Your High Mightinesses will clearly see from all this and from the annexed petition of the people to you, High and Mighty, and from the protest of the Vice Director and Fiscal who, with the Select men constituted in that country the Magistracy on behalf of your High Mightinesses and the Hon'''* West India Company up to the present time, that everything in that quarter goes on contrary to your High Mightinesses' direct order, in great confusion, according to the will and pleasure alone of the Director and his foreign Council ; the country, without population, is reduced to the greatest ruin and brought under foreign nations, English and Swedes. Therefore nothing is more necessary than a good Redress, which we have zealously and industriously solicited and importuned now for more than two years on behalf of the people.

440 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.

Since the Select men and the Magistracy are dismissed contrary to your High Mightir commands, and contrary to all right and reason, we again humbly pray and request that they be, in conformity with your High Mightinesses' granted order, again commissioned and that they continue until further directions from your High Mightinesses ; also, that your High Mightinesses would be pleased to confirm by resolution the Report made to your High Mightinesses' Assembly on the ll"" April 1650 by Mr. van Aertsbergen and the other your High Mightinesses' Committee for the affairs of New Netherland, and privately communicated to us in writing, and by us sent, with the knowledge and approval of your High Mightinesses' committee, to the people of New Netherland -- So that all confusions and troubles being cut off thereby, the country may, by means thereof, be brought into a state of peaceful prosperity in population and trade, as New England, though commenced several years after us, hath now arrived to a high degree of population and commerce by a similar mode of government to that laid down and contained in said report.