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Director General and Council of New-Netherland, who sealed their ratification on the same day that the Charter of 1629 was proclaimed at Fort Amsterdam.* The intervening tract was purchased by Van Rensselaer in 1637, in exchange for goods and trinkets.

The several purchases embrace a tract forty-eight miles long and twenty-four broad, and estimated to contain over seven hundred thousand acres of land. The tract is now embraced within the counties of Albany, Rensselaer, and Columbia.t

It is believed that the next purchase was made by another Director named MICHAEL PAAUN. His tract was situate on the east side of the river Mauritius, and included some part of Staten Island, and land on the Jersey shore.

The colonies, at first, increased in population but slowly; yet, as it was soon established "that children could be raised in New-Netherland," and as the charter of 1629 provided that every colony should, within four years after its estab. lishment, contain at least fifty persons over fifteen years of age, that condition was complied with. They remained for a number of years, however, a commercial rather than an agricultural possession of the West India Company.

The early settlers upon the colonial grants were sent

O'Callaghan.

+ Copies of these Deeds are in the Book of Patents GC., 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, and also among the Holland Documents. Those who have studied these Deeds, say, that much confusion exists concerning land marks and dates. It is said that when application was subsequently made to the Duke of York, in 1673, for a warrant to erect the colonie into a manor, the parties interested experienced great trouble from the confusion. As these grants were subsequently confirmed by the Duke of York, and reserved to the grantees in the Constitution of 1777, they have remained unimpaired, and the land suffered to descend to the heirs of the original Patroon. The tenants upon this, as well as other manors in the State, have become dissatisfied with the tenure and the exactions contained in their leases, and, at times, have resisted officers in the collection of rent. Although the Legislature has been repeatedly memorialized to relieve the difficulty complained of, no remedy has yet been devised or found.

hither by the patroons, who soon after furnished the tenants with stock and farming utensils necessary for a beginning, and in a few instances, comfortable farm-houses were erected for their comfort and convenience.

In 1645, THOMAS FFARRINGTON, JOHN TOWNSEND, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, ROBERT FURMAN, and others, made a purchase of the natives, and obtained a patent for sixteen thousand acres of land, to the east of Mespath, and the following year two other grants were made one, of a large tract about Katskill, to Cornelis Van Slyck, of "Breuckelen,"

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* See Book GG of Dutch Patents, 157, translation 363. As a specimen of these documents, this grant is given entire as follows:

"WE, Willem Kieft, Director-general, and council, on behalf of the High and Mighty Lords States General of the United Netherlands, His Highness of Orange, and the noble Lords Directors of the Privileged West India Company, residing in New Netherland: To all who shall see or hear these presents read, Health. Whereas Cornelis Antonissen, [Van Slyck] of Breuckelen, hath appeared before Us, and with his associates requested permission to settle in free possession the land of Katskill lying on the River Mauritius, there to plant with his associates a Colonie, which he hath promised to do, according to the freedoms and exemptions of New Netherland: WE, therefore, considering the great service which the aforesaid Cornelis Antonissen hath conferred on this country, as well in the making of peace as in the ransoming of prisoners, and it being proper that such notorious services should not remain unacknowledged, We have, as Director and Council, conceded and granted to the aforesaid Cornelis Antonissen, the above-mentioned land of the Katskill, to plant there a Colonie, within the time therefor enacted, and in the order appointed, or to be appointed, by the Noble Lords Majors. Wherefore, WE, in the quality aforesaid, deed and transport in a true, free, and perpetual possession, to the said Cornelis Antonissen, the aforesaid lands of the Katskill, giving him full power, authority, and special command, to enter on, cultivate, and make use of the said lands in the same manner as he should conclude to do with his other patrimonial estate, without our in any manner, in quality aforesaid, having, reserving, or retaining thereon any part, action, or authority in the least, but as regards the same, desisting from all henceforth and forever; promising to maintain this transport firmly, inviolably, and irrevokably; to perform and to fulfil every part thereof under the penalty of answering therefor according to law, without art or guile. This is subscribed, and with our Seal in red wax, fully and perfectly confirmed. Done in Fort Amsterdam, in New Netherland, this 22d of August, of the year of our Lord and Savior one thousand six hundred six and forty.

[Signed,]

"WILLEM KIEFT.

"By order of the noble Director-general and council of N. N.

"CORNELIS VAN TIENHOVEN, Secretary."

