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FREEDOMS AND EXEMPTIONS GRANTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE XIX. OF THE PRIVILEGED WEST INDIA COMPANY, TO THOSE PLANTING COLONIES IN NEW NETHERLAND, IN 1629.

"I. Such members of the said company as may be inclined to settle any colonie in New Netherland, shall be permitted to send in the ships of this company going thither, three or four persons to inspect the situation of the country, provided that they, with the officers and ship's company, swear to the articles, so far as they relate to them, and pay for provisions and for passage, going and coming, six stuyvers per diem; and such as desire to eat in the cabin, twelve stuyvers, and to be subordinate and give assistance like others, in cases offensive and defensive; and if any ships be taken from the enemy, they shall receive, pro rata, their proportions with the ship's company, each according to his quality; that is to say, the colonists eating out of the cabin shall be rated with the sailors, and those. who eat in the cabin with those of the company's men who eat at table and receive the lowest wages.

"II. Though, in this respect, shall be preferred such persons as have first appeared and desired the same from the company.

"III. All such shall be acknowledged Patroons of New Netherland who shall, within the space of four years next after they have given notice to any of the Chambers of the Company here, or to the Commander or Council there, undertake to plant a colonie there of fifty souls, upwards of fifteen years old; one fourth part within one year, and within three years after the sending of the first, making together four years, the remainder, to the full number of fifty persons, to be shipped from hence, on pain, in case of willful neglect, of being deprived of the privileges obtained; but it is to be observed that the company reserve the island of the Manhattes to themselves,

"IV. They shall, from the time they make known the situation of the places where they propose to settle colonies, have the preference to all others of the absolute property of such lands as they have there chosen; but in case the situation should not afterwards please them, or that they should have been mistaken as to the quality of the land, they may, after remonstrating concerning the same to the Commander and Council there, be at liberty to choose another place.

"V. The Patroons, by virtue of their power, shall and may be permitted, at such places as they shall settle their colonies, to extend their limits four miles* along the shore, that is, on one side of a navigable river, or two milest on each side of a river, and so far into the country as the situation of the occupiers will permit; provided and conditioned that the company keep to themselves the lands lying and remaining between the limits of colonies, to dispose thereof, when and at such time as they shall think proper, in such manner that no person shall be allowed to come within seven or eight milest of them without their consent, unless the situation of the land thereabout were such, that the Commander and Council, for good reasons, should order otherwise; always observing that the first occupiers are not to be prejudiced in the right they have obtained, other than, unless the service of the Company should require it, for the building of fortifications, or something of that sort; remaining, moreover, the command of each bay, river, or island, of the first settled colonie, under the supreme jurisdiction of their High Mightinesses the States General, and the Company; but that on the next colonies being settled on the same river or island, they may, in conjunction with the first, appoint one or more council, in order to consider what may be necessary for the prosperity of the colonies on the said river and island.

Equal to sixteen English miles.

Or eight English miles.

Thirty-two English miles.

“VI. They shall forever possess and enjoy all the lands lying within the aforesaid limits, together with the fruits, rights, minerals, rivers, and fountains thereof; as also the chief command and lower jurisdictions, fishing, fowling, and grinding, to the exclusion of all others, to be holden from the Company as a perpetual inheritance, without it ever devolving again to the Company, and in case it should devolve, to be redeemed and repossessed with twenty guilders per colonie, to be paid to this Company at the Chamber here, or to their commander there, within a year and six weeks after the same occurs, each at the Chamber where he originally sailed from; and further, no person or persons whatsoever shall be privileged to fish and hunt but the Patroons and such as they shall permit; and in case any one should in time prosper so much as to found one or more cities, he shall have power and authority to establish officers and magistrates there, and to make use of the title of his colonie, according to his pleasure and to the quality of the persons.

“VII. There shall likewise be granted to all Patroons who shall desire the same, venia testandi, or liberty to dispose of their aforesaid heritage, by testament.

"VIII. The Patroons may, if they think proper, make use of all lands, rivers and woods, lying contiguous to them, for and during so long a time as this Company shall grant them to other patroons or particulars.

"IX. Those who shall send persons over to settle colonies shall furnish them with proper instructions, in order that they may be ruled and governed conformably to the rule of government made, or to be made, by the Assembly of the Nineteen, as well in the political as in the judicial government; which they shall be obliged first to lay before the directors of the respective colleges.

"X. The Patroons and Colonists shall be privileged to send their people and effects thither, in ships belonging to the Company, provided they take the oath, and pay to the

Company for bringing over the people as mentioned in the first article; and for freight of the goods five per cent. ready money, to be reckoned on the prime cost of the goods here; in which is, however, not to be included such creatures and other implements as are necessary for the cultivation and improvement of the lands, which the Company are to carry over without any reward, if there is room in their ships. But the Patroons shall, at their own expense, provide and make places for them, together with every thing necessary for the support of the creatures.

"XI. In case it should not suit the Company to send any ships, or in those going there should be no room, then the said Patroons, after having communicated their intentions, and after having obtained consent from the Company in writing, may send their own ships or vessels thither: provided, that in going or coming they go not out of their ordinary course; giving security to the Company for the same, and taking on board an assistant, to be victualed by the Patroons, and paid his monthly wages by the Company ; on pain, for doing the contrary, of forfeiting all the right and property they have obtained to the colonie.

"XII. Inasmuch as it is intended to people the island of the Manhattes first, all fruits and wares that are produced on the lands situate on the North River, and lying thereabout, shall, for the present, be brought there before they may be sent elsewhere: excepting such as are from their nature unnecessary there, or such as cannot, without great loss to the owner thereof, be brought there; in which case the owners thereof shall be obliged to give timely notice in writing of the difficulty attending the same to the Company here, or the commander and Council there, that the same may be remedied as the necessity thereof shall be found to require.

"XIII. All the Patroons of colonies in New Netherland, and of colonies on the island of Manhattes, shall be at liber

ty to sail and traffic all along the coast from Florida to Terra Neuf, provided that they do again return with all such goods as they shall get in trade to the island of Manhattes, and pay five per cent. for recognition to the Company, in order, if possible, that after the necessary inventory of the goods shipped be taken, the same may be sent hither. And if it should so happen that they could not return, by contrary streams or otherwise, they shall, in such case, not be permitted to bring such goods to any other place but to these dominions, in order that under the inspection of the directors of the place where they may arrive they may be unladen, an inventory thereof made, and the aforesaid recognition of five per cent. paid to the Company here, on pain, if they do the contrary, of the forfeiture of their goods so trafficed for, or the real value thereof.

"XIV. In case the ships of the Patroons, in going to, or coming from, or sailing on the coast from Florida to Terra Neuf, and no further, without our grant, should overpower any of the prizes of the enemy, they shall be obliged to bring, or cause to be brought, such prize to the college of the place from whence they sailed out, in order to be rewarded by them; the Company shall keep the one-third part thereof, and the remaining two-thirds shall belong to them, in consideration of the cost and risk they have been at, all according to the orders of the Company.

"XV. It shall be also free for the aforesaid Patroons to traffic and trade all along the coast of New Netherland and places circumjacent, with such goods as are consumed there, and receive in return for them, all sorts of merchandise that may be had there, except beavers, otters, minks, and all sorts of peltry, which trade the company reserve to themselves. But the same shall be permitted at such places where the company have no factories, conditioned that such traders shall be obliged to bring all the peltry they can procure to the island of Manhattes, in case it may be, at any rate, prac

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