The thirtieth article of that of 1629, provided " that the company will use their endeavours to supply the colonists with as many blacks as they conveniently can, on the conditions hereafter to be made ; in such manner, however, that they shall not be bound to do it for a longer time than they shall think proper." The charter of 1640, says, "The company shall exert itself to provide the patroons aud colonists, on their order, with as many blacks as possible, without however being further or longer obligated thereto than shall be agreeable." These provisions were simply to furnish the cheapest labor then known, and were in accordance with the manner and methods of colonizing at that day, and the views of that era, as to labor. It was a similar provision to those put in contracts in our day and generation, for building railroads, canals, mines, and other enterprises, by syndicates and construction companies, and corporations, by which, so many hundreds, or thousands, of laborers, black, yellow, or white, are to be furnished at such a price for such wages. Were slavery not now abolished everywhere except in the Spanish

Colonies, these contracts now would call for slaves as the cheapest kind of labor.

But one other subject of these charters remains to be considered, and that is the religion they established in New Netherland. All the charters were approved and enacted as laws by the West India Company, and the States-General ; the sovereign power of the Seven Provinces of the United Netherlands. The twenty-seveuth article of the charter of 1629 is in these words, -- " The Patroons and Colonists shall in particular and in the speediest manner, endeavour to find out ways and means whereby they may support a minister and school-master, that thus the service of God and Zeal for religion may not grow cool, and be neglected among them ; and that they do for the first, procure a comforter of the sick there." The charter of 1640 speaks much more strongly and directly : -- " And no other Religion shall be publicly admitted in New Netherland except the Reformed, as it is at present preached and practiced in the United Netherlands ; and for this purpose the company shall provide and maintain good and suitable preachers, school-masters and comforters of the sick." By these provisions of the two charters was the Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the national established church of the Dutch Republic, made the established church of New Netherland.