History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I
This was a franchise of so high a character that it was granted to but two more out the many New York Manors, those of Rensselaerswyck in 1705 and Livingston in 1715, the former eight years, the latter eighteen years, after the grant to Cortlandt. The franchise in this case was not to be enjoyed till after the lapse of twenty years from the date of the Manor-Grant, June 17th 1697, that is until after June 17th, 1717. The reason of this was to allow a sufficient time to elapse for the coming in of a population numerous enough to require a representative.
In 1697 when the Manor was erected, except a few white people near the mouth of the Croton, and near Verplanck's Point, the whole Manor was occupied by the Indians. True, their title to the lands had been duly purchased, but, as in almost all Indian purchases a right to hunt and fish and plant corn, was practically reserved by the Indians. And this the whites always acknowledged. In consequence the entry of the whites was extremely gradual. Therefore, until people enough to require a representative had settled upon the Manor there was no need of one.
It was not until 1734, however, that the heirs of Stephanus van Cortlandt, who had died in 1700, chose to avail themselves of this privilege of representation. In that year at their instance Mr. Philip Verplanck ' was chosen to represent the Manor in the General Assembly. The admission of its Members to the Assembly is interesting and curious. On the 10th of June 1734, says the Journal of the House, " Philip Verplanck, Esq., attending without, was called in, and produced to the House, an indenture that he was duly elected a Representative for the Manor of Cortlandt, in this present Assembly, as likewise the Letters Patent of the said Manor dated in the year 1697, whereby a Power and Privilege [was]granted to choose said Representative living within the same, to commence twenty years after its date -- Ordered, that the same be taken into consideration to-morrow morning." The next day, the eleventh, the House resolved that Mr.