some one be commissioned on the part of the government to regulate said estate. Therefore have I resolved to commission and qualify Balthazar Bayard to that end, as he is hereby commissioned and qualified to assume the said estate for the two-third parts thereof which belong to the government, with said guardians, by name Mess" John Lawrence, Stephanus van Cortlant and Walter Webly, for the one-third part thereof inherited by them; to adjust and settle the debts and credits; to sell the remaining personal property, and thereof to deliver in to the Secretary's office pertinent account and balance, when order shall be issued what further disposition shall be made therein. Dated Fort Willem Hendrick, this 1st November, 1673. Whereas, Mr. Francis Lovelace hath, on the surrender of this place and his departure hence, left, both for himself and the late English government, among divers inhabitants of this government many outstanding debts and liabilities, and it being therefore neces a the benefit of the parties interested, that some persons be appointed Commissioners to regulate the estate of said Mr. Lovelace and the government, I have therefore to that end commissioned and qualified, and do hereby commission and qualify Mess's Olof Stevense van Cortlant, Gelyn Verplancke and Gabriel Minvielle, who are hereby authorized and instructed to liquidate, settle and arrange with all persons who may have any unsettled accounts against said estate, and to announce this by notices to be affixed, hereby ordering and commanding all and every whom these may in any wise concern, and especially the widow, who remains in the possession of the estate of the deceased Mr. Isaac Bedloo, late Factor and Commissary of the abovenamed Mr. Lovelace, on sight hereof to hand over to said Commissioners, under proper inventory, all the books, accounts and papers in any ways concerning the aforesaid government or factorship; also to render to said Commissioners due account, proof and reliqua, in like form as said Factor was bound to render to the above named Mr. Lovelace; and said Commissioners are hereby required and ordered to give proper report and pertinent account of their administration and conclusions, when order shall be issued as to further proceedings. Dated Fort Willem Hendrick, this 24 gber, 1673. On the petition of Lodewyck Cobes and the recommendation of the Worship" Court of Willem Stadt, requesting that he may be there admitted notary and attorney ad lites, the Governor-General of New Netherland orders: The Petitioner's request is granted and allowed, and a commission accordingly shall be issued him. Sr Hartford Octobr 21th 1673. It being not the manner of Christian or Civill nations to disturb ye poore people in Cottages & open Villages in the times of warr much less to Impose oaths uppon them but to suffer them to goe on wh their Husbandry & other Contry affayres, wee Cannot but wonder to heare that some of yours (Notw1standing a Caution formerly to the sea Command') haveing bene lately done toward the Eastern End of Long Island have urged his Maties Subiects there to take an oath Contrary to their alleigance to their Souveraigne & to use many threatning Expressions towards them in case of the Refusall of such an oath, Wee thought fit hereby to let you know that wee kan scarce believe that such Commission should proceed from your selfe, whom wee have heard to be a Souldier, & wel acquainted wt Martiall affaires & may suppose you to Vnderstand better the Law of Nations & the Customes & Vsages of persons of honour in their pretences of warr, And we Cannot gues that the reasons should move to such molestation towards poore planters, except it be to attaine some plausible pretence for Plundering & pillaging, wch if it should be done wee know verry well where there may be Easy Reparacon among your Boares & open Dorps, but the English will scorne such unchristion designes Except Barbarous depredations from your selves should Necessitate Retribution to the Injured You may bee assured if you proceed in Provocations to Constrayne the rising of the English Colonyes, they will not make it their worke to tamper with your peasants about sweareing but deale wth your head quarters, wch yet if reduced to obedience to his Matie may Certainly Expect thereby much more happynesse & larger Immunityes whout such Imposure then can be Enjoyed by them in the station wherein they now are. Mr John Bankes is our messenger by whom wee send these who can further Informe you how tender wee are of the Effusion of Christian blood yet cannot but resent wth great Indignation of any Malicious oppression shall be forced upon our dear Neighbours his Maties good Subiects These adnimadversons are Represented to your serious Consideration from, A certain unsealed paper, signed by one John Allyn qualifying himself Secretary and written by order of the Governor and General Court of Connecticut was placed in my hands yesterday by a man who called himself John Bankes. I cannot believe that such an impertinent and absurd writing emanates from persons bearing the name of Governor and General Court, therefore have I deemed it unworthy any answer. However I have resolved to send you these presents by express, with copy of said paper; an answer hereunto by the bearer will be expected in order that I may so regulate myself as I shall judge necessary. For the present nothing more from Fort Willem Hendrick 5th November, 1673. The superscription was Your friend. Edele Manhafte Hr D' Hr Johan Winthrop, Govern' van