Concerning the Proposal of a farther & more close Union and friendship between the English & the Dutch Nation in those parts especially against the Common Enemy, We deem it Material & need full to take such into serious Consideration by the United Collonies, and also that it may be strongly Recommended to them on their next annual Meeting of the Commissioners. And in Testimony of our United approbation of the Recited several Conclusions We have subscribed to these with our own Hands this Nineteenth September 1650. Under stood, Symon Broadstreet, Thomas Prence, Thomas Willet, George Baxter. Thus it is that We on Matture Deliberation on the Articles & the Recited Extracts have approved and Rattified, as we do by these prescents approve and Rattifie the same, Require & order hereby farther That the Contents & form thereof shall be vallid, and by every one under our Obedience, who it may any wise concerne, be obeyed, and that they square their Conduct accordingly, without acting or Suffering to be acted Contrary thereto on pain of our Highest Displeasure as we deem such needfull for the Benefit of the Province. Given & Executed in the Hague under Great Seal, & Hand & Seal of our Secretary yo 22 februa 1656. After neatly Comparing these are found to aggree with of Proceedings in the Secretary Office of their High Mightinesses. H. FAGEL. True Copy of the Record, examined by me ROBT. HARPUR, D. Secry. PATENT FOR THE WEST INDIA COMPANY. [LS.] WEVERSDYCK. Pattent for the West India Compagnie. The States General of the United Netherlands, Too all to whom these Presents shall come, be seen, or heared to be read, Greeting, make known, that as we in the year 1621 for sundry Causes & Considerations us thereunto moving have found meet to Raise Erect & Form in our Dominions a Society called the West India Company in order thereby & with the Exclusion of others to cause Trade & Navigation to prevail on the Lands & Coasts of Affrica, from the Tropick of Cancer to Cape the Good Hope, and the Lands of America or West India, beginning from the South End of New found land or Terre Nova through the Streights of Maggelanes and Lemaire, or other passages & streights thereabouts situated, to the Streights of Anjan so on the North as the South Seas, and all the Islands on the one or other side situated or between them also Reaching to the Southern Lands sittuate between the Two Meridians Reaching to the East Cape the Good Hope, And on the West the East End of Nova Guenea Included. We Grant by the Second Article of our Grant or Octrooy on the Third day of June 1621 under our Great Seal given to them and farther expressed that they the said may in our Name and authority within the Limetts aforesaid may make Contracts & Alliances with Princes & the Natives of the Lands therein Comprehended. Moreover to build fortresses & places of Security, Appoint Governours, People & officers of War & to execute Justice, to the maintaining & keeping good Decorum for their own safety & to keep a due Course of Government to promote Trade & Commers-To nominate depose and again appoint others, and in particular that they promote Encrease & to people the Country in those Wild Deserts and the aforesaid Comp' by Virtue of our sincere Intentions and by virtue of our Grant having began to settle in New Netherland on the Coasts of North America, notwithstanding some ill affected persons to our State & Comp have have wrongfully cast their Aspersions, as if we had only granted to the Comp Liberty to Trade only, and not also to people the Country, and to posses & inhabit the Lands for that End Disputing the Right of said Compagny. Be it therefore Known unto all whom it may Concerne that our Intention in the above Recited Grant, and Real meaning was no other, nor is yet but that the said Compagny Conformable thereto and by virtue thereof is Impowered & has a Right to plant Collonies and to people the Country on all such Lands as are not occupied by others, as far as the Limetts above Recited Extend, and particular that they reserve to themselves (by vertue of the before Recited Grant and by Discovering & occupying the Fresh River and other parts more Easterly on in New Netherland situate & extending to Cape Cod, and from Cape Henloopen, and fifteen miles more South) a Right to settle as it is provisionaly Limmetted between the King of Great Brittain and us, to adjust as above, by virtue of our Grant Their Limetts conformable the Provisional Treaty of Limetts between the two powers in the year 1650, fixed in America, Approved & Rattified by us 22 february 1656, In manner following: that is on the Main from the West side of Greenwhich bay being about four Miles from Stanfort, and thus to run into the Land on a Northerly Course Twenty miles, Provided such Line does not come within Ten Miles from the North River. And farther on Long Island from the Westermost part of Oyster Bay on a direct South Line to the Sea. Remaining provisional & Conformable to Treaty aforesaid the Eastren part of the said Island for the English, and the Westermost for the Dutch, to the West India Comp before mentioned, And the Inhabitants of those parts of New Netherlands. Wherefore we require & desire all Emperours, Kings, Republicks, Princes, & Governours friends & allies of this State or Regency, or those that observe a Neuteralety with them That they may not interrupt the abovementioned Comp but leave them at Quiet & unmolested in their peaceable possession, they will lay us under obligation to Retaliate the same to their Neighbours: Hereby charging & expressly Commanding all and every one in our Service and under our Laws & Government, particular the Inhabitants of the aforesaid Limetts, to behave & Regulate their Conduct percisely Conformable to this Treaty, without acting or suffer others to act Contrary thereto on forfeiture of our protection, and to merret our Just Indignation and to be punnished with severity as Disturbers of the Peace and Disobedient Members will be adequate to their Crimes-Dated in the Hague under our Great Seal Signed and Sealed by our Secretary on the 23 January 1664. These neatly Compared aggrees with the Book of Acts & Proceedings Lodged in the Secretary Office of their High Mightinesses. True Copy of the Record, examined by me H. FAGEL. ROBT. HARPUR, D. Secrty. The people of the State of New York, By the Grace of God, Free and Independent, To all to whom these presents shall come send Greeting. Know ye that we having inspected certain Records remaining in our Secretary's office of our said State do find there certain Writings in the Words and figures contained in the Book or Schedule hereunto annexed from page 1 to page 6 inclusive; (except the Certificates of Robert Harpur Esquire Deputy Secretary of our said State subscribed to me said papers respectively) all which we have caused to be Exemplified by these Presents: In testimony whereof we have Caused these our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of our said State to be hereunto affixed: Witness our 21-VOL. XVIII. Trusty and Wellbeloved George Clinton Esquire Governor of our said State General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia and Admiral of the Navy of the same: At Poughkeepsie the Seventh day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty two, and of our Independence the Seventh. Passed the Secretary's office 7th Novem' 1782. ROBT. HARPUR, D. Secry. |