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"New-Holland, Cornelius Steenwick, Burgomafter, Mr. Samuel Megapolenfis, "Doctor of Phyfic, and Mr. James Couffeau, heretofore Sheriff. As touch

ing the Threats in your Conclufion Wee have nothing to anfwer, only that "Wee fear nothing, but what GOD (who is as juft as merciful) fhall lay upon us; all Things being in his gracious Difpofall, and We may as well "be preserved by him, with fmall Forces, as by a great Army, which makes us to wish you all Happiness and Profperity, and recommend you to his "Protection. My Lords, your thrice humble, and affectionate Servant and « Friend, figned P. Stuyvesant.—At the Fort at Amfterdam, the fecond of September, New Stile, 1664."

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While the Dutch Governour and Council were contending with the Burgomasters and People in the City, the English Commiffioners publifhed a Proclamation in the Country, encouraging the Inhabitants to fubmit, and promifing them the King's Protection, and all the Privileges of Subjects; and as foon as they discovered by Stuyvefant's Letter, that he was averfe to the Surrender, Officers were fent to beat up for Voluntiers in Middleborough, Uliffen, Jamaica, and Hempfted. A Warrant was alfo iffued to Hugh Hide, who commanded the Squadron, to profecute the Reduction of the Fort; and an English Ship then trading here, was preffed into the Service. These Preparations induced Stuyvefant to write another Letter, on the 25th of Auguft, Old Style, wherein, though he declares that he would ftand the Storm, yet to prevent the Spilling of Blood, he had fent John De Decker, Counsellor of State, Cornelius Van Riven, Secretary and Receiver, Cornelius Steenwyck Major, and James Couffeau Sheriff, to confult, if poffible, an Accommodation. Nicolls, who knew the Difpofition of the People, anfwered

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his Majesty's Government, as his good Sub"jects, fhall be protected in his Majesty's Laws “ and Justice, and peaceably injoy whatsoever "GOD's Bleffing, and their own honest In"duftry, have furnished them with ; and all other Privileges, with his Majefty's English " Subjects, We have caufed this to be publifhed, that we might prevent all Inconve"niences to others, if it were poffible; how"ever, to clear ourselves from the Charge of all "those Miseries, that may any way befall fuch "as live here, and will acknowledge his Ma"jefty for their Sovereign, whom GOD pre"ferve."

Majefty's Obedience, all fuch Foreigners, as "without his Majefty's Leave and Confent," "have feated themfelves amongft any of his "Dominions in America, to the Prejudice of "his Majesty's Subjects, and Diminution of his Royal Dignity; we his faid Majefty's Com"miffioners, do declare and promise, that whofoever, of what Nation foever, will, upon Knowledge of this Proclamation, acknowledge and teftify themselves, to fubmit to this

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immediately from Gravesend, that he would treat about nothing but a Surrender. The Dutch Governour, the next Day, agreed to a Treaty and Surrender, on Condition the English and Dutch Limits in America, were fettled by the Crown and the States General. The English Deputies were Sir Robert Carr, George Carteret, John Winthrop, Governour of Connecticut, Samuel Wyllys, one of the Affiftants or Council of that Colony, and Thomas Clarke, and John Pynchon, Commiffioners from the General Court of the Maffachufet's Bay, who, but a little before, brought an Aid from that Province. What thefe Perfons agreed upon, Nicolls promifed to ratify. At Eight o'clock in the Morning, of the 27th of August, 1664, the Commissioners, on both Sides, met at the Governour's Farm, and there figned the following Articles of Capitulation.

"Thefe Articles following were confented to by the Persons here-under "fubfcribed, at the Governour's Bowery, Auguft the 27th Old Style, 1664.

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I. "We confent, That the States General, or the Weft-India Company, "fhall freely injoy all Farms and Houfes (except fuch as are in the Forts) " and that within fix Months, they fhall have free Liberty to tranfport all "fuch Arms and Ammunition, as now does belong to them, or else they "fhall be paid for them.

II." All Publique Houses fhall continue for the Uses which they are for.

III." All People shall ftill continue free Denizens, and fhall injoy their "Lands, Houses, Goods, wherefoever they are within this Country, and dispose of them as they please.

IV. "If any Inhabitant have a Mind to remove himself, he fhall have a "Year and fix Weeks from this Day, to remove himself, Wife, Children, Servants, Goods, and to difpofe of his Lands here.

V. "If any Officer of State, or Publique Minister of State, have a Mind "to go for England, they shall be tranfported Fraught free, in his Majesty's Frigotts, when these Frigotts fhall return thither.

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VI." It is consented to, that any People may freely come from the Ne"therlands, and plant in this Colony, and that Dutch Veffels may freely "come hither, and any of the Dutch may freely return home, or fend any "Sort of Merchandize home, in Veffels of their own Country.

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VII. "All Ships from the Netherlands, or any other Place, and Goods "therein, fhall be received here, and fent hence, after the manner " which formerly they were before our coming hither, for fix Months next enfuing.

VIII. "The Dutch here shall injoy the Liberty of their Confciences in "divine Worship and Church Difcipline.

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IX. No Dutchman here, or Dutch Ship here, fhall upon any Occafion, be preffed to ferve in War against any Nation whatsoever.

