BOOK Amsterdam. The Gilded Beaver was chartered, and in V. her sailed Director Alrichs with his colonists, one hundred 1657. and twenty-five in number, seventy-six of whom were April 21. women and children. They arrived at the South River after a passage of five days. The other vessels belonging to this expedition arrived a few days afterwards, whilst Capt. Krygier and his soldiers, with a few of the settlers, proceeded overland to the Delaware.' Alrichs' arrival terminated the official career of Jacquet. Charges had been brought against this officer of refusing to administer justice, obstructing legal arrests, seizing by violence lands belonging to others, harassing the commonalty, and acting tyrannically towards the people. Notwithstanding that these, on investigation, were considered to arise "more April 20. from passion than reason," he was dismissed from office, and ordered to give up all public papers in his hands. Fort Christina, which was henceforward called "Altona," was placed in charge of Andries Hudde and a few soldiers, as well to defend it against the Swedes, as to "imbue the natives with proper awe."

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The municipal government of New Amstel continued. unchanged for four months longer, but the Balance Aug. 21. arriving with additional settlers, it was reconstructed. A Vroedschap," or permanent council, of seven members, was elected by the burghers, and from this body three magistrates were chosen, who, with a Schout and Secretary, constituted a court for the administration of justice. The congregation, hitherto superintended by a "Ziecken trooster," or comforter of the sick, was now supplied by a clergyman, the Rev. Everardus Welius, who had been commissioned on the 9th of March preceding; and every preparation was made to render the settlement both orderly and secure. Lots were conceded to the colonists, a magazine erected, the fort repaired, a guard-house, bake-house

1 Gerrit van Swerringen, who accompanied this expedition as supercargo of the Prince Maurice, writing in 1684, represents the soldiers to have been sixty in number, and the other passengers one hundred and eighty; and that they took possession of Fort Casimir, "now called New Castle," on the 25th April, 1657. (Lond. Doc. iv., 173.) The statement in the text is taken from Alrichs' letters and other Dutch papers which are considered more correct.

VII.

and forge built, together with residences for the clergyman CHAP. and other public officers. A city hall "for the burghers" followed. This important building was a log-house, two 1657. stories high and twenty feet square. The whole of the public buildings were enclosed in a square, and New Amstel assumed, in consequence, quite a promising appearance, forming at the end of the first year "a goodly town of about one hundred houses."

1 Alb. Rec. iv., 237, 247; xii., 405-411, 419, 424-427, 448, 449; xv., 124; Hol. Doc. xv., 12, 213, 225, 227-231, 233-252; xvi., 196-200. As it cannot fail to be of interest to trace the rise of civil government in the wilderness, we append an extract from one of Alrichs' letters, to show more clearly the manner in which the municipality of New Amstel first came into existence. He says, "I found the government to consist of a military council over the soldiers who were here of old; the differences between the old settlers, who consisted of about twelve or thirteen families, were decided by the commander and two persons acting as Schepens, and a secretary appointed from among the inhabitants by the General on the part of the West India Company. These expressed a desire, now that the place had changed hands, that a burgher-like government should be continued according to the conditions, as it was under the Director-general and the West India Company. So it was, and they continued to decide all differences between burgher and burgher. All affairs appertaining to the city' and military matters, were disposed of by me and the Council, and differences between the city's servants, soldiers, trainsbands, and freemen, until the arrival of the Balance, [21st August, 1657,] when seven city councillors were elected, and from them three new Schepens were chosen, another secretary and Schout were also appointed, two elders, and two deacons," for the management of church affairs.

BOOK

V.

CHAPTER VIII.

Causes which led to the colonization of New Netherland-Consequences of opening the trade-Privilege of "Burgher recht" conferred on the citizens of New Amsterdam-Nature of that law-Benefits accruing therefromCauses which modified that law in New Netherland-Further intrigues of George Baxter and Hubbard-Another petition sent to Cromwell-Result of the mission-The Protector's letter-Proceedings thereupon at Gravesend, Gemeco, &c.-Final disposition of the letter-Revival of religious persecutions-A Lutheran minister arrives-Is expelled the province, and forced to return to Holland-Controversy about the form of baptism-Arrival of Quakers at the Manhattans-Their reception-Conduct of a Heemstede magistrate towards one of the Friends-Inhuman treatment of Robert Hodshone-Richard Townsend prosecuted-The people of Flushing vindicate the rights of conscience-The magistrates of that town arrested and prosecuted-Quakers reappear at Rustdorp, (Gemeco,) also at Gravesend-Prosecutions against offenders in these towns-The charter of Flushing altered-Town taxed to support orthodoxy-A Catholic prosecuted-Proclamation against QuakersMary Scott and Mrs. Weeks fined-Reappearance of Friends at New Amsterdam-Banished-The Dutch clergy report the spread of sectarianism to the Classis at Amsterdam.

