Document: Petition of the burgomasters and schepens of New Amsterdam to be able to select a pool from which their successors will be chosen

To the honorable, highly esteemed director-general and high council of New Netherland.

The current mayors and schepens of this city of New Amsterdam show with all due respect and humility that:Whereas the petitioners have now served this city of New Amsterdam in their aforesaid capacity for one year pursuant to the instructions given by your honors and the time for election is upon us, therefore, they most humbly request that your honors be pleased to allow the nomination of a double slate by the aforesaid current mayors and schepens from which a single slate of new mayors and schepens would be selected and commissioned by your honors so that the bench would be complete. Also, that your honors be pleased to take into their wise consideration what salary the mayors and schepens should have for their service; if this is decided, we can fund the same afterward with other receipts from the community. In expectation of your honors favorable disposition, we remain, in the meantime, your highly esteemed honors' humble servants; below was written: Arent van Hattem, Marten Crigier, P. Lendertsz vander Grift, Wilh. Beeckman, Pieter Wolfertsz; in the margin was written: Done this 27 January 1654, New Amsterdam, New Netherland.