This day, 22 April, 1655, have I, Claes van Elslant, Court Messenger, by order of the Honble Fiscal, Cornelis van Tienhoven and the Supreme Council of New Amsterdam, in New Netherland, protested against those who were building the new village on the Company's land called Vreedlant; four armed men came to meet me at the kill, demanded what I was after? I said, Where best could I land; near the houses? They answered, You shall not land. I said, Let me land, I am cold; and I sprung ashore. Whereupon I and Albert, the trumpeter, were placed under a guard and warned not to advance a foot further, until he who had the command came to us with a pistol, holding the barrel forward in his hand, accompanied by 8 @. 10 armed men more, to whom I read the Protest, word for word, and handed him the same, who gave for answer: I cannot understand Dutch; why did not the Fiscal send it in English? If you send it in English, then shall I answer in writing. But, said he, that's no matter; we expect the ships from Holland and England which are to bring the settlement of the boundary. Whether we are to dwell here under the States or under the Parliament, time will tell; furthermore, we abide here under the States of England. Whereupon we took our departure. They said, If we had a sup of wine we should offer you some; but we have not any. And they discharged their guns all round. I had also inclined to see their houses and fixtures; also, the Parliament's arms, which the English say hang on a tree, carved on a plank; but they left us standing in a hut on the shore well guarded by men. Done as above. (Signed), CLAES VAN ELSLANT. Copy of the Protest against Thomas Pel for having settled at Vreelant. Cornelis van Thienhoven, Fiscal of the Province of New Netherland and legal conservator of authority and jurisdiction, by commission of the High and Mighty, the Lords StatesGeneral of the United Netherlands and the Honble, the Directors of the Incorporated West India Company, the Lords and Patroons of New Netherland, given and granted to the Right Honble Petrus Stuyvesant, Director-General, and the Supreme Council of New Netherland: To you, Thomas Pel, or whomsoever else it may concern. Being instructed by the aforesaid Director-General and Supreme Council to repair to and upon the lands of Vreelant, whereof possession was taken in the time of the late DirectorGeneral Keift, and by lawful title purchased from the natives, right owners and proprietors of those lands, and paid for, as the record and sign-manual thereof in existence can show; wherefore, in quality aforesaid, I notify and make known to you, and all whom it may concern, that you and your associates have, not only settled on the lands aforesaid, which were, many years ago, purchased by the Dutch nation and taken possession of by deeds from General Kieft, of blessed memory, but by usurpation, in violation of the Treaty of Hartford and the peace concluded between both nations in Europe, occupied the same without the permission and consent of the Director-General and Supreme Council of New Netherland; Therefore I, the Fiscal, do, in the name and on the behoof of the aforesaid High and Mighty Lords StatesGeneral and the Lords Directors of the Incorporated West India Company, warn you, and all whom it may concern, by the bearer hereof, Claes van Elslant, the Court Messenger, requested and empowered to serve this, not to proceed, contrary to the Treaty concluded at Hartford, on VOL. II. 21 the aforesaid purchased and long possessed lands, with building, clearing, cattle-feeding or hay-mowing, or whatever, in any wise, appertains to agriculture or farming, but within fifteen days after the service hereof, to depart from the lands aforesaid, situate within the jurisdiction of New Netherland, with your people, servants or slaves, furniture, cattle, implements, and every article of property you and your nation have brought thither, on pain, if you, or any of you, after the expiration of the time aforesaid, be found to have acted contrary hereunto, of my being obliged, officially, to proceed against you, or whomsoever it may concern, as circumstances may require. Meanwhile do I protest against all damages, injuries, mischiefs and losses which may arise herefrom, whereof I declare, before God and the world, our innocence. This 19th April, 1655, in Amsterdam, in New Netherland. (Signe 1), CORNELIS VAN THIENHOVEN. On the aforesaid 22d April, 1655, have I, Claes van Elshout, Court Messenger, served the above Protest on the magistrates of the new village near Vreelant, who gave for answer: Why doth not the Fiscal write English? then