Dutch Records; Letter V. 1652--1663. ]
In the first place, the Sheriff shall, as the Director General and Council's guard ton of the law
1.
in the district of the city of New Amsterdam, preserve, protect and maintain, to
.e
best of his
knowledge and ability, the preeminences and immunities of the privileged West India Company, in as far as these have been delegated by previous Instruction to the Board of Burgomasters and Schepens 2.
without any dissimulation, or regard for any private favor or displeasure.
;
In the quality aforesaid, he shall convoke the meetings of Burgomasters and Schepens and preside thereat, also propose all matters which shall be brought there for deliberation, collect the Votes,
and resolve according to the plurality thereof. 3. He shall, ex officio, prosecute all contraveners, defrauders and transgressors, of any Placards, Laws, Statutes and Ordinances which are already made and published or shall hereafter be enacted and made public, as far as those are amenable before the Court of Burgomasters and Schepens, and
with
this
understanding that, having entered his suit against the aforesaid Contraveners, he shall
immediately rise, and await the judgment of Burgomasters and Schepens who being prepared
shall
also, on his motion, pronounce the same. -1.
And in order that he may well and regularly institute his complaint, the Sheriff, before entering
his action or arresting
any person, shall pertinently inform himself of the crime of which he shall
accuse him, without his being empowered to arrest any one, on the aforesaid information, unless the offence be committed in his presence. 5. He shall take all his informations in the presence of two members of the Board of Burgomasters and Schepens if the case shall permit it, or otherwise in the presence of two discreet persons who,