RESOLUTION APPOINTING MR. LA MONTAGNE TO COMMAND AN EXPEDITION AGAINST PRIVATEERS, HOVERING ABOUT FLUSHING, L. I.

Whereas new reports have been brought in and complaints made by inhabitants of this Province, that the English pirates Baxter and others have returned to the waters of this jurisdiction and hover around Flushing or thereabout on Long Island and

Whereas it is to be feared, that as before these pirates or robbers may commit some hostilities either by water or on land against the persons or the property of the inhabitants of this Province, Therefore, wishing to protect their subjects, according to their official oath and duty, with the power and means entrusted to them by God and their superior authority,

The Director-General and Council have resolved to appoint and authorize the Honble Mr. Jean de La Montagne, Councillor of New-Netherland, as they herewith appoint and authorize him to pursue, attack and capture the said pirates, how and whenever he may be able to do it, by water or on land, giving him further power and authority to join to himself and command thereto for this purpose from the officers of this Company or the free inhabitants all such persons as he believes suitable and fit for the expedition.

Done at New-Amsterdam in New Netherland, December 13, 1653.

P. STUYVESANT.
NICASIUS DE Sille.

C. VAN WERCKHOVEN.

PETITION OF THE CONVENTION FOR AN ANSWER TO THEIR REMONSTRANCE.

To the Noble Honorable Director-General and Council of New-Netherland.

On the 11th of this month the Delegates from the respective villages of Gravesend, Vlissingen Middleburgh, Heemsteede, Amersfoort, Breuckelen and Midwout and the deputies of the Burgomasters and Schepens of this City, convened at the City Hall submitted to your Honble Worships a Remonstrance and Request, to which they received the following day as answer a demand for copies, that a well considered reply might be given. The said Convention made on the same day an answer in writing, whereupon the Honble Director-General and Council were pleased, instead of giving a decision upon their request, to charge the Convention with illegality, because of a pretended lack of jurisdiction of the villages of Midwout, Amersfoort and Breuckelen, which in consequence could not send properly qualified delegates; and to protest against the Convention. This appears strange, for the said villages were written to by the Burgomasters and Schepens only with the knowledge and consent of the Honble Director-General and Council; besides their Convention had no other aim, than the service and protection of the conntry, the maintenance and preservation of the freedoms, privileges and property of its inhabitants, but not an unlawful usurpation of the authority of the said Honble Director-General and Council; on the contrary their intention was to prevent illegal proceedings, while the laws of Nature give to all men the right to gather for the welfare and protection of their freedom and property.

The Delegates, convened as above stated, respectfully request with the Burgomasters and Schepens, that your Honble Worships will please after having declared lawful the aforesaid Convention, to answer the points submitted in their Remonstrance, while they are willing to admit with due respect to their meetings and allow to share in and advise upon all business, which may come up, all such persons as your Honble Worships may decide to depute.

In case of refusal, which they hope will not be given, they would find themselves compelled to protest against your Honble Worships for all the inconveniences, which have befallen or may befall the country in general or particular and they intend to apply to their High: Might: the Lords States-General as their Sovereigns and to the Priv. W. I. Company as their Patroons in order to submit to them a Remonstrance on such matters, as they believe are required for the service and the welfare of the country.

After comparing the above copy with the original I have found the same to agree.

New Amsterdam,

Decbr 13, 1653.

D. VAN SCHELLUYNE,

Not. Publ.

PEREMPTORY ORDER TO THE SEVERAL DELEGATES OF THE CONVENTION TO DISPERSE AND NOT TO

MEET AGAIN UNDER PAIN OF ARBITRARY CORRECTION.

The remonstrants are once more and now for the last time referred to the former answer and the express order given by the Director-General and Council and delivered and communicated to the remonstrants by the Fiscal, not to address the Director-General and Council any more under the name and style of "General Assembly" or Delegates of the Land, for the pretended Convention is not only charged, but actually declared to be illegal, as it has not been convened either by order or with consent of the Director-General and Council.

