, has ignored it, has permitted
the abuse to flourish, it has made itself at once
responsible for its existence and is extinction;
aid ii that extinction demands pecuniary means
the Legislature il bound to find them; leaving the
eoasitaue TO pay all, but no more, that the law
under which the seignOr had his trusteeship, re-
qures from him. But the question remains, why
should the seignOirs be compensated for exactons
which are admittedly Illegal Aud the obvious an
swer is, that many OF them now occupy the position
Of innocent parties. They purchased seignorial
rights and dues at time when those high or H.
legal votes were exscted; when the courts refused
toput stop to the exactiOn and the Legislature no
matter from what cause, neglected TO do so. And
for this neglect il is now required TO pay. Ii is
difficult to ascertain the amount of communication
money which the public may be called upon TO
pay; but | believe no party will object to vote
half million of dollars TO effect the conversion,
a. speedily as possible, of this leudal into free
tenure. There may indeed be some oensitaires
Directing to the system, who can hardly be
said TO be innocent parties They agreed, with
their eyes open, to pay I'd or I'd. per arpent,
rent; and Of course they paid less in the shape of
purchase money in consequence But in great
question Of State necessity, few cases of this
hind must not be allowed to weigh against the re-
form Of an admittedly great abuse, the removal of
agigsntc barrier in q way Of social aud material
progress. The seigniors have petitioned to be
heard at the bar of the House against the BILL and
possibly their wi.hes may be gratfed, but the ex-
tension to them of this indulgence cannot avert
the impending and dreaded reform.
On Thursday night good many divisions were
had on the Clergy Reserves bill, in the House of
Assembly; but in no ease did the anti -Secularizers
muster more than sixteen votes.
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VALUABLE DIsoovrRY.-7He Washington Star
RNAtV H.