IS 



with respect to such as were then granted; 

 but the townships and tracts disposed of by 

 the British administration have been granted 

 in free and common soccage ; only two or three 

 instances to the contrary being known. 



By the ancient custom of Canada, lands 

 were held immediately from the king en fief ^ 

 or en roture^ on condition of rendering fealty 

 and homage on accession to the seignorial pro- 

 perty ; and in the event of a transfer thereof, 

 by sale or otherwise, except in hereditary suc- 

 cession, it was subject to the payment of a 

 quint ^ or the fifth part of the whole purchase 

 money, and which, if paid by the purchaser 

 immediately, entitled him to the rabat, or a re- 

 duction of two-thirds of the quint. This cus- 

 tom still prevails. 



The tenanciers, or holders of lands en roture, 

 are subject to some particular conditions, but 

 they are not at all burthensome ; for instance, 

 they pay a small annual rent, usually between 

 2s. 6d. and 5.s. (though in many seigniories the 

 rents of new concessions have been considera- 

 bly increased) ; to this is added some article of 

 provision, such as a couple of fowls, or a goose, 

 or a bushel of wheat, or something else of do- 

 mestic consumption. They are also bound to 

 grind their corn at the moulin banal, or the 

 lord's mill, where one-fourteenth part of it i^ 



