The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-02-23
OUR ALIEN LANDLORDISM.
Millions of Acres of American Land
Owned by Non-Residents.
Some Reasons Why Land Monopoly
Should Be Broken Up in
This Country.

Should Be Broken Up in
This Country.
That English aristocrats should rule
large domains in the United States, and
rule them from London, is at first diff
cult thing to grasp. Not until it is borne
IN mind that peers and peeresses of Great
Britain are large landed proprietors in
our country-Viscount Scully alone owns
100000 acres in Illinois, Iowa and Ne
braska-does the significance of absentee
ism in landlords become apparent. But
now the matter will be brought home to
Americans more directly than it has ever
been brought home yet, for there is
shortly to be a union in London of the
American land-owning interests, and a
| series of drastic measures are scheduled,
which, it is believed, will not only in
crease the annual rentals of the vast do
main involved, but which will greatly
affect the destiny of the hundreds of
! thousands who dwell upon it.
First of all, a list of the members of the
arlstocracy who own the lands in ques-
| ton will not be without interest. Such a
| list has never been given in full. The
| greatest of the English holdings and the
persons are these:
| The Texas Land Union Syndicate No.
b, 5000, 900 acres. Interested peers: Bar
Oness Burdett- Coutts, Earl Cadogan, II.
| G. FitZroy Somerset this is the Duke of
Beaufort, William Alexander Lochiel
Stephen Douglas Hamilton, Duke of
| Beaudon; the Duke of Rutland, Ughtaed
! j. kay-Shuttleworth and Eand Ethel
| Cadogan (maid in waiting to the Queen.
| This syndicate owns whole counties in
Texas, and tens of thousands Of persons
! pay 1t rentals.
Sir Edward Reid, 1000, 600 acres. This
is syndicate which owns lands in Flor
| ida only. 1t includes the present Ouch
| ess OF Marlborough, Lady Randolph
| Churchill and Lady Lister Kaye.
Vlscount Scully-3,000,0 acres. His
| lordship maintains an elaborate system
of bailitfs.
| Syndicate No. Al, 800, 900 acres. This
| syndicate has all its holdings in Missis-
sippi. 1t includes the Marquis OF Dali
! housie, George Henry Howard Cholmon-
| deIey discount Cholmondeley); GeOr-
| giana, Visoountess Cross; Hon. Lady
Hamilton Gordon and Hon. Lady Bid
dulph.
Marquis of Tweedale-1, 100000 acres.
| The Marquis is William Montagu Hay,
| famed all over Scotland as the rack-rent
! landlord.
Phillips, Marshall & Co., London
| 100000 acres. This firm has the whole
| peerage for its clients.
! The AuglO-American Syndicate, Lon
don-15U, 900 acres. The funds of widowed
| peeresses are largely invested here. The
| lands are in the South and West.
Bryan II. Evaus-700, 900 acres. Mr.
Evans resides in London. His lands are
! in Mississippi.
The Duke of Sutherland-I25,O 900 acres.
| hi. - ~, L.,
! bibbing and rack-rent nobleman of Police
| Court lame.
The British Land Company-320, 600
acres. This land is all in Kansas.
William Whalley-3I0.O acres. Mr..
! Nhalley IS the Squire OF Peterboro, Eng
| land.
! The Missouri Land Company-3OO. 600
/ acres. thls operates Missouri domain
and has headquarters at inburgh.
| Robert Iennant-2OO, 900 acres This is
all farming land. Mr.. Tenant lives in
! London.
Dundee Land Company-247, 900 acres.
/ Lord Dunmore-lZ0,0 900 acres.
Benjamin Newgas, Liverpool-100, 900
acres.
Lord Houghton in Florida)-GO. 600
acres.
Lord Dunraven lin CoIorado)-6O, 900
acres.
English Land Company Gin California;
! DO U00 acres.
English Land Company lin Arkansasy
Alexander Grant, London (in Kansas
| 50, 00U acres.
Syndicate No. 6-1I0,00O acres. This
syndicate includes the Earl of yenIam
ana the Earl OF LankeVille. The'land is
| IN Wisconsin.
NJ. Et4ltenhauser of Halifax-6OO, 900
acres. The land is in West Virginia.
| Syndicate No. $50, 900 acres, This fs
a Scotch concern and its land is in
| Florida. -
1t is claimed that fully 100000 acres
| OF American land are thus owned nv
! great landowners in England and Scot
/ land. This does not include the Holland
/ Syndlcate, which owns 5000, 900 acres OF
| grazing land in Western States, nor the
! German Syndicate, owning :, 900, 900 acres
! In various States.
For some time past it has been evident
70 the foreign landowners that concerted
actloh on their part was essential to their
! interests. 1t IS well known to those who
have ever casually looked into the mat
Ter that foreign iandowning has much
linpedeu The development OF the Western
com h"ealths. These great land
! owners positively refuse to sell, Thew
/ prefer 10 establish system OF agencies
ana DalIllls, with the result that very
! serious complications have resulted. Tho
/ state Legislatures have done their best To
zeal with the question, but heretofore
/ with only indifferent success. NlscOuuL
J SculIy Is, rightly or wrongly, made the
! scapegoat OF this whole business. He has
! tor years been thorn in the path of one
/ state Administration after another. and
! MS shreWdness in evading every Dro-
4 VISION OF law directed against him has
/ eXtorted the uurivaling admiration of
( thousands. Thus Scully practically owns
/ III illinois, the best part OF the counties of
/ Logan, Livingstone and Tazewel. The
/ Stale III 1887 passed an alien law, directed
solely against Scully. 70 evade it he in
sisted beforehand upon a clause in all his
leases STIMULATING that the lessee should
/ pay all taxes accruing against the prop
! erLy leased. The result was the creation
/ OF large and solid body OF voters in the
! SculIy counties, as they are called, op-
! posed 10 propositions Of public improve
ment by taxation.
he war against SculIy in Illinois
! threw the other British landowners into
a panic, and as fast as leases have fallen in
! they nave been renewed under heavier
! ana heavier conditions. Alien land laws
! nave occupied the attention or Legisia-
| lures, ana IN Kansas and Nebraska the
! struggle for a time had a serious effect
/ upon land securities OF ali kinds
FINALLY the matter came to such a de-
! ploraDIe stage that a committee of the
! American Lenantry was appointed TO pre-
! sent memorial TO the London own srs of
Iand, setting forth the ruin that stared
! the W estern farmers i'll the face as a req
suit OF the rack-renting system that had
LIE G5GDs