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themselves in American affairs, are aware of the existence of a body of men in the State of New York who have been distinguished as “anti-renters ”-persons who hold portions of ancient grants or 'manors, on condition of paying certain reserved rents and manorial claims to the original grantee, or lord of the manor, from whom they hold. During late years the payment of these rents and charges began first to be complained of, then to be resisted, then absolutely refused, and finally their legality to be disputed. The question has caused much excitement and considerable disturbance in the State. It has been agitated in the Legislature, and in the courts of law, and the supposed opinions in regard to it of candidates for legal appointments is said to have formed an element which weighed with many in determining which candidate they would support.

During the last canvass for the office of Attorneygeneral, I met with the following advertisement in the public journals of the State :

“I have repeatedly been applied to by individuals to know my opinions with regard to the manorial titles, and what course I intended to pursue, if elected, in relation to suits commenced and to be commenced under the joint resolution of the Senate and Assembly. I have uniformly replied to these inquiries, that I regard the manor titles as a public curse, which ought not to exist in a free government, and that, if they can be broken up and invalidated by law, it will give me great pleasure; and I shall prosecute the pending suits with as much vigour and industry as I possess, and will commence others, if, on examination, I shall be satisfied there is the least possible chance of success. I regard these prosecutions as a matter of public duty, and, in this instance, duty squares with my inclinations and wishes.

"L. S. CHATFIELD." “ November 2, 1849."

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Mr Chatfield is now Attorney-general; and I was informed that the known opinions of certain of the old judges, on this exciting question, was one of the understood reasons why they were not re-elected by popular suffrage when, according to the New Constitution, their term of office had expired. Where nearly all persons are party-men, and the tenure of all office is short, the will of the majority must soon make itself felt, even by the interpreters and administrators of the law.

As my leisure did not admit of my paying a visit to the large and celebrated penitentiary at Sing-Sing, which is far down the Hudson, and within thirty-three miles of New York, I willingly accepted an invitation to visit the penitentiary of this city. It was on the occasion of a public visit of the authorities, and therefore every part of the building was thrown open, though fewer opportunities were thereby presented for the special inquiries of a foreigner. The Auburn system, as it is called, is adopted here as in all the penitentiaries of New England, New York, Canada, and most of the north-western States. Solitary confinement at night and on Sundays, solitary meals every day, and constant but absolutely silent labour in company in large well-ventilated workshops, and under strict superintendence, form the essence of this system. It is distinguished from that of Pennsylvania by the additional rigour of solitary labour, which is adopted in the latter.

Everything was in excellent order, and comfortably warm,

and both males and females, in their several wards, were equally diligent, silent, apparently in good health, and under perfect control. There were about one hundred prisoners in this house, confined chiefly for petty larcenies, and they were for the most part employed upon matting and wicker-work. The size and construction of the cells, and of their meagre furniture, their arrangement in successive stories in a square tower, shut in by

blind walls at the distance of about twelve feet, and the separate disposal of the prisoners, was much the same as has been so often described by visitors to Sing-Sing and the other North American penitentiaries. In an economical point of view, the system is a cheaper one in America than in Europe, owing to the high price of labour, the ready şale obtained for articles of manufacture, and the large proportion of the whole expense of the prison, which is defrayed by the labour of the prisoners themselves in the former country.

Albany, Jan. 15, 1850.—I this day paid a visit to the city of Troy, which is now a rival to Albany, and is situated about seven miles higher up the river. It stands on the left bank of the Hudson, on a long flat of intervale land, nearly opposite the mouth of the Mohawk River. It contains about twenty-five thousand inhabitants, has wide streets, massive churches and other public buildings, and well-built houses. The Hudson is navigable for large steamers as high as Troy, and West Troy is at the mouth of the Erie and Champlain Canals, so that passengers and goods for Canada, Vermont, western New York, or the western States, proceed more directly through this city than if they stop and re-ship at Albany. Troy, therefore, is very flourishing, has mills and manufactories of various kinds, is already, like Albany, climbing up the steep banks which hem in the low intervale, and will necessarily increase with the prosperity and commerce of those counties which communicate with the Atlantic through Lake Champlain, the Mohawk, and the Hudson. If any large portion of the traffic of the great lakes should find its way, as I have elsewhere shown to be probable, through the St Lawrence and the canals which connect this river with Lake Champlain, Troy will benefit by it more directly than any other city in the State. The transport through Troy, and the transit dues levied there, already exceed those which are collected at

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the older city of Albany; and Leeds does not feel sorer against Bradford for intermeddling with its trade, than the Albanians do against the Trojans for intercepting their foreign traffic.

The railways from New York and Boston are continued from Albany to Troy, and measures are in progress for extending the line through Vermont and into Canada. The completion of such a line would interfere with the plans both of Boston and Portland, and secure to New York a portion of the European traffic which each of these ports has sanguine hopes of being able to divert exclusively to itself.

There are many in the free States who covet a closer connection with the shores of the St Lawrence than that which canals and railroads would produce. In whatever form, or by whichever class, the Annexation movement is brought forward in Canada, it will find ready sympathisers in the Empire State. I heard, as it may be supposed, many opinions and discussions upon the matter, to which I shall not here advert. The following resolutions, brought before the House of Representatives during the present session (1849-50) by Mr Wheeler, member for Franklin County, (a county bordering on Canada,) and ordered to lie on the table, are here, however, not quite out of place :

“ Mr Wheeler, of Franklin County, offered the following resolutions, which lie on the table :

“ Whereas, by the original articles of the Confederation adopted by the States of this Union, it was provided that Canada, acceding to this Confederation, and joining the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into and entitled to all the advantages of this Union.

“And whereas, recent occurrences in the Provinces of Canada indicate a strong and growing desire on the part of the people thereof to avail themselves of the advantages of the foregoing offer, and to apply for

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admission among the Sovereign States of this Union; Therefore,

Resolved, (if the Senate concur,) That, believing the admission of Canada into the Union to be a measure intimately connected with the permanent prosperity and glory of both countries, the people of the State of New York are earnestly desirous to see such Union effected, without a violation on the part of the United States of the amicable relations existing with the British Government, or with the law of nations.

“ Resolved, (if the Senate concur,) That the annexation of Canada, and the other Provinces of Great Britain in North America, effected by negotiation with the British Government, and with the voluntary consent of the people of said Provinces, upon equitable and honourable terms, is an object of incalculable importance to the people of the United States. It would reunite into one family, and make citizens of a brave, industrious, and intelligent people, who are now our brethren in interest and language. It would save this country the expense of maintaining a line of custom-houses and fortifications 3,500 miles in extent, and give to the whole continent the blessing of free and unmolested trade. It would secure the preponderance of free institutions in this Union, and it would unite under one republican government, all the people and all the territory between the Atlantic and the Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic Ocean.

“Resolved, (if the Senate concur,) That our Senators and Representatives in Congress be requested to cooperate in any measure which the general administration may adopt, to promote the peaceful annexation of the British North American Provinces to this country.”

Considering the origin of the cities of Albany and New York, from the original Dutch settlers on the Hudson, one is not surprised to find words in common use