Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/734

 7-4 A. E. Mc Kinky toms than anywhere else, and here, also, the English settlers, un- til Penn's day, were fewest in number. Other conditions, too, prevented the entire establishment of English laws. A town-meeting in New York City, with all its mingled races and languages, would have been an absurdity ; and this cosmopolitan character of the population required a representative or centrally administered municipal government. On the Dela- ware, where the settlers were scattered over large farms, the town- meeting and town activity were impossible. Again, policy required a toleration of all religions where no one sect was in the ascend- ancy, and Dutch practice furnished a good precedent for this. Thus, local conditions often forced the adoption of policies variant from Dutch, English or New England practices. Finally, the Dutch features which were retained for a time, or permanently, may be noted. The Dutch centrally organized pro- vincial government without popular representation was maintained for almost twenty years ; the Dutch principles of double or triple nomination and partial retirement are seen in the county and town government ; the judicial powers of the constable and overseers had a Dutch parallel ; the count)' system on the Delaware was a development from earlier Dutch customs ; some features of Dutch land-tenure persisted upon the patroon estates ; the exclusive trade- privileges of New York City and its principle of municipal freeman- ship were retained from Dutch days ; and Dutch religious tolera- tion gave a precedent for the later religious freedom, although it must not be taken as the sole cause of that liberty. Albert E. McKinley.