Company,) that the Remonstrants appeareth strange commence their introduction with calumnies against the Board, their Patroons, complaining of excesses and highly injurious neglect, which, if any existed, ought to have been represented in season to the said Patroons, by them in virtue of their commission dated 27 July, 1G49, communicated for the first time, on the 9'^ of December last, full eight or nine weeks subsequent to their arrival and that they addressed themselves to the Lords of the Supreme government ;

without having ever spoken or made any application on the subject of their commission, to the Directors, notwithstanding the latter were requested by their general letters to lend them assistance. And though under correction, the Directors are of opinion that, by virtue of the Charter granted by your High Mightinesses to the Company, the said Delegates, as they style themselves, were in duty bound to address themselves to the Directors at the Chamber at Amsterdam, and in case of receiving no satisfaction there, to the Assembly of the XIX., where your High Mightinesses preside by your Hon""'' Deputies. Being, with this reservation, disposed to respond to your High Mightinesses' invitation, we say:

To the first Article. If the petitioners know of any Directors here, who have preferred their own private interests to the general advantage of the Company, contrary to their oath and honor, they ought to state it, or be bound yet to do so. Failing therein it is answered, that the petitioners do in no wise refer to the Company's government, inasmuch as they speak of matters which transpired before the major part of them were in the country.