At the same period, both the civil and military governments in this town and also in the county, were very unpopular. In order to support their authority, the justices of the peace resorted to the exercise of very arbitrary measures: arresting and confining many persons under the pretence of their having uttered scandalous words against them, and the government; by which proceedings they completely alienated the people's affections, and exasperated them to such a degree that they committed many excesses: all which will appear by the following extracts from the records:

"October 11, 1693, at a meeting of the justices of Kings county, at the county hall. Present, Roeleff Martinse, Nicholas Stillwell, Joseph Hegeman, and Henry Ffilkin, esqrs. justices. John Bibout, of Broockland, in the county aforesaid, we aver being committed by the said justices to the common jail of Kings county, for divers scandalous and abusive words spoken by the said John against their majesties justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, to the contempt of their majesties authority and breach of the peace; the said John having now humbly submitted himself, and craves pardon and mercy of the said justices for his misdemeanour, is discharged, paying the officer's fees, and being on his good behaviour till next court of sessions, in November next ensuing the date hereof."

In another instance, during the same year, in the month of October, in the town of Bushwyck, a man named Urian Hagell, was imprisoned for having said, on a training day, speaking jestingly of the soldiers, "Let us knock them down, we are three to their one." The justices called these "mutinous, factious, and seditious words;" which,

with the like, appear to have been favourite terms. with them. Again, in the same month and year, Hendrick Claes Vechte, of the town of Brooklyn, was imprisoned by the justices, on a charge of "raising of dissension, strife, and mutiny, among their majesties subjects." And May 8, 1694, two women of Bushwick were indicted at the sessions, for having beat and pulled the hair of Captain Peter Praa, whilst at the head of his company of soldiers on parade. One of them was fined £3, and the cost, £1 19s. 9d.; and the other 40s. and the cost, £1 198. 9d. In the last mentioned year, (1694) Volkert Brier, constable of Brooklyn, was fined £5, and the costs of court amounting to £1, by the sessions, "for tearing and burning an execution directed to him as constable."(18) Brier afterwards petitioned the governor to have the fine remitted; a copy of which petition is in the appendix, marked C.

This town with respect to legal matters was under the jurisdiction of the court of sessions held at Gravesend, for the West Riding of Yorkshire, upon Long-Island, (1) until the year 1683; when an act was passed by the first legislative assembly of this colony, dividing the province into counties, by which the ridings were abolished. The court however continued to be held at Gravesend until 1686, when it was removed to Flatbush, in conformity to an act of the colonial assembly, passed in the year 1685. This town continued under the

(18) Sept. 14, 1696, about 8 o'clock in the evening, John Rapale, Isaac Remsen, Joras Yannester, Joras Danielse Rapale, Jacob Reyersen, Aert Aersen, Tunis Buys, Garret Cowenhoven, Gabriel Sprong, Urian Andriese, John Williamse Bennet, Jacob Bennet, and John Meserole, jr. met armed at the court-house of Kings, where they destroyed and defaced the king's arms which were hanging up there.

[19) The West Riding was composed of the towns of Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, New-Utrecht, and Gravesend, together with Staten-Island and Newtown.

jurisdiction of that court, and the court of common pleas, which was afterwards established, until the close of the revolutionary war. At the close of the war the courts were re-organized, and this town still continues under their jurisdiction.

PRESENT GOVERNMENT.

In 1816 the village of Brooklyn was erected out of the town, and constituted a distinct government; thereby forming an imperium in imperio.

The present government both of the town and village, approach as near a pure democracy as that of any other place in this state. No business of importance is undertaken without first having the sanction of a public meeting. Here these sterling principles, that all power emanates from the people, and that public officers are but public servants, are fully rocognized, and acted upon.

This head the compiler will divide into two divisions, in order to avoid confusion: First, the Town Government, and second, the Village Government.

First-the Town Government.

The government of the town is administered by A Supervisor, elected by the people, at the annual town-meeting, on the first Tuesday of April. The duties of this officer are principally confined to the apportionment of taxes, presiding at elections, &c. He is also ex officio a commissioner of excise for granting tavern licenses in the town, and the general guardian of the town rights. There is no salary attached to this office: the supervisor receives a compensation of two dollars per day, for attending the general meeting of the supervisors of the different towns in the county, and a trifling amount for granting licenses. The present supervisor is William Furman, esq.

A Town Clerk, also elected by the people. The duties of this officer are to call special town meetings on the request of twelve freeholders, record the proceedings of town meetings, and preserve the records of the town. In 1698, Jacob Vandewater, town clerk of this town, received the sum of £6 5s. for two years and six months salary.(20) In 1822, in order to make the town clerk's salary in some degree proportionate to the increase of business, the town voted him a salary of $50. In 1824, the town clerk's salary was increased to $75. The office is at present held by John Doughty, esq. who has been successively elected since the year 1796.

The

Five Assessors, also elected by the people-whose duties are to assess all real and personal estate liable to taxation within the town, and to forward such assessment to the supervisors, that they may apportion the amount of tax on the same. present assessors are Messrs. John S. Bergen, Richard Stanton, John Spader, Joseph Moser, and Andrew Demarest. Their compensation is one dollar and twenty-five cents per day during the time they are employed in making and completing

the assessment.

There are also elected two overseers of the poor, Messrs. William Cornwell, and Isaac Moser; one constable and collector, Mr. John M'Kenney; two constables, Messrs. John Lawrence, and Samuel Doxsey; and several other officers, whose names and duties will be set forth in the subsequent parts of this work.

The judicial business of this town is at present transacted by three justices of the peace, viz. John Garrison, John G. Murphy, and Samuel Smith,

(20) At the same period, the salary of the clerk of the county was L10. per annum.

esqrs.

These magistrates are appointed by the judges of the common pleas, and the supervisors o the county.

Second-the Village Government.

April 12, 1816, the village of Brooklyn was incorporated by an act of the legislature of this state. By this act the freeholders and inhabitants are authorized annually to elect, on the first Monday of May, "Five discreet freeholders, resident within the said village, Trustees thereof;" and these trustees are authorized to appoint a president and clerk. The first trustees, Messrs. Andrew Mercein, John Garrison, John Doughty, John Seaman, and John Dean, were appointed by the legislature, -and continued in office until the first Monday of May, 1817; when the first election was made by the people, and they made choice of Messrs. William Furman, Henry Stanton, William Henry, Tunis Joralemon, and Noah Waterbury. The present trustees are Messrs. Joshua Sands, John Doughty, Joseph Moser, John Moon, and Samuel James. Joshua Sands, esq. president, and John Dikeman, esq. clerk of the board. The president previous to 1824 received no salary; at present his salary is $300. The clerk formerly received a salary of $100, which in consequence of the great increase of business is now raised to $200. The powers of the trustees are principally 66 to make,

ordain, constitute, and publish, such prudential bylaws, rules and regulations, as they from time to time shall deem meet and proper; and such in particular as relate to the public markets, streets, alleys, and highways of the said village; to draining, filling up, levelling, paving, improving, and keeping in order the same; relative to slaughter-houses, houses of ill fame, and nuisances gene