we could answer in writing; we expect a settlement of the boundary between Holland and England; until that, we abide under the State of England. Done as above. CLAES VAN ELSLANT, Court Messenger. (Signed), Letter H. Director Stuyvesant to the Magistrates of Gravesend. Honorable, Dear, Faithful. We received, quite late, your information that one James Grover had come there with letters from the Lord Protector to the English inhabitants on Long Island. The Indians and English inhabitants, outside of our jurisdiction and government, can take and read them to their people, but we are unable to understand how any letters from any foreign Prince or Potentate can be accepted within our government by subjects under oath and obedience to us. Therefore, you are hereby requested, and at the same time authorized, to send said James Grover, with his letters, to us in order to exhibit to us in our Council what writings he has for our subjects. Awaiting which, after cordial greeting, we shall commend you to God's protection, and remain, Honorable, Dear, Faithful, Your affectionate friends, The Director-General and Council of New Netherland. (Signed), PETRUS STUYVESANT. Addressed: Honble, Dear, Faithful, the Schout and Magistrates of the village of Gravesend. Beneath was: After collating, is found to agree with the original. Amsterdam, in New Netherland, (Signed), C. V. RUYVEN, Secretary. 24th August, 1657. Extract from the letter of the Director-General and Council of New Netherland, written on the 30th October, 1657, to the Directors of the West India Company, Chamber at Amsterdam. After closing and dispatching our general letter, we were informed that the aforesaid English nation, on the East end of Long Island, had probably sent a petition to the Lord Protector to be released from the government of the Dutch and to be taken under his protection, which we, for divers reasons, too long here to be stated, believed to be true. One of the foundations on which they build, is the letter of the Lord Protector, written "To the Englisch wel affectet in Habitaing, on Long Islant, in America." The aforesaid letter being brought into the village of Gravesend, the bearer of it, James Grover, requested it to be opened and read; as is to be seen by the subjoined copies sent us on that subject, both by the bearer and Magistrates, and our answer and order to prevent the same thereunto annexed. That letter was sent your Honors per the ship de Waegh, as it was received by us without our daring to open it or allow it to be opened, so as not to be accused by the Lord Protector of the crime of opening his letter or rending his seal, or by your Honors of admitting letters to your subjects from a foreign Prince or Potentate, from which rebellion might result. We again request your Honors to keep a watchful eye over the matter, so that the entire of Long Island may not be rendered useless to you either by sinister practice or by force; were the English once masters thereof by revolt or otherwise, it would be fatal to the North river. The continual machinations and practices had recourse to by the English to that end, have appeared unceasing during our government, and by no means unmistakable tokens thereof are still manifest. Therefore, . . ... ... without assistance of people from Fatherland, we, the Company's servants, are not able to prevent it; the freemen we can hardly command to do it. Letter I. Declaration and Manifest of the Honble Governor-General and Council of the [Omitted, being a duplicate of Document, supra, p. 80. ] Letter K. Order in Council extending the provisions of the Treaty of Southampton to [Omitted, being a duplicate of Document, post, III., 12.] Folio 290. Resolution of the States-General. [From the Register of the West India Company's Affairs, 1652-1663, in the Royal Archives at the Hague.] dary in New Netherland. Friday, 5th November, 1660. Read at the meeting a certain Memoir from the Committee of the Directors Division of Boun- of the General Incorporated West India Company of this country, representing the Assembly of the Nineteen, to the effect that Mess", the Extraordinary Ambassadors of this State to the King of Great Britain, may be instructed to terminate and determine, according to equity, with the said Most Illustrious King, the differences which have arisen respecting the Division of Boundary, &c., between the English and this Nation, in New Netherland. Which being considered, it is resolved and concluded hereby to grant the aforesaid request, and the above mentioned Ambassadors shall accordingly be written to to the end aforesaid, and all the