Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/706

 696 A. E. McKinley The Dutch method of governing New Netherland harmonized well with the despotic powers given to the Duke of York. Before the conquest the Dutch Director and Council, usually resident in New Amsterdam, had been the supreme political power. They had passed the laws, they had levied and collected duties and taxes, they had formed the highest court of the colony, they had drafted and controlled the military forces, they had appointed local officials, usually from a double nomination by the incumbent officers — in short they were the absolute ruling body of New Netherland, and among them, in most cases, the director was an autocrat, whose word was law. Several partially representative boards or assemblies had, indeed, existed in New Netherland, but they had never formed an integral part of the government ; and during the ten years from 1653 to 1663 there was no meeting whatever of a popular repre- sentative body. The Dutch directors thus allowed almost no popular legislative action, and with their councils they assumed all legislative, executive and judicial powers. The authorities thus exercised by the director and council closely parallelled those given to the Duke of York, and by him passed on by commission' to his deputy-governor. Colonel Richard Nicholls. To no other proprie- tor had. such absolute political powers been granted, and in no other part of the continent from the Carolinas to Maine was there so little popular political liberty as was to be found in the Dutch New Netherland. Hence the new autocratic English government had the experience of the old despotic West India Company as its guide, and the policy of Governor Nicholls was made possible not only by his own military force, but also by the pre-existing political practice of the Dutch. Following, therefore, the words of his commission, and copying also the Dutch organization, Nicholls reserved to himself and his councillors the general administration of the province. He had, indeed, promised the English inhabitants of Long Island that they should have privileges at least equal to, and perhaps greater than those of the New England colonies ; - but this promise was not carried out in the sense in which it was interpreted by the Long Islanders. The governor erected Long Island, Staten Island and the Bronx peninsula into a county, called Yorkshire, and divided it into three judicial ridings ; and the justices of the peace of this county were given the right to attend once a year a general judicial body, called the court of assizes. This court was composed of the 1 Brodhead, History of the Stnte of Nfin York, Vol. II., Appendi.K, p. 653. ^Sou/hold Towtt Records, I. 357 ; Report of N. Y. Stale Historian, 1S97, 240-242 ; iV. Y. Col. Doc, XIV. 555-556.