We, the Director-General and Council, therefore order you, Arent van Hattem, Martin Crigier, P. L. van der Grift, Wilh. Beeckman, Peter Wolfertsen, George Baxter, Robert Coo, Elbert Elbertsen, Thomas Hassard, John Hicks, Thomas Spicer, Paulus van der Beecq, Frederick Lubbertsen, Thomas Swartwout, Jas. Hubbard, John Stryker, Tobias Feaks not to assemble any more in such a form and manner, but to separate on sight hereof under pain of our extreme displeasure and arbitrary correction.

Done and enacted at the meeting of the Director-General and Council at New Amsterdam in New Netherland, December 14, 1653.

By order of the Director-General and High Council,

CORNELIS VAN RUYVEN,
Secretary.

COUNCIL MINUTES. CONSIDERATION OF THE LAST REQUEST MADE BY THE SO-CALLED DELEGATES ON THE 13th OF DECEMBER 1653.

The Director-General and Council consider, that their last reply and order of yesterday, communicated to the remonstrants by the Fiscal, has been quite sufficient and should have been obeyed by them as it behooves good subjects and that they should not have submitted another address under the name and style of "Convention." But as the remonstrants have nevertheless deemed it advisable, to make another request, to the abusive and false statements of which the Director-General and Council are compelled to answer, they first understand it to be their duty not to excuse anybody, but to judge. Therefore they have declared the gathering illegal, not only because the settlements of Breucklen, Midwout and Amersfoort had no jurisdiction, as the remonstrants abusively allege, but also because the Director-General and Council have declared and do declare the present gathering unlawful and nothing but a conventicle for having assumed the name of Delegates from the Province of New Netherland, which they are not, as has been said before, and for not having been called together or convened by the Director-General and Council. By virtue of their commission they assert, that nobody in this country is authorized to convene a General Assembly, except they, who represent their High: Might: and the Noble LordsDirectors.

Not less abusive is what the remonstrants add, that the aforesaid villages have been invited by the Burgomasters and Schepens with the knowledge of the Director-General. That may be, but it was certainly not done with his consent and approval. In the same sense the present conventicle has assembled with the knowledge of the Director-General and Council, because the Burgomasters and Schepens and the English delegates from the villages of Gravesend, Middleburgh and Vlissingen, having met at the house of Pieter Wolfertsen, on the 27th of November last, Burgomaster Crigier and Ensign George Baxter invited the Director-General and some members of the Council to a luncheon, when the Burgomasters, Schepens and English Delegates by their mouthpiece or speaker announced in the most insulting manner possible to the Director-General and Councillors present, that on the 10th day of the next month they would come together, the Director might do what he pleases and prevent what he could. If this is called previous knowledge, then indeed the delegates from the aforesaid villages have been summoned by the Burgomasters and Schepens with the knowledge of the Director-General and Council, who however assert that it is the duty of the Honble Director-General as president and not of the Burgomasters and Schepens to convoke a General Assembly and to summons delegates from the respective Colonies and villages.

The point, that the law of Nature gives to all men the right to gather for the welfare and protection of their freedom, requires proof or rather explanation. The Director-General and Council think, that the authorities are appointed for these purposes, but not all men generally, for that would create confusion. The Lords-Directors resolved for this reason with the knowledge and consent of their High: Might: to appoint the Director-General and Council, giving them ample authority for the preservation and protection of the privileges, freedom and property of the Company and the good inhabitants and if necessary for the convocation of an Assembly of their subjects, but this authority was not conferred on the Burgomasters and Schepens, much less to all men. If any of the remonstrants believes himself personally or his Colony or village injured or damaged concerning privileges, freedom or property, upon a decent remonstrance and proper evidence thereof the Director-General and Council are bound and willing to maintain to the best of their ability and knowledge everybody in his property, rights, privileges and exemptions. But

the Director-General and Council are obliged to oppose such manners and ways of assembling and such injuries, insults and affronts offered to the Government and to mete out punishment to the authors and leaders thereof in due time, unless a satisfactory reparation be made.

As to the request itself "the Delegates,” etc.

The answer is, that for the reasons, stated above repeatedly the Director-General and Council cannot declare the pretended Assembly to be lawful nor can they further reply in detail to a remonstrance submitted in this manner.

