were, they should not be obligations on her Royal Majesty, or even otherwise be drawn into precedent; that, on examination of their nature and circumstances, it might be found that such French, English and Danes were mere private persons, and then, still, mere inhabitants of these countries, who, in comparison with her Royal Majesty's ship, her Royal Majesty's property, could not come into any consideration or be cited as precedent; and with the same readiness that Frenchmen and Englishmen are instanced in opposition to her Royal Majesty can Swedes be equally cited against others. Vol. T. 19

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146 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. The proposition of your High Mightinesses' Deputies, that her Royal Majesty should pay the same as other inhabitants of these countries, the Resident would consider very strange, as an attempt to place a Sovereign and Crowned head on a level with inhabitants of this State ; the Resident expected greater respect would be paid her Royal Majesty than to place her on an equality with private individuals. If this State, either by its Ambassadors or others, had made or submitted any request to her Majesty, he, the Resident, was convinced that in such or like cases, it would be treated with much greater respect. Moreover, the aforesaid proposition was altogether different in character, inasmuch as its object was to impose subsidies and contributions on her Royal Majesty and thereby tax her for the benefit of some private inhabitants of this State; inasmuch as these duties were not contributed to the State, but to private persons who were simply authorized thereunto, and who were furnished by the State with a paper cloak; and therefore, if her Majesty is to be treated in all cases in the same manner as the inhabitants of these countries (none of whom is understood to be exempt), then her Royal Majesty must even so be released from such duty, or must be acknowledged, not only to be exempt from, but even must appropriate, such impost, the same as the West India Company, which consists merely of private individuals.