nal Agreement as to boundaries between
English and Dutch on Long Island and on the mainland; but
the treaty was not ratified by the English and Dutch
governments.

Nobody's goods have been confiscated in New Netherland without great
reason; and if any one feels aggrieved about it, the Director will be
prepared to furnish an answer. That ships or shipmasters are afraid of
confiscation and therefore do not come to New Netherland is probable,
for nobody can come to New Netherland without a license. Whoever has
this, and does not violate his agreement, and has properly entered his
goods, need not be afraid of confiscation; but all smugglers and persons
who sail with two commissions may well be.

All those who were indebted to the Company were warned by the Director
and Council to pay the debts left uncollected by the late William Kieft,
and as some could, and others could not well pay, no one was compelled
to pay; but these debts, amounting to 30,000 guilders, make many who do
not wish to pay, angry and insolent, (especially as the Company now has
nothing in that country to sell them on credit,) and it seems that some
seek to pay after the Brazil fashion.(1)

(1) The recent conquest of the company's province of Brazil
by the Portuguese had enabled many debtors there to avoid
paying their debts.

The memorialists have requested that the people should not be harassed,
which however has never been the case, but they would be right glad to
see that the Company dunned nobody, not demanded their own, yet paid
their creditors. It will appear by the account-books of the Company that
the debts were not contracted during the war, but before it. The Company
has assisted the inhabitants, who were poor and burdened with wives and
children, with clothing, houses, cattle, land, etc., and from time to
time charged them in account, in hopes of their being able at some time
to pay for them.

If the taxes of New England, before spoken of, be compared with those of
New Netherland, it will be found that those of New England are a greater
burden upon that country than the taxes of New Netherland are upon our
people.

The wine excise of one stiver per can, was first imposed in the year
1647.

The beer excise of three guilders per tun, was imposed by Kieft in 1644,
and is paid by the tapster alone, and not the burgher.

The recognition of eight in a hundred upon exported beaver skins does
not come out of th