Document: Ordinance requiring shippers of tobacco to return the weight of each particular hogshead

Notification[i]

Whereas it was found by experience that the honorable Chartered West India Company is seriously shorted in its recognition fees by some merchants and traders looking for their own advantage, who only declare to the fiscal the quantity of the embarked tobacco in gross, as a result of which the illegal trade [ cannot well be discovered, against which it is necessary to provide; therefore the director general and councilors of New Netherland do hereby give notice and ordain that all those who intend to send any casks of tobacco to fatherland, shall ] before they [ ship ] them [ not only report ] the number of casks [ to the fiscal ], but also how much each cask under such number weighs separately, so that the honorable Company may not be cut short anymore by such means. Dated as above.

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source: New York State Archives. New Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 8.