That the remonstrants then add, "they are willing to admit with due respect to their meetings and allow to share in and advise upon all business, which may come up, all such persons etc,” and further continuing with a threat of intending to protest in case of refusal against all etc shows an animus creating great misgivings in the minds of the Director-General and Council, but they shall leave that for the present to God and their superiors. They only say, that they are better informed concerning their authority, commission and instructions, than the remonstrants and that they also believe not to require the good will or the permission of subjects, how, when and under what circumstances to appear in any Assembly, for they are pro tempore authorized and qualified by God and their sovereign government, to propose and to direct all public business conform to their commission and instructions, but not to assist at and advise upon the affairs of a self-created, unlawful gathering.

In conclusion the Director-General and Council prevent nobody to write to our Sovereigns or to the Noble Lords-Directors, as long as he keeps within the bounds of due respect and truth, but they think the remonstrants have no authority to write as Representatives of this Province and therefore the remonstrants are once more and for the last time referred to the last decision and commanded to hold no more meetings.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO THE INHABITANTS OF BROOKLYN, NEWTOWN AND Flatbush, INFORMING THEM THAT THE ENGLISH PRIVATEERS ARE AGAIN HOVERING ABOUT AND WARNING THEM NOT TO SEND DELEGATES TO ANY MEETING AT NEW AMSTERDAM.

Copy of an open letter with which the Secretary was sent to Breuckelen, Amersfoort and Midwout, to read it to the inhabitants there.

Dear and good friends: We find it necessary to inform you, that we received last night news of Baxter's and some privateers intending again some expedition or the other. We have consequently been out with some soldiers during the night and have found the farmers around here in good order and on their guard. We recommend the same to you.

We are further informed, that the Burgomasters and Schepens of this City have in our name invited delegates from your villages and told you that it had been done with our consent and approval. We declare hereby, that it was not so and therefore require and direct you not to allow such delegates to convene again or come here, especially during this crisis, because it can only be

to your disadvantage and injury. We have deemed it advisable, to inform you hereof by our Secretary and remain in the meantime

COMMISSION OF REV. SAMUEL DRISIUS AS DIPLOMATIC AGENT TO BE SENT TO VIRGINIA.

Petrus Stuyvesant, on behalf of their Noble High Mightinesses the Lords-States-General of the United Netherlands and the Noble Lords-Directors of the Privileged West India Company Director-General of New Netherland, Curaçao, Bonayro, Aruba and dependencies with the High Council,

To all who may read this or hear it read Greeting:

Know ye, that for the purpose of promoting a general peace and the welfare of both nations we have in May last past deputed, commissioned and sent our extraordinary agents, the Honble Cornelis van Tienhoven, Councillor and Fiscal of New Netherland and Arent van Hattem, Burgomaster of this City, to the Very Honorable Richard Bennett, Governor and Captain General of Virginia and his Council of State, in order to covenant and conclude with them a close and firm alliance, correspondence and commerce between their and this our Government without regard to the undesired and unexpected bloody differences, arisen to our great regret between their and our nation in Europe, as their commissions and credentials have further informed the said Honorable Governor and Council. However the said Honorable Governor and the Council of State in Virginia found themselves at that time unauthorized, to give a conclusive answer to the propositions made by our then agents, before they, as they honestly and frankly stated in their reply, had first submitted them to and advised thereupon with their superiors, the Government of England, which they intended and agreed to do by the first opportunity. If this has been done agreeably to their sincere intention, we trust, that the said Honorable Governor and Council of State shall have received some time ago an answer from their superiors or may be in daily expectation of it.

Therefore the Director-General and Council of New Netherland have resolved, for the promotion of so laudable an object as the continuation of peace, increase of commerce and cultivation of correspondence between such old friends, neighbors and co-religionists living in such distant countries, to send once more an authorized and suitable person thither, to remind the said Honorable Governor and Council of Virginia of our former good intentions, which we still have and our propositions and to learn their reply. We have hereto requested, also authorized and commissioned the Reverend and Very Learned Mr. Samuel Driesius, Minister of the Gospel in the City of New Amsterdam and fully relying upon his ability, wisdom and experience we have directed him, as by this our open letter and commission we direct and empower him, to go to Virginia and address himself there to the said Honorable Governor Richard Bennett and his Council in order to receive in his quality as our embassador from the said Governor and Council an answer to our former propositions and to learn what reply was given by their superiors