Tell, in the law suit which he brought in L665 against the heir of Thomas Cornell to recover Cornell's Neck, stated that in buying the Westchester tract he had license from the governor and council of Connecticut, "who took notice of this land to be under their government," and "ordered magistratical power to be exercised at Westchester." The colonial records of Connecticut show that such License was in fact granted to him in 1663. This sanction, issued nine years after his original purchase, was probably procured by him with a view to a second and confirmatory purchase. Whether the first settlers came to Westchester as the result of any direct instigation on the pari of the Connecticut officials can not be determined; but it is probable that the latter were fully cognizant of their enterprise, and promoted it by some sort of encouragement. Certainly the Westchester pioneers made no false pretenses, and sought no favors from the Dutch, but boldly announced themselves as English colonists. One of their first acts was to nail to a tree the arms of the Parliament of England. Stuyvesant permitted the winter of L654-55 to pass without offering to disturb the intruders in the enjoyment of the lauds they had so unceremoniously seized. Put in April he dispatched an officer, Claes Van Elslandt, with a writ commanding Thomas Pell, or whomsoever else it might concern, to cease from trespassing, and to leave the premises. Van Elslandt, upon arriving at the English settlement, was met by eight or nine armed men, to whose commander he delivered the writ. The latter said: "I can not understand Dutch. Why did not the fiscaal, or sheriff, send English ? When he sends English, then I will answer. We expect the determination on the boundaries the next vessel. Time will tell whether we shall be under Dutch government or the Parliament; until then we remain here under the Commonwealth of England.'' Notwithstanding this defiant behavior, the Dutch director-general was reluctant to act severe-