Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-15
mR. sCULLY,s OPERATIONS.

Ets OPhRAE1ONS..
 The performances in the West of the En- glishman William Scully, widely and unfa. vorably known as 'tMy Lord Scu1ly," are bes ginning to attract some of the attention to which they are fairly entitled.
 'Lord" Scully's first purchases of land in Illinois were made as much as forty years ago. He was first attracted to this field of enterprise by the floating of Illinois Central railroad bonds in England and the glowing description of the country, it's rapid develop ment and future possibilities which filled the accompanying prospectuses. Once here he saw that the half had not been told, and after making his first purchases he went back to England, only to return in short time with the necessary funds to increase his holdings. This policy of absorption he continued until the passage of the alien land law, and will, it is expected, further continue it if he caR evade or nullify that act. His holdings in Logan county, Illinois, alone now exceed forty thousand acres, and he has landed es- tates in Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska, rep resenting an aggregate value. at low esti- mate, of $3, GOO, 900 and yielding princely annual revenue.
 Soully has covered his land with tenants who have been pretty tractable. It is asserted that on Scully's land in Illinois drains, ditches, wells and other improvements made by the tenants labor, which are immovable and add to the value of the property, are made the basis of an advance in rents. As to houses, fences, barns, cribs, etc., it has never been the habit of Scully or his agents to take the risk of building or keeping any of them in repair. The only thing rented is the bare ground, and an incoming tenant is thus forced to pay the outgoing one for all these necessary fixtures. The natural results of such policy are manifest in the poor character of buildings all over the Scully es- tates. There is everywhere evident want of home comfort and adornment.
 In the leases given by Scully it has been provided that the lessee or tenant shall pay all taxes assessed and levied against the property. This oppressive contract served twofold purpose for Scully. If it's legality was open to doubt it would at least restrain the ignorant tenantry of his two townships from voting tax upon themselves. If, on the other hand, it's legality could be estab- lished, the more taxes and improvements the tenants were compelled to vote the better for Scully. But the people of Illinois have walked up to what is going on, and at the last session of the legislature some laws were passed which will tend to make MT. Scully very uncomfortable. One of them has a sec- tion declaring void sll contracts between ten ants and any alien or aliens agent which stipulates that the tenant shall pay all taxes due on the property described, and providing that if any alien landlord or his agent shall receive in advance or at any other time any sum of money or other articles of value in lieu of such taxes, the same may be recovered by the person paying in any court of common jurisdiction. Another law destroys "Lord' Scully's right to acquire more land in Illinois except on condition that he shall become a naturalized citizen of the United States-a condition altogether improbable, not to say impossible, of fulfllment. It also provides for the escheat of his lands to the State after his death if his heirs do not signify their in- tention to become American citizens within the time specified in the set. He is given the right to sell to bona fde purchasers on the same terms and conditions as natural born citizens, except that if the payment of the purchase money is secured by mortgage or deed of trust and default is made thereon he can again obtain title only under the condi- tion that the property shall be resold within three years.
 It is understood that MT. Scully means to fight against these laws. The contest will be an interesting and important one.