[ All merchants, traders, skippers, boatmen, also inhabitants and foreigners, of what quality or nation soever they may be are hereby notified that, conformably to the ordinance and edict on this subject enacted and published ] the 27th of April 1656[i], [ no person ] shall be allowed to embark any peltries, of whatever kind those may be, [ nor any ] wines and beers, or transport or transship them on land or ship by water, not even to bring them out of these city’s gates, before they are declared in their true quantity, quality and kind to Nicolaes Verleth, commies [ii] of the Company’s warehouse, and collector of the outgoing recognition fees, and for which an export permit is received, on which, in addition to quantity and quality, shall appear from whom it is received and to whom it is consigned; and (if they are being transported out of this jurisdiction) immediately to pay to our aforesaid appointed collector 8 percent in kind of all peltries, or the true value thereof in good merchantable sewant according to the rate set by the office,
Of a tonne of beer ƒ2–2
Of an ancker of brandy, Spanish wine or liquor ƒ2–2 Of an ancker of French wine, Rhenish wine or mead ƒ1–1
On pain of forfeiture of the concealed and confiscated wines, beers, and peltries, and double the value thereof.
The declared peltries, wines, beers, and distilled spirits shall be shipped, transported, and removed on the same day by daylight, between sunrise and sunset, and if, through neglect [ they are ] shipped, transported, or removed on the next or other days, [another export permit shall be applied for and obtained from the aforesaid collector on that day on which they are shipped, on the aforesaid penalty.
Further, the director general and councilors give notice that no person of what quality or nation soever he may be, shall discharge or unload] any goods or merchandises coming from abroad before and until he has entered the same in their [ species, quantity ], and quality with the director general [ or his deputy, ] the fiscal, or in his absence, with the [ aforesaid ] commies Nicolaes Verleth, and paid thereof the 10 percent ordered before in kind, or the value thereof in good merchantable sewant, according to the rate set by the office, on pain as before. But all sorts of provisions are exempt, except for oil, wines, vinegars, and beers, on which, as on other merchandise, the recognition fee shall be paid. No recognition fee shall be paid either on imported sewant, tobacco, sugars, indigo, cotton, skins, and other native fruits and crops of these regions in America.
Finally, the director general and councilors renew [ their order ] that no ships,[iii] yachts, barks, ketches, sloops, or any other vessels intending to sail or depart out of or within this province, on the day of their departure shall specifically report and declare to the fiscal, or in his absence, to the aforesaid commies, their embarked merchandise, peltries, wines and beers, and after declaring them they shall submit themselves to the inspection by the fiscal, commies, or any other deputy for the director general and councilors, on pain as before, [ one third ] of which fine [ shall be paid to ] the finder and reporter of any frauds [and smuggling.
To the end that no man shall plead ignorance, the director general and councilors of New Netherland ordain and command their fiscal to have these presents translated and] posted [ in the English and French languages, ] and after the posting, to properly proceed against [ contraveners ]. Thus done, resumed, and enacted at the meeting of the honorable lord director general and councilors held in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 23rd of April anno 1658.
P Stuyvesant Nicasius de Sille J de Deckere Pieter Tonnemans
