Translation
Register of documents in Volume 5 respecting the city of New Amsterdam from November 1653 to November 1654
[ First several lines are lost. ]
. . . of this city of Amsterdam [ ] remonstrances[1] from the mayors and schepens to the director-general and honorable councillors, as well as the replies of the aforesaid director-general to their remonstrances and petitions granted:
Folio 4.
Resolved by the honorable General and high council: two commissioners
are summoned from the dependent and bordering colonies and courts to come here to the
City Hall of Amsterdam in New Netherland in order to discuss means to defend against
and prevent the piracies of Tomas Baxter, fugitive from this jurisdiction, dated 24
November 1653.
Folio 6.
The mayors and schepens request a statute which grants them the excise
of wines and beers.
Folio 8.
The honorable director-general and gentlemen of the high council
provisionally grant to the mayors and schepens, upon ratification by the lords
superiors, the collection of the customary excise on beer and wine consumed in this
city, dated 25 November.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
. . . by the commissioners ( ] and schepens, and some [ ] convened to offer their advice on how and by what means to [ ] the piracies of Tomas Baxter. Enacted 27 November 1653.
Folio 16.
Request of the mayors and schepens that some commissioners be summoned
from the dependent Dutch villages in order to write jointly to the lords superiors.
They consider this necessary for the general peace and welfare of the country.
Folio 17.
Deliberation of the director-general and council concerning the above
is referred to under "Folio 14."
Folio 19.
Decision on the request of the mayors and schepens appearing above
under "Folio 16," in which they are given permission, at the appropriate time and
after thorough deliberation of the country's present danger, to remonstrate to the
lords superiors, in the presence of two deputies from the high council and
commissioners from New Netherland's colonies and courts, concerning the needs and
condition of the country.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
. . . a letter sent by the mayors and schepens to the inhabitants of the Dutch villages on Long Island, summoning deputies to write to the lords superiors about the condition of the country.
Folio 22.
Remonstrance of the mayors and schepens and some English signatories to
the honorable director-general and high council, delivered on behalf of the general
convention, dated 11 December 1653.
Folio 27.
Decision of the honorable director-general and high council concerning
the above remonstrance, dated 12 December 1653.
Folio 28.
Requests of the signatories of the remonstrance mentioned under "Folio
22 a categorical reply to each point in particular of the aforesaid remonstrance.
Folio 29.
Reply of the director-general and high council concerning the above
request.
Folio 30.
Report of the director-general and high council on the aforesaid
remonstrance appearing above under "Folio 22."
Folio 41.
Requests of the signatories of the aforesaid remonstrance under "Folio
22"; additional reply to the aforesaid remonstrance.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
. . . decision dated [ ] on the previous request in which their [ ] upon receipt of the decision.
Folio 43.
Deliberations of the director-general and council concerning the last
requests of the aforesaid deputies mentioned previously under "Folio 41."
Folio 71.
Request of the mayors and schepens for the nomination of the
magistrates of this city and what they shall earn for their service.
Folio 72.
Jochum Pietersen Kuyter and Oloff Stevensen Cortlant are selected as
schepens of this city; the request for the nomination is excused, and the mayors are
to earn per year f350 and the schepens f250.
Folio 85.
Request of the mayors and schepens, for the benefit of this city, to be
allowed to collect from all incoming and outgoing vessels 12 percent, whether they be
large or small; 10 stivers [ ] the head tax and water
excise.
Folio 86.
The request for permission to collect a head tax is granted; the other
request mentioned above is denied because it is a matter of concern for the General
and not a [ ] city or place.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
Request of the mayors and [ ] of this city to the honorable director-general and high council concerning their [ ] of some means for the support of this city as well as other matters; however, they refused to sign it.
Folio 151.
Resolved to summon diggers and laborers here to be hired by the day in
order to help construct and repair that which is deemed necessary for the defense of
this city.
Folio 159.
Overseers and foremen are put in charge of the works of this city and
Fort Amsterdam.
Folio 170.
Forbidden to ship any goods out of this city as a result of bad
rumors, upon forfeiture of the same.
Folio 176.
Forbidden to allow hogs, goats or sheep to run on the walls of the
fort, whether inside or outside.
Folio 180.
According to the communication from the lords superiors, the mayors
and schepens of this city are admonished to render obedience, respect and service to
the high administration; and the letter to them from the honorable directors was
delivered.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
The mayors and schepens [ ] object to the [ ] of any subsidies for the maintenance and support of political
and ecclesiastical personnel.
Order immediate delivery of the accounts of the
receipt and disbursement of the tavernkeepers' excise.
Folio 193.
Order for the weighhouse of this city of Amsterdam in New
Netherland.
Folio 197.
Whereas the mayors and schepens remain deficient in carrying out the
conditions under which the tavernkeepers1 excise was granted to them, it has been
resolved to farm the same out to the highest bidder by this coming 25 November.
Folio 219.
The mayors and schepens claim to have fulfilled their quota for the
interior and exterior works and other expenses for the defense of this place;
however, it is but f3000 which they again state, whereas the expenses amount to
approximately f16,000.
Folio 220.
The mayors and schepens offer to support a clergyman, sexton and dog
beater provided that they keep the tavernkeepers' excise; and they are authorized to
collect the hundredth penny from all real estate in the jurisdiction of this court,
dated 31 August 1654.
[ First several lines are lost. ]
. . . dated 16 September [ ] exhibit of the [ ] of the mayors and schepens dated 10 and 31 August submitted at the meeting of the director-general and council.
Folio 312.
Petition of the mayors and schepens of this city dated 23 November
1659 in which they request that the director and council allow them to retain the
tavernkeepers' excise.
Folio 313.
Whereas it was resolved on this 25th of November publicly to farm out
the tavernkeeper's excise, and because presently there are no interested parties, it
has been decided to hold the bidding next Monday at the house of Daniel Litschoes;
dated 25 November 1654.
Folio 323.
Elected: Mr. Allard Antony as mayor of this city and Joannis Nevius as
schepen. Delivered to the presiding mayor and old schepens a painted coat-of-arms of
this city etched in silver and a signet etched in silver, which were sent over by the
lords superiors aboard de Peereboom.
Folio 330.
The vacant officers' positions in the militia companies have been
filled by Paulus Leendersen van de Grift, as captain under the blue pennant; Daniel
Litschoe, the former sergeant, Steenw[ yck ], as
flag bearer of the same pennant.