In 1673 it was practically extinct, but it was not until 1671 that it was officially dissolved." Such was the melancholy end of this magnificent organization, which came to pass in the very year that Dutch authority, after a fitful period of renewal, was terminated forever in New York. Early in 1671, by the Treaty of Westminster, peace was restored between England and Holland, each party agreeing to return to the other whatever possessions had been conquered during the war. On November 10 of that year New York was peacefully handed over to the representative of the Duke of York, Edmund Andros, who assumed its government. This new change was attended by no further inconvenience to the citizens than the obligation to take the oath of allegiance to England. Nothing of importance in the general concerns of the province after the resumption of English rule requires our notice until 1683. In that year two events of great consequence occurred -- first, the division of New York into counties, and, second, the revision of the New York and Connecticut boundary agreement of 1661. On the 17th of October, 1683, the first legislative assembly in the history of New York convened in New York City. It was summoned by the new governor, Thomas Dongan, who " came with instructions to allow the people in their various towns to elect representatives to a general assembly, which was to constitute a sort of lower house, with the governor's council as the upper house of legislation, the governor acting as the sovereign to approve or veto the bills passed. The assembly was to meet once in three years at least, and to number not more than eighteen members." This first New York assembly consisted of fourteen representatives, of whom four were from Westchester, as follows: Thomas Hunt, Sr., John Palmer, Richard Ponton, and William Richardson.1 The assembly passed an act, approved by the governor on November 1, from which we quote the pertinent portion : " Having taken into consideracon the necessity of divideing the province into respective countyes for the better governing and setleing Courts in the same, Bee It Enacted by the Governour, Councell and Representatives, and by authority of the same, That the said Province bee divided into twelve Countyes, as fol1 " Civil History of Westchester County," by Rev.