Document: Resolution declaring the convention illegal, protesting against it, and ordering the delegates to disperse

The director-general and council are ignorant of any commissioners from the respective villages; moreover, Midwout, Amersfoort and Breuckelen have neither court nor jurisdiction, consequently they are unqualified to send any commissioners. Concerning the other villages: The director-general and council declare the present gathering illegal for annulling and contradicting not only the general resolutions passed by the provisional assembly but also the orders and decisions made by the director-general and council at the request of the mayors and schepens on the 3rd of this month.[1] Therefore the director-general and council find themselves compelled, for the protection of the rights of the lords-superiors and their representatives, to protest against the present gathering, as they herewith do. Concerning the remonstrance itself: the director-general and council do not know whether the original or a copy thereof has been submitted. The document itself demonstrates and proves that it is a translation, and the director-general and council further state that they do not feel bound to a private and unclear remonstrance by a few unauthorized commissioners who are abusively assuming the rights and privileges of the whole. Therefore the director-general and council charge and order the aforesaid present commissioners not to address the director-general and council, much less anyone else, under this name and title. However, if the mayors and schepens of this city or the magistrates and commissioners of the villages have to make remonstrances or requests, each for their respective places, then they are to notify thereof the director-general and council who will give them an answer and such satisfaction as the circumstances and the case may require. The director-general and council direct the fiscal to communicate this to the petitioners so that they cannot plead ignorance. Dated 12 December, New Amsterdam, New Netherland.

P. Stuyvesant
Nicasius de Sille
La Montangne
C. van Werckhoven

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 5.