X." That the Townsmen of the Manhattans, fhall not have any Soldiers quartered upon them, without being fatisfied and paid for them by their "Officers, and that at this present, if the Fort be not capable of lodging "all the Soldiers, then the Burgomafters, by his Officers, fhall appoint fome "Houses cable to receive them.

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XI." The Dutch here fhall injoy their own Customs concerning their Inheritances.

XII." All Publique Writings and Records, which concern the Inheritances " of any People, or the Reglement of the Church or Poor, or Orphans, "shall be carefully kept by those in whose Hands now they are, and fuch Writings as particularly concern the States General, may at any Time "be fent to them.

XIII. "No Judgment that has paffed any Judicature here, fhall be called "in Question, but if any conceive that he hath not had Justice done him, if he apply himself to the States General, the other Party fhall be bound "to anfwer for the fuppofed Injury.

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XIV." If any Dutch, living here fhall at any Time defire to travaile or traffique into England, or any Place, or Plantation, in Obedience to his Majefty of England, or with the Indians, he fhall have (upon his Requeft to the Governor) a Certificate that he is a free Denizen of this "Place, and Liberty to do so.

XV." If it do appeare, that there is a publique Engagement of Debt, by "the Town of the Manhattoes, and a Way agreed on for the Satisfying of "that Engagement, it is agreed, that the fame Way propofed fhall go on, "and that the Engagement fhall be fatisfied.

XVI. " All

XVI. " All inferior Civil Officers and Magistrates, fhall continue as now they are, (if they please) till the customary Time of new Elections, and "then new ones to be chosen by themselves, provided that fuch new chofen Magistrates fhall take the Oath of Allegiance to his Majefty of England, "before they enter upon their Office.

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XVII. " All Differences of Contracts and Bargains made before this Day, by any in this Country, fhall be determined, according to the Man"ner of the Dutch.

XVIII. “ If it do appeare, that the Weft-India Company of Amfterdam, "do really owe any Sums of Money to any Perfons here, it is agreed that Recognition, and other Duties payable by Ships going for the Nether"lands, be continued for fix Months longer.

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XIX. "The Officers Military, and Soldiers, fhall march out with their "Arms, Drums beating, and Coulours flying, and lighted Matches; and "if any of them will plant, they shall have fifty Acres of Land fet out "for them; if any of them will ferve as Servants, they fhall continue "with all Safety, and become free Denizens afterwards.

XX. If at any Time hereafter, the King of Great Britain, and the "States of the Netherland do agree that this Place and Country be re"delivered into the Hands of the faid States, whenfoever his Majestie will "fend his Commands to redeliver it, it fhall immediately be done.

XXI. "That the Town of Manhattans shall choose Deputyes, and those Deputyes fhall have free Voyces in all publique Affairs, as much as any "other Deputyes..

XXII." Those who have any Property in any Houses in the Fort of "Aurania, fhall (if they please) flight the Fortifications there, and then enjoy all their Houses, as all People do where there is no Fort.

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XXIII. « If there be any Soldiers that will go into Holland, and if the "Company of West-India in Amfterdam, or any private Perfons here, will "tranfport them into Holland, then they fhall have a fafe Paffport from "Colonel Richard Nicholls, Deputy-Governor under his Royal Highness, " and the other Commiffioners, to defend the Ships that fhall transport fuch Soldiers, and all the Goods in them, from any Surprizal or Acts of Hoftility, to be done by any of his Majeftie's Ships or Subjects. That

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"the Copies of the King's Grant to his Royal Highness, and the Copy of "his Royal Highness's Commiffion to Colonel Richard Nicholls, teftified by "two Commiffioners more, and Mr. Winthrop, to be true Copies, fhall be "delivered to the honourable Mr. Stuyvefant, the prefent Governor, on Munday next, by Eight of the Clock in the Morning, at the Old Miln, " and these Articles confented to, and figned by Colonel Richard Nicolls, Deputy-Governor to his Royal Highness, and that within two Hours "after the Fort and Town called New-Amfterdam, upon the Isle of Manbatoes, shall be delivered into the Hands of the faid Colonel Richard Nicolls, by the Service of fuch as fhall be by him thereunto deputed, by "his Hand and Seal.

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These Articles, favourable as they were to the Inhabitants, were however very difagreeable to the Dutch Governour, and he therefore refused to ratify them, till two Days after they were figned by the Commiffioners.

The Town of New-Amfterdam, upon the Reduction of the Island Manhattans, took the Name of New-York. It confifted of several small Streets, laid out in the Year 1656, and was not inconfiderable for the Number of its Houses and Inhabitants. The eafy Terms of the Capitulation, promised their peaceable Subjection to the new Government; and hence we find, that in two Days after the Surrender, the Bofton Aid was dismissed, with the Thanks of the Commiffioners to the General Court. Hudson's and the South River were, however, ftill to be reduced. Sir Robert Carr commanded the Expedition on Delaware, and Carteret was commiffioned to fubdue the Dutch at Fort-Orange. The Garrifon capitulated on the 24th of September, and he called it Albany, in Honour of the Duke. While Carteret was here, he had an Interview with the Indians of the Five Nations, and entered into a League of Friendship with them, which remarkably 3 continues

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