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.