The Director General and Council of New Netherland, To all those who shall see or hear these read, Health!
Whereas* divers complaints are made daily, which also experience confirms, that cows, hogs and other cattle are seized, slain and sold in the open country by Christians, or at least by those having the name of Christians, under the guise and name of Indians, which is to be prevented as much as possible. Therefore, the Director General and Council aforesaid hereby expressly interdict and forbid that any cattle, calves, hogs, sheep or goats be hereafter slaughtered within this city or any other towns, hamlets or villages in the country, appertaining to this Province, even by the owner unless he shall first have exhibited such beast, whether ox, cow, calf, hog, goat or sheep, on the same day, that he intends to slaughter it, to the magistrates of the place to which he belongs, or to such persons as shall be, by the magistrates, each in his place, appointed thereunto, and receive a slaughter license, under the penalty of the slaughtered beast and double its value, for which slaughter license the owner shall pay, for the public use, to the Magistrates, or the Receiver appointed by the Magistrates, one stiver in the guilder, on each beast, whether ox, cow, calf, hog, goat, or sheep, according to the real value thereof, to be estimated, in case of dispute, by the Magistrates in his jurisdiction, or by their commissioners, which monies shall in every city, town, or hamlet be laid up and taken care of, to be expended and employed, in time of need, for the maintenance and protection of the common interests and villages, whether raising of soldiers or purchasing necessary ammunition, as occasion may require. The fines arising from the transgression hereof, shall be applied and expended, one third for the informer, one third for the Officer one third for the use of the public as aforesaid. Thus done in fort Amsterdam in N. Netherland the 18th January 1656. Was signed
P. Stuyvesant. Understood:— By order of the Honble. IY. General and Supreme
Council of N. Netherland, Signed
Corn. v. Ruyven Secy.
Pursuant to the letter to the Schout, Burgomasters and Schepens of the City of Amsterdam in N.. Netherland, these foregoing Ordinances have been published and placarded on this 20th January 1656 after previous ringing of the bell of the City Hall of the aforesaid City. Present at the
See Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, P 208.
Meeting the Honble Cornelis van Tienhoven, Schout; Allard Antony, Oloff Stevensen, Burgomasters; Joh. Van Brugh and Jacob Strycker, Schepens; absent Jan Vinje.
