84: 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



the estate are so large, as, for the most part, to exceed their ability to 

 pay. 



^' I am also informed that, in consequence of their supposed inabil- 

 ity to pay their debts, the settlers entertain serious apprehensions 

 that they may ultimately lose their farms, and thus be involved in 

 ruin. 



" I have uniformly cherished the kindest feelings towards the set- 

 tlers, and therefore it is difficult for me to express my extreme regret 

 at the apprehensions which may agitate their minds. 



^'As far as was compatible with a just regard for the interests of 

 my principals, who act in the character of trustees and executors, I 

 have uniformly endeavored to promote the welfare of the settlers in 

 the course of policy I have pursued since my connection with the 

 estate. Accordingly, I have on all occasions endeavored to treat the 

 settlers with justice and liberality, and to show them every forbear- 

 ance and indulgence called for by the difficulties attending the settle- 

 ment of a new country. I have moreover cheerfully made liberal 

 contributions, from time to time, for promoting religion, opening 

 roads, building bridges, and other public improvements. In so doing, 

 I have also acted in perfect accordance with the wishes of my English 

 friends. 



"For some time past I have entertained a belief that the debts due 

 from the settlers in your department of the agency were generally 

 too large for their means of payment. I had therefore determined 

 on what appeared to me a proper plan for reducing the debts to a 

 reasonable and equitable amount. My objects in determining on this 

 plan were to animate the agricultural labors of the settlers, and to 

 inspire them with confidence in their future prosperity and happiness, 

 by convincing them that I had no desire whatever to deprive them 

 of the hard-earned fruits of their industry. The plan had in view 

 the fair appraisement of the buildings and other improvements on 

 every lot, together with the present value of the cleared land, and the 

 present value of the land remaining in a state of nature. The actual 

 value of each lot being thus ascertained, I proposed, by making an 

 abatement upon just and equitable principles, to reduce the contract 

 debt to a sum below the appraised value, whenever the settler was 

 ready to make a moderate payment on account of the balance. Be- 

 sides such reduction of his debt, the settler was to be accommodated 

 with a liberal enlargement of time for paying the balance, in easy 

 installments. 



" I thought it would be plain to every considerate and unprejudiced 

 person, who became acquainted with this plan, that it was deeply 

 founded in equity, and afforded the settler every assurance that he 

 would finally be able, by his own exertions, to pay for his farm. 



" Soon after I had determined on the plan, I instructed you to put 

 it forthwith in a train of execution, by employing one of the assist- 

 ants in the land-office to make the necessary appraisement of the 

 value of the lots. The plan was accordingly put in a train of execu- 

 tion ; but a good deal of time was necessary to a judicious and impar- 

 tial appraisement of the lots, and it has consequently happened that 

 the work has hitherto been performed only in some townships under 

 your agency. 



" It is still my intention to continue the execution of my plan. But 

 I have reason to believe that it may be imagined that, if a person con- 

 nected with your agency is employed in appraising the value of the 

 lots, he might be liable to a suspicion of not being sufficiently impar- 

 tial. I therefore now request you to lose no time in selecting, subject 

 to my approbation, some independent, judicious, and upright farmer 

 residing in Steuben or Allegany County, and no way connected with 

 the estate, to appraise the lots under contract in the several towns in 

 your department. As this will be a work of considerable time and 

 expense, I request you to engage the person you may select to com- 

 mence with those townships that have not been already appraised by 

 your assistant. It is possible that his appraisement may prove to be 

 so correct and fair, on comparing them with the appraisements of the 

 lots in other townships by the person you may select, as to lead me 

 to judge that the lots already appraised need not be appraised again. 



" The person to be intrusted with the business of appraisement must 

 confirm the appraisement of the lots in every township by his oath, 

 and when the appraisement is returned to the land-office it must re- 

 main subject to my approbation. 



" The agency has heretofore gone to some extent into the practice 

 of taking wheat and cattle in the payment of debts, and I now direct 

 you to make the practice general, and to continue it as long as the 

 settlers shall appear faithfully to second my sincere desire to accom- 



modate them and it shall be found advantageous to the agency. The 

 price at which the wheat is to be received during the winter months 

 is to be fixed at seventy-five cents per bushel. This price, I am per- 

 suaded, will secure to the settler a good living profit for his labor. It 

 must nevertheless be remembered that the wheat to be received on 

 contracts originally made payable in wheat must be taken at the 

 price stipulated in the contracts. 



"At the time when the price of seventy-five cents per bushel is 

 given for wheat it may so happen that the settler who has money to 

 pay may sustain an injury from making the payment in money and 

 not in wheat. To prevent such injury, you are authorized to allow 

 the settler a just abatement on his money payment, if he is willing 

 to make it. 



" You will also receive cattle at fair and liberal cash prices. 



"When the settler comes to the office to receive the benefit of the 

 reduction of his debt, 1 think it reasonable and just that you should 

 demand of him a moderate payment on account of the balance of his 

 debt, and I desire it to be expressly understood that, while the ap- 

 praisements are in progress, the settlers are expected to make pay- 

 ments as usual. They may rest satisfied that the payments made in 

 the mean time shall not impair their right to have a reduction of their 

 debts, but shall be considered in lieu of so much paid at the time of 

 reduction, and shall accordingly be applied towards extinguishing 

 the balances that may then be ascertained to be due. 



" It is my desire that no occupied or improved lots be advertised 

 for sale until after the settlers have been favored with the opportunity 

 of availing themselves of the benefits to arise from the reduction of 

 their debts under the proposed appraisements. 



" Some time since I directed you to reduce for the future the selling 

 prices of vnsold lands in your agency to a more moderate standard, 

 and this direction you must continue to observe. 



" The details for carrying these instructions into effect must neces- 

 sarily be a matter of sound discretion with you, and I request you to 

 exercise that discretion in the same spirit of liberality that is mani- 

 fested in this letter. 



"You will be pleased to communicate to the settlers in due season, 

 through the medium of the newspapers printed at Bath and at An- 

 gelica, such part of the details as they ought to be made acquainted 



with. 



" With great respect, I am, 



" Dear sir, your humble servant, 



" Robert Troup. 

 "Wm. W. M'Cay, Esq." 



FURTHER ACTION OF THE SETTLERS. 



During the interval of three months between the above 

 letter of Col. Troup and another containing his modified 

 instructions, dated June 14, 1830, meetings were held by 

 the settlers in many towns of the county, and a spirit of 

 calm but determined resistance manifested. At an ad- 

 journed meeting of the convention held in Bath, April 14, 

 1830, it was 



" Resolved, As the sense of this meeting, that the instructions given 

 by Col. Troup to his sub-agent in Bath under date of March 14, 1830, 

 will not afford the necessary and reasonable relief required by the 

 settlers upon the lands embraced in the agencies, and that the con- 

 vention disapprove of the same. 



" Resolved, That the convention recommend to said settlers that 

 they withhold all payments upon contracts upon the aforesaid lands 

 until the necessary relief is granted.'^ 



On the 6th of May a large meeting of the settlers in 

 Urbana was held at Hammondsport, of which James 

 Brundage was chairman and William Hastings secretary. 

 The action of the above convention was approved, and it 



was 



" Resolved, That all further payments be withheld until the asked- 

 for relief is granted. 



" Resolved, That if our grievances are not redressed our delegates 

 use their endeavors with the convention to memorialize the next 

 Legislature, praying that propter and expedient laws be enacted for 

 the relief of this oppressed community.'* 