papers appertaining hereunto delivered to the Assembly, shall be sent to them. Folio 239. States-General to their Ambassadors to England. [From the Register of Uitgegane Brieven of the States-General, in the Royal Archives at the Hague.] - THE STATES, &c. Honble We have thought proper herewith to send to your Honors the annexed extract of our resolutions, adopted on the petition of those of the West India Company of these parts, with and besides the papers thereunto appertaining, and to the end as in the resolution set forth. Wherewith ending, &c., at the Hague, 5th November, 1660. Holland Documents, New Netherland Resolution of the Common Council of Amsterdam. [From the Resolutien van de Vroedschappen, C., p. 82, in the Stad Huys, Amsterdam. ] 16th November, 1660. After deliberation, it is resolved and concluded that the gentlemen appointed by resolution of the 8th November, of last year, and of the 25th August last, a Committee for the affairs of the New Netherland Colonie shall be exhorted and requested to bring their business to a close at the earliest period and to report their consideration and advice; and whereas some payments regarding said Colonie are so pressing as not to admit of any delay, it is consented that a sum of six thousand guilders shall, meanwhile, be disbursed by this city to be employed for the aforesaid urgent payments. Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Amsterdam. Holland Documents, A subsidy of 15,250 gl. for the Colonie in New Nether land, to be negoti ated by the Treasu rer. [From the Resolutien van de Vroedschappen, C., p. 100, in the Stad Huys, Amsterdam.] 6th January, 1661. Mess, the Commissioners, by previous resolution of this Council appointed for the affairs of this city's Colonie in New Netherland, have reported that, although they had not yet been able to render a positive opinion on its affairs, yet they could not abstain from representing to the Council that the reputation of the city meanwhile demanded that the Directors of that Colonie be provided with funds for the payment of the accrued interest on the loan negotiated by them, with the approval of this Council; also for the satisfaction of the people who have served the city there, and have already long solicited their pay; whereunto is required a sum of fifteen thousand two hundred and fifty guilders. Which being considered, it is resolved and concluded that Mess", the Treasurers, shall advance to said Directors the sum of fifteen thousand two hundred and fifty guilders, and to that end said Treasurers are authorized, in addition to the 150,000 guilders, this day allowed, by previous resolution, to be negotiated, to raise the aforesaid sum of fifteen thousand two hundred and fifty guilders, on the like terms, as is resolved in regard to the said 150,000 guilders. Report of the Commissioners of the Colonie on the Delaware River. [From the Bundle indorsed Verscheide Stukken raekende de Colonie van N. Nederlandt, No. 63, in the Stad Huys, Amsterdam. ] Right Worshipful Gentlemen. Holland Documents, The Commissioners and Directors of your Colonie in New Netherland having received the alteration made in the Conditions, by resolution of the Council, have caused the same to be posted, agreeably to your Worships' instructions, and every diligence shall be forthwith used for the advancement of the Colonie, for the greatest benefit and profit of the city; whereunto may God grant his blessing. In order to attain this object, they cannot avoid respectfully to submit to your Worships whether it would not be considered, in your profound wisdom, proper to apply to the West India Company for a change of certain articles in the present Conditions, which are not very advantageous to your Worships, and are offensive to many, both Regents and private persons; and the Company possibly, by the removal or modification of them, may bring about a speedier augmentation of the Colonie and a more frequent resort thereto. The first article that comes under consideration is the 13th, in the old Conditions (which we shall refer to herein), providing that the Sheriff and, article 15th, that the Schepens shall be appointed, in the name of their High Mightinesses and the West India Company, by the Deputies of Amsterdam, who, for that purpose, shall give a power of attorney to the Director. The Commissioners are respectfully of opinion that, besides High, Middle and Low Jurisdiction which the Company conferred on your Worships, the disposal of the offices whereby such must be exercised, namely that of the Sheriff and other members of the Court, ought also be granted. |