53

and the other of a large tract on the east side of the Hudson river, about sixteen miles above New-Amsterdam.t

As years rolled apace, several other valuable and extensive tracts were in like manner purchased of the natives, and patents therefor obtained of the government, by sundry persons of wealth, who, in example of their predecessors, reduced the same into colonies. Under these grants immense tracts of land were let, and the same are yet held under perpetual leases, containing quarter sale reservations and preemptions, by tenants who regard the conditions as oppressive.

Manorial possessions in our country are generally deemed prejudicial to agriculture, and as innovations upon the republican system.

In the course of events, the Dutch became involved in difficulty concerning colonization, which resulted in a surrender of their possessions here to the English.

VII. CAPITULATION TO THE ENGLISH AT THE GOVERNOR'S BOWERY, IN NEW-AMSTERDAM, august 27, 1664.

"I. WE consent that the States General, or the West India Company, shall freely injoy all Farms and Houses (except such as are in the forts) and that within six months, they shall have free Liberty to transport all such Arms and Ammunition, as now does belong to them, or else they shall be paid for them.

"II. All Publique Houses shall continue for the Uses which they are for.

"III. All People shall still continue free Denizens, and shall enjoy their Lands, Houses, Goods, wheresoever they are within this Country, and dispose of them as they please.

“IV. If any Inhabitant have a Mind to remove himself, he shall have a Year and six Weeks from this day, to remove himself, Wife, Children, Servants, Goods, and to dispose of his Lands here.

t Book of Patents, 1: 56.

"V. If any Officer of State, or Publique Minister of State, have a Mind to go for England, they shall be transported Fraught free, in his Majesty's Frigotts, when these Frigotts shall return thither.

"VI. It is consented to, that any People may freely come from the Netherlands, and plant in this Colony, and that Dutch Vessels may freely come hither, and any of the Dutch may freely return home, or send any Sort of Merchandize home, in Vessels of their own Country.

"VII. All Ships from the Netherlands, or any other Place, and Goods therein, shall be received here, and sent hence, after the manner which formerly they were, before our coming hither, for six Months next ensuing.

"VIII. The Dutch here shall enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences in divine Worship and Church Discipline.

"IX. No Dutchman here, or Dutch Ship here, shall upon any occasion, be pressed to serve in War against any Nation whatsoever.

"X. That the Townsmen of the Manhattans, shall not have any Soldiers quartered upon them, without being satisfied and paid for them by their Officers, and that at this present, if the Fort be not capable of lodging all the Soldiers, then the Burgomasters, by his Officers, shall appoint some Houses capable to receive them.

"XI. The Dutch here shall enjoy their own Customs concerning their Inheritances.

"XII. All Publique Writings and Records, which concern the Inheritances of any People, or the Reglement of the Church or Poor, or Orphans, shall be carefully kept by those in whose Hands now they are, and such Writings as particularly concern the States General, may at any Time be sent to them.

"XIII. No Judgment that has passed any Judicature here, shall be called in Question, but if any conceive that he hath not had Justice done him, if he apply himself to the States

General, the other Party shall be bound to answer for the supposed Injury.

"XIV. If any Dutch, living here, shall at any Time desire to travaile or traffique into England, or any Place, or Plantation, in Obedience to his Majesty of England, or with the Indians, he shall have (upon his Request to the Governor) a Certificate that he is a free Denizen of this Place, and Liberty to do so.

"XV. If it do appeare, that there is a publique Engagement of Debt, by the Town of the Manhattoes, and a Way agreed on for the satisfying of that Engagement, it is agreed, that the same Way proposed shall go on, and that the Engagement shall be satisfied.

"XVI. All inferior Civil Officers and Magistrates, shall continue as now they àre, (if they please) till the customary Time of new Elections, and then new ones to be chosen by themselves, provided that such new chosen Magistrates shall take the Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty of England, before they enter upon their Office.

"XVII. All Differences of Contracts and Bargains made before this Day, by any in this Country, shall be determined according to the Manner of the Dutch.

"XVIII. If it do appeare, that the West-India Company of Amsterdam, do really owe any Sums of Money to any Person here, it is agreed that Recognition, and other Duties payable by Ships going for the Netherlands, be continued for six Months longer.

"XIX. The Officers Military, and Soldiers, shall march out with their Arms, Drums beating, and Colours flying, and lighted Matches; and if any of them will plant, they shall have fifty Acres of Land set out for them; if any of them will serve as Servants, they shall continue with all Safety, and become free Denizens afterwards.

"XX. If at any Time hereafter, the King of Great Britain, and the States of the Netherland, do agree that this

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