AMONG the causes which gave birth to the province of New Netherland, and stimulated the industry of its citi1657. zens, none are so marked as the desire of gain. Religious persecution peopled New England and Virginia. Colonists were driven to the inhospitable coasts of the former by the prelates; to the fertile bottoms of the latter by the Roundheads. But neither religious nor political persecution stimulated in any way the settlement of America by the Dutch. Trade was their great aim, and edicts and ordonnances for its regulation, especially with the Indians, enter largely into their early legislation. The opening of that trade in 1638 necessarily led to competition; this soon Mar. 14. became offensive to the resident merchants, who, biassed by institutions with which they were conversant in their native country, and ill acquainted with sound rules of trade, with a view to its monopoly by themselves, prevailed on the Director-general in 1653 to order that no

VIII.

merchants should carry on any retail business with the CHAP. interior, except such as were "in actual possession of a decent house and farm, and had resided in the country four 1657. years."

This law was, however, annulled in the following year by the home authorities. "The growth of a community yet in its infancy, must be rather promoted," they wisely observed, "by encouraging unlimited privileges, than restrained by prohibitions and restrictions. To compel individuals to settle and establish themselves in the country, and that, in many instances, against their inclinations and interests, is disgusting, indeed horrible; to compel them to remain stationary is servile-is slavery." They, therefore, contented themselves with ordering that traders in general should keep a store, by which means "interlopers and pedlars" would be checked, and merchants pay their share of the public burthens. On these conditions they were to be afterwards free to trade with the interior, or not, as suited their interests.'

This regulation led to the introduction of the important Dutch law of "Burgher recht," or municipal freedom, which, in consideration of the several faithful and voluntary services as well in expeditions as otherwise, and of the submission to burthens evinced by the citizens,” was accorded this year, at the request of the Burgomasters Feb. 1. and Schepens, to the city of New Amsterdam.

The policy of conferring special privileges on the natives and residents of commercial cities may be said to be coequal with the foundation of the Roman Empire. The exclusive right to trade in the city of Amsterdam was confined by law, almost from the commencement of its existence, to such of its inhabitants as were burghers, either by birth, purchase, intermarriage, or by a vote of the city, all of whom enjoyed the same privileges, with this difference only, that native citizens acquired them immediately on becoming of age and enregistering their names; the others, after the lapse of a year from the time of their enrolment. The "Burgher right" thus obtained, conveyed not 1 Alb. Rec. iv., 129.

BOOK only commercial but important political and legal priviV. leges. It conferred on the citizen freedom of trade and 1657. exemption from toll, and opened to him all offices under

the city government. If wronged or injured when from home, it ensured him protection; secured him from suits of law by a fellow burgher beyond the city's jurisdiction, and if arrested in the public service, it guarantied him redress at the city's expense. A Dutch burgher could not be arrested or imprisoned if he could procure bail, nor indicted, nor tried for any offence after the term of one year. He was saved from attaint of blood and confiscation of property, if found guilty on a capital charge, for "he could not forfeit for any crime more than his life and one hundred guilders." Females, under this charter, could also share in burgher right, with this peculiarity, however: if acquired by purchase, they could enjoy it only while spinsters or widows; they lost it if married to those who were not themselves burghers, and their children, like those of Jewish burghers, did not inherit the parent's privilege.' On the decease of the husband, the mother became reintegrated in her municipal privileges.

This law continued unaltered until the year 1652. A false policy, fomented by feelings of pride and aristocracy, then took possession of men's minds, and under the pretence of replenishing the city's coffers, the Council was persuaded by the Burgomasters to divide the burghery into two classes "Great and Small "-giving to the wealthy, for the sum of five hundred guilders, or two hundred dollars, the privilege of enrolling their names on the list of "the Great," who, alone, were to be invested with the monopoly of all offices, and the exemption from confiscation and attainder in case of conviction for capital offences. The lesser citizenship conveyed, under this new order of things, only freedom of trade, and the privilege of being received into the respective guilds.'

1 Het Poorterschap gaat, niet dan door de mannen over op de kinderen, was the maxim of the law. The names of several females are to be found on the list of burghers of New Amsterdam.

• Wagenaar Beschryving, i., 142, 582, 563; iii., 141, et seq. To the credit