Our apprehension of the establishment of an Arbitrary Governmerit among xis. 'Tis contrary to the first intentions and genuine principles of every well regulated government, that one or more men should arrogate to themselves the exclusive power to dispose, at will, of the life and property of any individual, and this, by virtue or under pretense of a law or order he, or they, might enact, without the consent, knowledge or election of the whole Body, or its agents or representatives. Hence the enactment, except as aforesaid, of new Laws or orders affecting the Commonalty, or the Inhabitants, their lives or property, is contrary and opposed to the granted Freedoms of the Dutch Government, and odious to every freeborn man, and principally so to those whom God has placed in a free state on newly settled lands, which might require new laws and orders, not transcending, but resembling as near as possible, those of Netherland. We humbly submit that 'tis one of our privileges that our consent or that of our representatives is necessarily required in the enactment of such laws and orders. Secondly. We have been expecting, usually every year, that a new war will be again begun by the Natives of this country, from the murders they have committed under -pretext that they 5« have not been paid for their lands. This is the cause of many mischiefs and discouragements to the country, besides great loss and interruption to the inhabitants in their labor. We have been unable, thus far, to arrive at a precise knowledge thereof, or to C ascertain to what nation these murderers belong disregarded, as those of Indians living at a great distance which fills ; but their acts are commonly us with daily anxieties, so that