Connecticotts Colony Antonia van Corlears requesting by petition license to trade with the Indians at Schaneghtede as allowed her on the 27th January last by the late government, It is ordered: Pursuant to the foregoing grant, the Petitioner is allowed to sell rum and lead to the Indians at Schaneghtede until the last of May next coming. Mde Maria Varlett wife of William Teller making known by petition that in the year 1664, she had purchased from Mr. Stuyvesant and Ruyven a Negro and paid for the same, which negro was upon complaint of Gideon Schaets taken from her and given him, by the late government, but with a promise of satisfaction which was never redeemed; therefore requests restitution of said negro, or of the money paid for him. Ordered. The Petitioner is referred to the Schout and Magistrates of Willemstadt who are ordered after due examination to render the Petitioner right and justice. Provisional Instruction for the Schout and Magistrates of the city of Willemstade and Colonie Renselaers wyck. 1st. The Schout and Magistrates shall each in his quality take care that the Reformed Christian Religion agreeably to the Synod of Dort shall be maintained, without suffering any attempt to be made against it by any other sectaries. 2. The Sheriff shall be present, as often as possible, at all the meetings and preside over the same; but should he act for himself as party, or in behalf of the rights of the Lords Patroons or of Justice, he shall in such case, rise from his seat and leave the Bench and in that event he shall not have any advisory much less a concluding vote, but the oldest Schepen shall, then, preside in his place. 3. All cases relating to the Police, Security and Peace of the Inhabitants; also to Justice between man and man, shall be finally determined definitively by the Magistrates of the aforesaid Town of Willemstadt and Colonie Renselaers wyck, to the amount of and under two hundred and forty florins, Beaver, without appeal: In case the sum be larger the aggrieved party may appeal to the Governor-General and Council here; also all judgments pronounced by the court of Schaneghtede and amounting to upwards of sixty guilders, Beaver value, and as high as fl. 240, Beaver, as aforesaid, may be carried by appeal and determined by the court at Wellemstadt. 4. In case of inequality of votes, the minority shall submit to the majority; but those who are of a contrary opinion may have it recorded in the minutes but not divulge it without the meeting on pain of arbitrary correction. 5. Whenever any cases occur in the meeting in which any of the Magistrates are interested, such Magistrate shall, in that instance, rise and absent himself, as is herein before stated, in the 2d article, of the Sheriff. 6. All Inhabitants of the abovenamed city and colonie shall be citable before said Sheriff and Schepens who shall hold their meetings and courts as often as they shall consider requisite. 7. All criminal offences which will be committed there shall be referred to the jurisdiction of said Schout and Schepens, with power to pronounce judgment thereon to death inclusive, on condition that all capital sentences be not executed until the approval thereof by the Supreme Court here be first requested and obtained. 8. The Sheriff and Schepens shall have power to conclude on some needful ordinances for the welfare and peace of the Inhabitants of their district, provided such ordinances are not contrary but as far as is possible, conformable to the Laws of our Fatherland and the Statutes of this Province. 9. The said Sheriff and Schepens shall be bound strictly to observe and cause to be observed the Placards and Ordinances which shall be enacted and published by the supreme authority, and not suffer anything to be done against them, but cause the transgressors therein to be proceeded against according to the tenor thereof; and further, promptly execute such orders as the Governor-General shall send them from time to time. 10. The Sheriff and Schepens shall be also obliged to acknowledge as their Sovereign Rulers, their High Mightinesses the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands and his Serene Highness the Lord Prince of Orange, and to maintain their sovereign jurisdiction, right and domain in this country. 11. The selection of all inferior officers and servants in the employ of said Sheriff and Schepens, the Secretary alone excepted, shall be made and confirmed by themselves. 12. The Sheriff shall, by himself or deputies execute all the Magistrates' judgments and not discharge any one except by advice of the Court; he shall also take good care that the places under his charge shall be cleansed of all mobs, gamblers, whore-houses and such like impurities. 13. The Sheriff shall receive the half of all civil fines accruing during his term of office together with one-third part of what belongs to the respective villages from criminal cases; but he shall neither directly nor indirectly receive any presents forbidden by law. 14. Towards the time of election, the Sheriff and Schepens shall nominate as Schepens a double number of the best qualified, the honestest, most intelligent and wealthiest inhabitants, exclusively of the Reformed Christian Religion or at least well affected thereunto, to be presented to the Governor, who shall then make his election therefrom with continuation of some of the old ones in case his Honor may deem it necessary. Dated 8th of November, 1673. This day an Instruction is transmitted to the court of the Town of Schaneghtede in like form, word for word as the instruction to the Schout and Magistrates on Long Island, which is herein before recorded under date first October, with this alteration only: That those of the Town of Schaneghtede, (instead of, To the commissioned Council,) shall be at liberty to appeal to the court of Willemstadt for the sum of fl. 240 Beavers, and that all criminal offences shall be referred to the Schout and Magistrates of Willemstadt aforesaid. Mr. Cornelis Steenwyck, Capt Carel Epestyn and Lieutenant Carel Quirynsen, commissioned on date. last, to proceed to the Towns of Southampton, Southold and Easthampton to encourage the inhabitants there to dutiful obedience and to have the oath of Allegiance administered to them, returning this day Report, that said inhabitants exhibited an utter aversion thereto, making use of gross insolence, threats &c., so that the Commissioners were obliged to return, their object unaccomplished. Furthermore they have handed to the Governor a Journal in writing of the occurrences there, whereof the principal is herein recorded. Journal kept on board of the frigate named the Zee-hond, Capt. Cornelis Evertsen, sailing with the Commissioners, Councillor Cornelis Steenwyck, Capt Charles Epen Steyn, and Lieutenant Charles Quirynsen, from New-Orange to the East end of Long Island. 1673. We sailed on the 31 October, being Tuesday, about noon, with a southerly wind, and were thrown ashore by the current near Corlears hook-but throwing out the anchor we warped afloat, and sailed to the farthest point of the Hellgate, where we met the flood, so that we were compelled to return and anchor near Barents Island, where, a short while after, the sloop Eendragt, Luycas Andriessen, skipper, arriving from Boston, passed us. We dispatched our boat to inquire if there were any letters for us. Coming on board, we received several letters for the Hon. Steenwyck, and were informed that Maestricht had been taken by the French. 1 Nov The wind blew very hard from the east, so that we were compelled to remain at anchor; in the meanwhile rowed the Commissioners to Barent's Island. On their return they touched a rock near the Pot, when the boat was nearly upset by the stream, so that they were indeed in imminent danger. 2 Nov The wind as before, with rain and violent gusts; about breakfast broke our rope, but somewhat nearer its bight; exerted all our endeavors to recover our anchor, but could not find it. The Commissioners rowed in the meanwhile to N. Haerlem, and returned on board towards evening. 3 Nov The wind N. N. West; we again weighed anchor, and sailed against the tide through the Hellgate; towards noon the wind veered again to the east, and as the tide was against us, we could not proceed further than the White Stone, where we cast anchor; then went in the boat ashore to procure water. Towards evening we were favored with a Northerly breeze-got under sail, and when we arrived near Minnewits Island, the wind again veered to the N. East, so that we were obliged to cast anchor there. 4th Nov We sailed at day-break, the wind N. West; towards noon, the wind blowing very fresh, we lowered our topsail; towards evening took in all sail with two reefs in our mainsail, and were about South of Newhaven, the wind very cold, the waves rising and the night dark. About three o'clock in the morning, saw Falcon's Island, about a pistol shot to leeward; we intended to avoid it, but could not succeed, through the violence of the wind, so that we tacked quite close to the rocks, with great good luck. Night approaching, the storm sensibly increased, and about day-break it was a complete hurricane. 5th Nov The wind as before, but somewhat more Westerly, we ran on with a reef in our foresail; about eight o'clock, our boat broke adrift, which compelled us to return; we recovered it with great difficulty after three hours, and when we had her on board, saw that nearly all the stauncheons were torn in pieces-a short while after the wind increased in violence, so that once more we were compelled to run to leeward, and about four in the afternoon cast anchor near the riff of the Little gatt—our boat full of water and utterly unfit for use-so that we abandoned her to the deep. 6th Nov Lying at anchor. In the morning at day-break, in Pluymgat, the wind N. W. and W., weighed anchor again, and discovered a sail to leeward; we pursued with our courses set, and hoisted English colors; we supposed him to be a West Indiaman; hoisted our topsail. The tide turning against him, he anchored near Silvester Island in 8 or 10 foot water; we then lowered the English colors and hoisted those of the Prince, whereupon they instantly struck their colors. Commanding them to come on board, the skipper arriving with two men, reported that they came from New London, and that Capt. Winthrop and Mr. Willis were in his ship, being commissioned by those of Connecticut. Sent the boat for them; when on board, they said they would show us their commission, to take a copy of it. They farther stated, that those of Connecticut dispatched a Letter to the Governor-General A. Colve, of which a copy should be shown to us; whereupon we showed them our commission, together with the Article penned by those of the East end of the Island, and in consequence of it, their nomination, and subsequent election, &c.; the answer thereto was exhibited, to wit: That the 9th article had not been consented to, and consequently all the other articles, together with |