year, sometimes monthly sessions, while their legislative
assemblies ("general courts") were commonly held more than
once a year. Van Tienhoven's general contention is correct,
that government in New England was far more elaborate and
expensive than in New Netherland; but New England had in
1650 a population of about 30,000, New Netherland hardly
more than 3,000. The annual meeting mentioned in the next
sentence is that of the Commissioners of the United
Colonies, in which, however, each colony was represented by
two deputies, not one.

The accounts will show what was the amount of recognitions collected
annually in Kieft's time; but it will not appear that it was as large
by far as they say the people were compelled to pay. This is not the
Company's fault, nor the Directors', but of those who charge one, two
and three hundred per cent. profit, which the people are compelled to
pay because there are few tradesmen.

It will not appear, either now or in the future, that 30,000 guilders
were collected from the commonalty in Stuyvesant's time; for nothing is
received besides the beer and wine excise, which amounts to about 4,000
guilders a year on the Manhatans. From the other villages situated
around it there is little or nothing collected, because there are no
tapsters, except one at the Ferry,(1) and one at Flushing.

(1) The hamlet on the East River opposite Manhattan; the
village of Bruekelen stood a mile east of the river.

If anything has been confiscated, it did not belong to the commonalty,
but was contraband goods imported from abroad; and nobody's goods are
confiscated without good cause.

The question is whether the Honorable Company or the Directors are bound
to construct any works for the commonalty out of the recognition which
the trader pays in New Netherland for goods exported, especially as
those duties were allowed to the Company by Their High Mightinesses for
the establishment of garrisons, and the expenses which they must thereby
incur, and not for the construction of poor-houses, orphan asylums, or
even churches and school-houses, for the commonalty.

The charge that the property of the Company is neglected in order to
procure assistance from friends, cannot be sustained by proof.

The provisions obtained for the negroes from Tamandare were sent to
Curacao, except a portion consumed on the Manhatans, as the accounts
will show; but all