Description of the New Netherlands/Part 6

Entered into and made between the Lords the Burgomasters of the city of Amsterdam, and the West India Company, by the approbation of their High Mightinesses, the States General of the United Netherlands.

the following is presented to all those who, at colonists, desire to withdraw to the New-Netherlands, and who shall address themselves to the Hon. Lord Coenraed Burgh, Counsellor and former Schepen, Henrick Roeters, Upper Commissary of the Exchange, Eduart Man, Isaac Van Beeck, Hector Pietersz, and Johan Tayspel, as Commissioners and Directors thereunto appointed, and named by the Burgomasters, upon the authority of the Council of this City, and commissioned, who will hold their sittings provisionally at the West India House, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the afternoon at half-past three o'clock.

. The colonists going thitherward, together with their families, needful household furniture, and other necessaries, shall be carried over in proper ships.

. The city of Amsterdam shall agree with the shippers, as they best can, for the transportation of persons and goods.

. The same city shall pay the transport money, by form of advance, which shall hereafter be repaid in the manner hereafter mentioned.

. The said city shall advance to the colonists, to enable them to settle honorably and prosperously, as follows, viz:

. First, the said city shall provide and direct to a fruitful land, of a temperate and healthy climate, watered and lying against a salt, navigable river; for which an agreement has been made with the West India Company, and where no persons can set up any adverse claims.

. That the said city shall provide a suitable piece of land on the bank of a river for a secure and proper dwelling place for the colonists. The place shall be provided with a trench and wall on the outer side, and the inner ground be laid out with streets, a market, and in lots for the advantage of merchants, mechanics, and those who will pursue agriculture the whole to be done at the cost of the said city.

. The city of Amsterdam shall send to the said place a capable person to serve as a schoolmaster, who by provision shall be a preacher of the Holy Scriptures, and also a leader in psalmody.

. The city shall also provide for and pay the salary of the school master.

. And to the end that the colonists may be provided with necessaries as far as is practicable, the said city shall supply them with clothing and necessaries for one year, and also with seed grain; and for the assurance and certainty of having; the necessary supplies on hand, the city shall erect a large magazine or warehouse in said place for the storage of clothing and necessaries for the people, wherein they shall keep their factor, who shall supply every colonist with necessary clothing, household necessaries, and husbandry articles at the same prices; of this country, the toll of the company not charged.

. Concerning the toll (commissions) of the company, the same shall be paid according to the annexed list of rates, and the city shall also provide in time that the tolls which are paid in the New Netherlands shall be there employed and expended, in the erection and support of such public works as shall be authorized by this city and the West India Company.

. The said fortified place, destined for the dwelling of the colonists, whether it be named a city or town, (vlek) shall be governed for political justice, in the manner of succession, according to the present practice of the city of Amsterdam.

. They shall first have a Schout (sheriff,) as chief of the police, (justicia,) installed as is done here.

. The Schout shall be installed in the name of their High Mightinesses, and of the West India Company, for the Deputies of Amsterdam, who, for that purpose, by procuration shall give authority to the Director.

. There shall also be three Burgomasters, to her chosen by the common burghers from, the honestest, richest,, and most capable men,

. There shall be five, or seven magistrates (Schepenen), for which purpose the burghers shall nominate a double number, from which a choice shall be made by the Directors upon procuration according to Art. 13.

. Whenever the city or town shall have increased to the number of 250 families or more, then the burghers shall elect a council of twenty persons, who shall assemble in council with the burgomasters and schepens, and resolve upon all subjects relating to the state of the said city. And this council, after it shall have been thus formed, shall have power to fill vacancies arising in their number by deaths or otherwise, by ordering the election of other persons by a fair majority of votes to fill such vacancies in the said city council. Elections for the burgomasters and for the council shall be held annually. The said body shall also have the nomination of the double number of schepens, from which the same shall be appointed as aforesaid.

. The Schepens may give final judgment upon arrests for all sums not exceeding 100 guilders. For sums exceeding 100 guilders, the aggrieved party may appeal to the Director General and council.

. The said Schepens shall also have power in all criminal cases, but it is provided that appeals may be taken from their decisions.

. The city of Amsterdam shall agree with a smith, a wheelwright, and a carpenter, to remove to the said place for the benefit and service of the colonists.

. The aforesaid city of Amsterdam shall cause the land lying around and contiguous to such city or town, to be laid out into fields for tillage, pasturage and hay-land, and provide ways to the same.

