The Company shall, accordingly, appoint and keep there a Governor, competent Councillors, Officers and other Ministers of Justice for the protection of the good and the punishment of the wicked ; which Governor and Councillors, who are now, or may be hereafter, appointed by the Company, shall take cognizance, in the first instance, of matters appertaining to the freedom, supremacy, domain, finances and rights of the General West India Company ; of complaints which any one (whether stranger, neighbor or inhabitant of the aforesaid country) may may make in case of privilege, innovation, dissuetude, customs, usages, laws or pedigrees; declare the same corrupt or abolish them as bad, if circumstances so demand ; of the cases of minor children, widows, orphans and other unfortunate persons, regarding whom complaint shall first be made to the Council holding prerogative jurisdiction in order to obtain justice there; of all contracts or obligations ; of matters pertaining to possession of benefices, fiefs, cases of lesas majestatis, of religion and all criminal matters and excesses prescribed and unchallenged, and all persons by prevention may receive acquittance from matters there complained of; and generally take cognizance of, and administer law and justice in, all cases appertainining to the supremacy of the Company.

124 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.

liesolution of the States General empowering KiViaen Van Itens-selaer to dispose of Ids Colonie ly Will.

[From the Register of West India affairs, 1033 -- 1051, In the Eoyal Archives at the Hague.]

Tuesday, S"" February 1641. Folio 43. Read iu the Assembly the petition presented to their High Mightinesses in the tseiaer. " name, and on the behalf of, Kiliaen Van Renselaer, Patroon of his Colonie called Rensselaerswyck, situate on the north river of New Netherland ; praying approval of a certain order entered by the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company on 14"" November 1639 on the margin of the Petitioner's request, to be allowed accordingto article 7, to dispose of his, the Petitioner's, manor pr feudal estate referred to in the sixth article of the Freedoms granted to the Colonists in New Netherland.