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Whereas, it is deemed of the highest necessity by the Governor-General and Council of New Netherland, at this conjuncture, that the fortifications already erected and still required to be constructed on this Island Manhatans, for the security of this city and Province of New Netherland, should now be brought in a short time to a wished-for end, which it is not possible to effect in a proper manner unless some means to that end be devised and furnished, from which the expenses of said fortification already incurred and to be hereafter incurred may be defrayed and paid, to which end the Court of this city also hath made divers applications and petitions; therefore the Governor-General and Council of New Netherland have resolved and ordered, that said moneys shall be furnished and advanced as a loan by the most affluent inhabitants of this city or such of them whose capital will, by the valuation made by the Commissioners appointed for that purpose on the 17th February last, exceed the sum of four thousand guilders. Wampum value, hereby ordering and commanding all and every the said persons to furnish and advance by way of a loan, for the completion of the aforesaid fortifications, to the person to be for that purpose appointed, the hundredth penny of the capital at which each of them was assessed and entered at said valuation, and such with good merchantable Beaver or Wheat, at Wampum price, which furnished and advanced moneys of theirs shall be reimbursed, returned and paid from the extraordinary duty imposed the 16th October of last year, on exported beavers and peltries and imported duffles, blankets, powder, lead, guns, wines, brandies, distilled liquors and rum; which duty is resolved and ordered to be continued and imposed until the time said advanced moneys will be effectually returned and paid, and no longer; for such is deemed to be necessary for the public good. Done Fort Willem Hendrick, this 17th March, 1674.

		(Signed),	Antony Colve.
By order of the Governor-General
	and Council of N. Netherland.
		(Signed),	N. Bayard, Secretary.

At a Council, Thursday, the 15^th March, 1674.

Present—	Governor-General Antony Colve,
	Councillor Cornelis Steenwyck,
	Fiscal Willem Knyff,
	Mr. Cornelis van Ruyven and
	Secretary Nicolaes Bayard, assumed Councillors.

The Fiscal, Pltff.,

against

Jan Spiegelaer, Deft.

Pltff. alleges that the Deft. did on the 7th' inst., being Prayer-day, contrary to the Proclamation, tap rum for Hendrick Janse of Dort, a soldier, and afterwards made a hole in his head with a pair of tongs; concludes that the Deft. ought to be condemned for tapping in a fine of one hundred guilders in Beavers, and for having done so on a Prayer-day, in a fine of twenty-five guilders, Wampum value, and in addition for the blow, in a fine of one hundred guilders. Wampum value, with costs.

Deft.'s wife acknowledges to have tapped the rum, but says she was misled by said Hendrick Janse, and complains that he had excited a quarrel in her house and drew the sword on the Deft., whereupon the Deft. struck him a blow with a tongs on the head.

Parties being heard, the Governor-General and Council condemn the Defendant, for tapping to the soldier, in a fine of one hundred guilders in Beavers, according to the Proclamation, and for having done so on a Prayer-day, to an additional fine of fl. 25, Wampum value, and furthermore have forbidden him to allow any strong liquor to be sold in his house for the space of one year and six months, and to pay the costs incurred herein. As above.

The Fiscal, Pltff.,

against

Jan Spiegelaer, Deft.

Pltff. alleges that the Deft. hath at three different times, contrary to the Proclamation, tapped rum to Peter Janse, drummer, Dirck Jansen, and Cornelis Wynhardt, soldiers, and after the abovenamed Dirck Jansen was fuddled, made a hole in his head; also that Deft.'s wife bit off half Cornelis Wynhardt's finger and cut two holes in his head: Item, that the Deft. did without any provocation cut Andries Cesar, a soldier, with a knife through his clothes clear to his naked back, &c., all contrary to the orders and proclamations in the case enacted. Therefore Pltff. concludes that Deft. be condemned for each time he tapped rum to a soldier, in a fine of one hundred guilders in Beaver, and for the blow and cut, the sum of two hundred guilders Hollands, with costs.
Deft. denies all the Pltff.'s charges.
Parties having been heard and witnesses examined, the Governor-General and Council condemn the Deft. not to allow any strong liquor to be drank in his house for the space of one year and six weeks, and to pay costs of suit. As above.

17th March, 1674.
Gabriel Thomassen requesting by petition that he may be permitted to bring his goods here, which he was allowed, by a former order of the Governor, dated [      ] last, to bring from New England:

The Governor being informed that the Petitioner was prevented by heavy sickness bringing his goods at that time, is therefore hereby allowed and permitted to do so.

References

Translation: O'Callaghan, E.B., trans./ed., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York, vol. 2 (Albany: Weed, Parsons: 1858), pp. 569-730 (vol. 23, pp. 1-270 only).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.