Translation
Remonstrance of the merchants of New Amsterdam against the ordinance fixing the rates at which certain imported articles of merchandise are to be sold
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To the highly esteemed gentlemen, the director-general and council of New
Netherland.
Noble and highly esteemed gentlemen:
Your honors have been
pleased to publish on the 20th of this month of November an ordinance containing
regulations for the sale of and trade in goods imported from the fatherland or
hereafter to be imported, which was similar to an ordinance passed and enacted last
September.[1] Your honors
have also been pleased to call together on the same day some of the principal
merchants and traders of this city of New Amsterdam in order to communicate to them
the aforesaid ordinance and to recommend its execution. The aforesaid merchants
deemed it then advisable to deliberate with others and to submit their opinion on
this matter in writing to your honors, after having first communicated the same to
the honorable mayors and schepens, the lawful authority of this community. Thereupon
the merchants and traders unanimously declare (with all due respect and obedience
which they all acknowledge to owe to their superiors and will at all times prove when
called upon in reason and justice) that, after having considered and examined the
matter among themselves, they are of the opinion that the aforesaid ordinances and
regulations can be introduced and carried out here only with very great loss, damage
and decrease of commerce, which, with all due respect, should rather be supported and
encouraged by favorable privileges, freedoms and exemptions than be burdened by
constricting limitations. Because of the price fixed on some goods and the permission
to ask 120 percent profit on others, upon which there are no fixed prices that the
buyers can demand, the aforesaid merchants believe that they cannot conduct business
in that way because the great and excessive leakage of liquid as well as the
perishable nature of day goods has already notoriously caused and will always cause
such losses to all merchants. Therefore, if they are compelled by the enforcement of
the aforesaid ordinances to sell their stock accordingly, (which they hope will not
be done) they would scarcely receive a return on their initial investment expense,
much less a cent per cent profit, considering the heavy export and import duties paid
here and in the fatherland, the charges for convoy and direction, the heavy freight
bills and premiums for insurance, the interest on capital invested in merchandise, in
addition to the dangers of leakage and decay, make the initial cost of goods
delivered here more than 70 or 80 percent higher than abroad. Consequently the
aforesaid merchants respectfully request that your honors will be pleased to suspend
the enforcement of the aforesaid ordinances because they cannot conform to them
without great loss to themselves or their superiors, and, according to practices in
the fatherland and other countries where trade has a free course, to allow them to
sell their goods at such prices as they think just and reasonable, considering the
vicissitudes of the times, the initial cost and expenses. In case of refusal they
are, with due respect, resolved to keep their goods until the return of better times
rather than to sell them at a loss or, at most, a small profit. However, because they
understand and are informed that the intention of your honors in and the motive for
enacting and publishing the aforesaid ordinances were principally that the community
and the citizens of this city might be properly supplied with such goods as are
required for the needs of their bodies, namely, socks, shoes, linen and such other
necessary articles, they herewith unanimously declare, each for himself, that it is
by no means their intention to overcharge any citizen or inhabitant in the sale of
necessary clothing or to demand unfair prices, but that they will act toward them in
the sale and delivery of goods as honest traders and good fellow citizens so that no
one of the community shall have cause to complain. Awaiting your honors favorable
decision, we remain.
New Amsterdam,
22 November 1653
Your honors' obedient and. humble servants; and was signed:
The mayors and schepens of New Amsterdam having seen the foregoing petition of the merchants of this city addressed to the director-general and council, of New Netherland, suspend and postpone their decision on the same until they have conferred with their honors. Done in New Amsterdam, New Netherland, 24 November 1653. Was signed.