. To every person who desires to pursue farming, there shall be granted in firm and continued ownership, as much tillable, pasture and hay-land, as he with his family can till and require, from twenty to thirty morgens or more, upon condition that all such land granted to any of the colonists shall, within two years after the same is granted, be brought into cultivation, upon pain of forfeiture and of the same being granted unto another.

. Every colonist shall freely hold and occupy his land without paying any per centage, horn-money, or salt-money, for ten years, calculating from the time his land was first sowed or mowed. When these ten years have expired, they shall not be burthened higher than the residue of any neighbouring district are who stand under the administrators of the West India Company in the New-Netherlands. They shall also be free from the tenths for twenty years from the time of sowing or mowing as aforesaid. After said twenty years are expired, a tenth shall be given to the city of Amsterdam, with the understanding that then the half of the tenth shall be used there for the support of the public works, and of the persons employed in the public service for preserving and keeping of the same. And also, whenever any poundage or other assessments shall be paid, the same shall be employed for the erection and maintaining of the public works, and for the payment of the persons who are in service in the same.

. The city of Amsterdam shall provide, that ships be regularly sent from Holland for the grain, seeds, timber and merchandise of the colonists, and to bring the same over for their benefit. They shall also be at liberty to freight vessels, upon consigning the same to the city of Amsterdam.

. The city of Amsterdam shall provide warehouses in Holland for the benefit of the colonists, and for the reception of their grain and articles of merchandise, and shall sell the same for the profit of the shippers, and again invest and remit the proceeds in such articles as shall be ordered, retaining a commission of two per cent, and a tenth of the net profits, to reimburse the said city for the money it has advanced for the transportation of the persons and goods of the colonists. This to continue until the advances are repaid, and no longer.

. The colonists of the New-Netherlands, whenever they want necessaries, may be supplied from the city warehouse, at the set price; the accounts of such sales shall be remitted here, to have the same credited to the merchant, or otherwise.

. The colonists may, for the building of houses, vessels, and also for sale, cut and procure timber in the nearest woods of their district, and from any other place in the jurisdiction of the West India Company in New-Netherlands, at their pleasure, from any land which has not been particularly reserved, already granted, or that may be granted, subject to the further conditions also of Art. 28.

. The burgomasters of Amsterdam, as founders, patrons, and having the jurisdiction, shall appoint a secretary legate for advancing the subalterns.

. The hunting in the wilderness, and also the fishing in all waters and rivers which have not already been granted, shall be free to all the colonists, subject to such regulations as shall be made under the authority of the Company, or of the States-General.

. The city of Amsterdam shall provide that all necessary implements of husbandry shall be shipped for the colonists free from recognition charges.

. If any of the colonists, by himself, his family, or his servants, shall discover any minerals, chrystals, precious stones, alabaster, &c, &c, of whatever nature or kind soever the same may be, he shall possess the same as his own, free from any impost for ten years; and at the expiration of ten years, he shaft pay over to the company one-tenth part of the net profits proceeding from the same.

. The city of Amsterdam shall provide a warehouse in said city, wherein shall be brought all the goods, to be imported and examined, by a person appointed on the part of the West India Company, and another person on the part of the city of Amsterdam. After the inspection the same shall be marked with the marks of the city and of the Company, and the impost upon the same paid by the Company, according to the list of the rates.

. The goods shall be laden, to the knowledge of the Company, on board of such ships as the city shall provide, for that purpose.

. If the said city should send over any goods on board of a ship on freight, the same must be sent to New-Amsterdam, subject to the same regulations, and the city be subject to their own rules as well as others.

. But whenever the city of Amsterdam will send their own or any kind of ship laden only with their own goods, they may send such vessel direct to their city, place or colony, with all the lading, to be delivered into the warehouse of the said city, consigned and committed to any of the said Company to whom the commission and letters shall be delivered.

. As all the wares, productions, and merchandise of the colony of the said city, and coming from thence, must be brought here into this city and deposited in its warehouses to the credit of the company and sold, and the right of the land and of the Company paid out of the same - the following list of specifications is annexed.

[We deem it unnecessary to enter and translate the list of specifications referred to in the preceding articles, and deem it sufficient to remark, that 10¼ per cent, covered all charges. All articles employed in agriculture, and used by mechanics in their trades, came over free. All the productions of the soil, including salted and dried fish, were exported free. Peltries paid from 8 to 10 per cent. In the New-Netherlands, 4 per cent, in light money, in addition, was charged upon all goods entered subject to any charges. The rix dollar passed at sixty-three stuyvers.]