[ ]
and councilors of New Netherland.
[ ] as protector of the law by authority of the high magistracy, says to be true and truthful that Adriaen Jansz van Leyden, alias Appel, innkeeper, presently in confinement here, for the last two to three years has in contempt and disrespect of the magistracy of this province opposed the well-intended order and placards of the director general and councilors, intended for the maintenance and benefit of the country’s revenues, not willing to subject himself to the ordered wine and beer excise or to the gauging by the farmer, about which he was cited by the fiscal, protector of the law, and summoned to appear before the director general and councilors of New Netherland; he has on the first, second, and third citations remained obstinate and recalcitrant, having been ordered by summons from the director general and councilors, upon which followed the order of the aforesaid director general and councilors, which he also disobeyed, demonstrating great contempt for their authority; he, the aforesaid Adriaen Jansz, also, together with a certain Pieter Adriaensz Soogemackelyck, also innkeeper, orally injured, offended, and rejected the upper authority of the director general and councilors, saying with extremely ignominious and intolerable words: “There sits our lord,” pointing to one Johan Baptist van Rensselaer, whose qualifications and commission are unfamiliar to the plaintiff. “We know no other.” All of which have very bad consequences, leading not only to the reduction of the country’s general and necessary revenues, just as the present non-payment of the excise and opposition to gauging has been a loss of 3 or 4 thousand guilders, all to the scorn and contempt of the director general’s and councilors’ authority, and just as by such actions and words in their high authority and office, they have been vilified, injured, and scorned; and what is worse and more dangerous, lead to rebellion, sedition, and mutiny to be practiced and followed by others, unless such adversaries against the well-intended order and collection of the country’s revenues, and deriders of high authority, and violators of justice be disciplined and punished as an example to others. Therefore, the plaintiff as protector of the law concludes that the aforesaid Adriaen Jansz van Leyden alias Appel, firstly, at the discretion of the judge, shall satisfy the demand of the farmer and in addition to compensate and satisfy what the country may have been shorted, a sum of four thousand guilders, applied appropriately, and furthermore, to be banned from the country as an example to others. Done the 28th of July 1656 in Amsterdam in New Netherland (was signed) Nicasius de Sille.
After deliberation it was recommended as follows: To place this in the hands of the detained to be answered within two times 24 hours.
Dated as above.[i]
