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To the Honorable Lords Directors of the Chartered West India Company, Department of Amsterdam.

Respectfully show herewith the undersigned merchants trading, to New Netherland that they have found and are assured that many goods and merchandise, especially Indian goods, until lately procured by the English nation from the Manhattans in New Netherland, are now being bought by them and others at this place and shipped by way of England or directly to Virginia, New England and other places in that neighborhood, whereby the petitioners are deprived of a considerable share of their trade, which threatens to diminish daily, unless your honors' wisdom should prevent it. The petitioners have therefore resolved, to lay the matter before your honors and to submit to your consideration as the only expedient, that the cause thereof is to be found in the heavy duties imposed upon these goods above all others, wherefore some relief should be granted. Our agents in New Netherland complain also that his honor, Director Stuyvesant, demands, pursuant to your honors' order, as he says, on all goods, taken out of the ship there, a duty of 4% in beavers at 6 or in silver coin, Holland valuation, and if it cannot be paid in either, he takes the value of it arbitrarily out of the cargo, advancing the prices fifty per cent against those, declared here at the Company's office. A great injury is thereby done to the liberty of commerce, because cargoes arrive there often after the beaver trading season is over or when few beavers come into market and because there is no or at least very little silver coin in the country. If the duty were to be taken out in merchandise, why should the best and most saleable be chosen, without considering that often many articles are spoiled or that many casks of liquids arrive there empty, while contrary to the usages of this country as much duty is demanded for the spoiled goods and wasted liquid, as for full casks and goods in proper condition? We do not believe that your honors have intended that and turn therefore to your honors with the friendly request for a reduction of the duty on Indian goods and that the 4% may be paid in New Netherland in sewant, being the most current specie there, or at least that if to be paid in beavers, they be valued at ƒ8, at which price the honorable director marks them when making payments to our agents. The further request that the amounts overpaid by us or agents on account of such importations, during the last year, be refunded to them there or balanced against the duties on goods, which henceforth we shall import there.

As the petitioners have also been informed that the said Stuyvesant has upon several occasions threatened the merchants there with new taxes or tunnage fees, they request that measures be taken and the doubts about this matter forever settled; as for other reasons the duties are already heavy enough, the petitioners further request your honors' assurance that henceforth no changes in the tariff or in the manner of paying the duties there be made, unless a previous notice has been given here.

Thus done etc.
Was signed etc.

In Amsterdam
March 12, 1657.

[ REVERSE: ] No. 4

References

A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.