'T is moreover, to be borne in mind that the Patroon of the Colonie Rensselaerwyk causes all his tenants to sign, that thev will not appeal to the IManhattans. in direct contravention of the exceptions, by which the colonists are bound to render to the director and council at the Manhattans an annual report both of the colony and the administration of Justice. . . . 'T would be a very strange thing if the 87 officers of the country could not banish anybody from it, whilst the authorities of the Colonie Rensselaerwyk, who are subordinate to the company, absolutely banish whomsoever they please, for the welfare of the Colonie:

88 The Hudson River

and they do not allow any person to reside there except at their pleasure and upon certain conditions.

The colonists of lower degree held their land only upon a rent lease, beaver pelts being accepted instead of money, which was a very scarce commodity. So little money was there in the country, indeed, that a short time previous to the writing of the report just cited, a law had been passed which legalised the use of the Indian currency -- wampum. The title of Patroon conveys to most modern minds an idea of somewhat exalted rank. We are accustomed to point to those colonial princelings as though they had brought to the New World the inestimable advantages of blue blood along with the favour of the sovereign Lords of Holland. But history shows that land patents were never supposed to imply either birth, breeding, or previous rank of any kind on the part of the recipient. Patroonships, like houses, lands, ships, or peltries, were in the market to be purchased for money. Exactly the requirements insisted upon by the company may be learned from the following excerpt from a bill of "Freedoms and Exemptions," granted by the West India Company in 1640: