Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1871-12-15
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND, FRIDAY DECEMBER IS 1871

! chalr, and without noticing her gloom, said
70, mother, fcar we are ruined. Mr.. FL
| liott has failed for an immense sum there ia
an execution on his house and goods, and all
tho clerks are turned adrif. Besides, he has
all the money you have laid up and | fear can
never repay shilling OF it. Nor is that the
worst for how is a fellow TO get new place
when the city is full of unemployed clerks |
shall have TO go into the apple-stall mother,
and give up all hope of marrying sweet Lucy
Gray"
George" replied his mother, "what you
tell me is bad enough; but my poor boy,
have still worse news for you. Our living is
gone. The apple-stall, out of the earnings of
which we raised you when an infant, before
your father saw the King; the cottage which
the King gave us liberty to build, end the
ground which he made our own over his own
name and seal, are all gone. The Lord Chan
cellor is building palace; the cottage stood
in the way, and the workmen have torn i, down
to-day. There is nothing left to US, my boy
but God and the wide world"
Bring me the deed, mother" replied the
son. The highest in England has no power
to Cypress the very lowest. Let his Lordshp
build on lie cannot seize that which is yours
by the Great Seal of England We're he ten
times Lord Chancellor I'll see him Tomorrow -
He did see him and was heard patiently
The claim was admitted and the Chancellor
hired the site of the old apple woman for the
annual rent of $500 Up+o May lst last, this
was punetually paid 10 the old woman's de-
sccndants.
And here comes in the last link of our
story. England is country of leaseholds
few thousand of the arisoeracy in com
mon with the established Church hold the
fee-simple of all lands London is built, and
Liverpool, and Birmingham aud Sheffield,
and Manchester, and every town, great and
small, within the Kingdom, on ground leased
for nnty-nine years, The rent on these leases
constitute one great element of the wealth of
the hereditary land owners. Upon the expi-
ration of lease, it is the universal custom to
renew it, no matter what may be the enhanced
value of the land, to the holder at the same
annual rent, for future term of ninety-nine
years, with what is called fine. Thus, the
Marquis OF Westminster, who holds three
quarters Of the West End of London thus
the Duke of Bedford, whose property, includes
Coyent Garden and all that labyrinth of
streets, and squares, and places, and inns of
the court that surround it; thus Lambeth
Place, residence of the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, that receives its pripcely revenues from
docks and right of ferries on the Thames re-
new old leases at the same annual rent to the
holder, with n fine The amount of the fine,
to be paid IN ready money, represents the in
creased value of the land To John Allen,
the barrstcr, upon the renewal of the apple
woman's lease in 1870, the fine paid by the
present Duke Of Wellington was f70 900, -
The fec-smple of the ground upon which APP
sley House stands, granted by law or favor,
under the sign-manual of George the Second,
remain in The hands Of the descendants of the
old apple-woman, one hundred and twenty
years after the King passed his word to the
wounded soldier.