" Strange as it may seem, while every colonie, and almost every hamlet, had its local magistracy, the citizens of New Amsterdam [New York City], the capital of the whole province, continued, greatly to their discontent, without a voice in the management of their municipal affairs. The government of the city still remained in the hands of the Director- General and his council." '

Colendonck, (Yonkers) was under the government of a patroon, such as is described above ; and the following statement gives some idea of the " Charter of Privileges and Exemptions" issued by the West India Company's College of Nineteen, June 7, 1629, in accordance with which the grant was made tO' Van der Donck :

"The Patroon had power to appoint officers and magistrates in all' towns and cities on his lands ; to hold manorial courts, from which, in cases where the judgment exceeded fifty guilders, the only appeal was to the Director-General and Council ; in short, to hold and govern liis great manor with as absolute a rule as any baron of the Middle Ages. The power of the Patroons over their tenants was almost unlimited. No man or woman, son or daughter, man-servant or maid-servant could leave a Patroon's service during the time they had agreed to remain, except by his written consent, no matter what abuses or breaches of contract existed on part of the Patroon. This charter prescribed regulations and granted privileges with regard to trade, gave to the freemen all the land they could cultivate, and exempted them from taxation for ten years. Churches and schools were required to be established, and the manufacture of cloths was prohibited. The company retained the fur trade and fettered commerce. Several directors of the company availed themselves of the advantages offered. The Patroon of Bensselaerswyck, however, was the only one who established a manorial court, and he rendered the privilege of appeal nugatory by exacting of his tenants, as a condition to the occupation of land, that they would not avail themselves of it.