The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1894-08-31
OLD FEUDAL CUSTOMS
Some That stin Survive in Por-
tions OF Canada
-selgniorles Near Quebec stiu Run on the
Principles Lald Down in Paris Four
Centuries Ago aud Repeated as Long
Ago as the French Revolution.

Centuries Ago aud Repeated as Long
Ago as the French Revolution.
Parkman and Others have told us all !.
about the mild feudal system which /
prevailed in French Canada down to
1854. The seignior received grant of
wild land from the king on condition
that he should put settlers upon it, He
had to preserve the oak timber for ship
building, and the red pine for the man
ufacture of tar, and to notify the
kings agents if he found minerals on
the seigniory. He had 10 go through
the form of paying homage and fealty
to the kings representative at Quebec
when he entered on possession, some
times oftcner, and TO pay fifth Of the
purchase money If he sold the estate
to the royal Golfers, though he was al
lowed rebate of two-thirds for cash
down. The censitaire or habitant, who
held the land under the seignior, had
to pay the annual Gems CT rentes, often
sol (cent), Or half sol, with half
pint of wheat or few live capons or
eggs for each arpent. The land of the
censataire passed to his heirs, but, in
case he sold during his lifetime, the
lods ct ventes came into play, and one
twelfth of the purchase money went
to the seignior. BY the droit de re-
trait the seignior could compel pur-
chaser within forty days of the sale to
transfer the property to him at the
price paid if he thought it had not
fetched enough.
The censitaire had to get his wheat
ground at the seignior's mill, and on
some seigniories to have his bread
| baked at the seignior's oven, paying
i toll in each case; to give tithe of the
fish he caught to the seignior, to do
| corvee or road work, and to ret out
stone and timber for public purposes.
Seigniors who could afford to support
local magistrate were empowered TO
administer superior mean and inferior
/ justice on their estates, but as q class
they were very poor and this right fell
into deSuetude.
In 1Sil, says the New York Post. the
parliament of Canada bought out the
seigniors. There were 100 of them, in
possession of 220 fiefs, embracing 6,0O0.
600 acres of cultivated land. The
censitaire was given his choice of two
things-the Gems ct reRtes were capi-
talized, and he could either paw the
capital sum to the seignior, in which
case. of course, he got clear title to
his holding, or continue on as tenant
at rental equal to 6 per cent. of the
capitalization. The tenant | came
across, or his father before him. had
like many more, chosen the latter
course The other seigniorial rights
were settled by the government at a
cost of about S5,000,000. The system
would have been abolished before 1854
only the Roman Catholic church was
fraid that in the debacle, as timid
-,ls called it, the tithes and fabrique
- ses which she collected by authority
of law might he abolished, too.
The landlord of whom have spoken
was good enough to let me look at
batch of old papers and books in which
the doings Of his predecessors in the
.seigniory and of their censitaires are
recorded for l50 years. These papers
enabled one to form tolerably good
idea of the sort of life the people led.
First as to prices: In 1907, as other
documents show, wheat sold in the
markets ofQuebec at so cents per bush
ell. A creditor was bound to accept it
at that price. Beef sold fer s cents and
pork for cents per pound, the four
pound loaf for 10 cents. Prices had
dropped little by 1888. Wheat was
then worth 90 cents. In 1742 it fell to
40 cents. There had been good crop
in the region east of Quebec on the
south shore of the st. Lawrence, which
was regarded as the granary of New
France, Capons sold for 10 cents each
in 1745, but when paid as Gems ct rentes
their conventional price was 20 cents.
Most of the deeds called for "goed fat
capons OF the brood of the month OF
May"
In 174O carpenters and blaclIszniths
got from 60 to so cents q day, unsl.illed
laborers 40 cents. Cloth Of all kinds
except homespun was dear. The for
eign trade of the colony was confined
to France and French possessions, but
there was good deal of smuggling
by land and water from New England
and New York. Twenty yards of fine
wooden cloth" cost 621S cents yard in
1746. The censitaires and the common
people generally clothed themselves in
homespun, letoffe du pays, made boots
out of green beet hides, got their sugar
from the maple, and had, as rule
plenty of game and fish. Most Of then
had vegetable patch. They ex
changed timber or furs for store goods
as they required. The well-to-do seig
niors imported wine, brandy, velvet
lace, jewelry, etc. An all-velvet sult
with dress-sword, rufaes, bucl.les and
a gilt snuff box thrown in, cost s52 il
i770 The poorer seigniors lived much
L 4 - IL