to the Ordinance, eight stivers per month for the drink of each person over 12 years of age.

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"In regard to the demand against the Brewers, who, thus far have refused to submit to the gauging, the claim of the Farmer, is for the present, denied; provided, nevertheless, that the contumacious Brewer shall present to the Church a decent fine, and that the Farmer, after the publication and promulgation hereof, shall receive as an indemnity for his claim, and to prevent further complaints, the legal Burgher excise, according to the lease, Twelve stivers each consecutive month.

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"Whereas by the terms of the lease, the Excise on Wine and Beer is imposed on all without distinction, as well as the Company's servants as Freeman, in order to prevent further claims it is declared and Ordained, that the same shall continue in force, provided that the Farmer shall amicably agree with the servants of the Company, and what is laid in or sent away on its account, only excepted."

1657, January 23d.

An ordinance obliging Tavern keepers to take out Licenses and to pay Excise.

"The Director General and Council of New Netherland, To all those who shall see or hear these presents read, Greeting, make known,

"That they are informed and told that divers persons, as well within the City as on the Flatland in the villages, and hamlets of this Province, undertake to open Taverns, Ale Houses and to sell Beer and Wine by the small measure and to continue so to do without having applied for or received any License from us or from those by us authorized, which is contrary to the good order and police of our Fatherland. Besides that such Tavern keepers, Tapsters and Retailers of Wine, Beer and Distilled Liquors are opposed to and refuse to pay and satisfy the usual Excise imposed on the consumption of Wine and Beer.

"In order to prevent this, the Director General and Council of New Netherland do hereby Ordain that no person within this Province shall attempt to keep any Tavern, Ale House or retail any Beer, Wine, Brandy or distilled Liquors by the small measure before and until he hath applied to and notified the Director General and Council, or their deputies, to wit: the subaltern court of the Village to which he is subject, and in addition hath entered with the Farmer or his collector the Beer, Wine, Distilled spirits or Liquors to be laid in and consumed by him, and thereon paid for the behoof of the public the usual Excise imposed thereon by the Director General and Council, and publicly let to the highest bidder, whereof Warnaer Wessels is the Farmer for the current year and Jan Theunissen is, with the consent and approbation of the said Director General and Council, his collector for the town of Flushing.

"On pain of forfeiting the Wine, Beer, Brandy or Distilled Liquors, and five times the value thereof in case any Tavern keepers, Tapsters or retailers are found to have smuggled or laid in any Beer, Wine, Brandy or distilled Liquors without entry or Excise permit, and 25 guilders additional for the first offense, to be forfeited by those who attempt tapping, or retailing of Wine, Beer or distilled Liquors by the small measure without having demanded and received a permit or a license therefor from the Director General and Council, or their qualified subaltern magistrates; the fine to be applied one-third for the Officer who shall make the complaint, one-third for the Farmer [of the Excise] and one-third for the public."

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1657, June 12th.

An ordinance for the better observance of the Sabbath, against selling Liquors to Indians and smuggling, and for other purposes.

"The Director General and Council of New Netherland, to all those who see or hear these presents, Greeting.

"Whereas it is seen and found by experience that our previously enacted and frequently renewed Ordinances and Edicts against the desecration of the Lord's Sabbath, against Tapping and sitting of Clubs, after the ringing of the evening Bell, at nine o'clock; against the sale of Strong Drink, either Wine, Beer or Distilled Liquors to Indians, in Houses or out of Yachts, Barks, Sloops, Canoes or on shore, along the rivers;

and many other well meant enacted and repeatedly renewed placards, by lapse of time, have fallen into desuetude and oblivion; yea, are not observed and obeyed according to the tenor thereof. Therefore the Director General and Council aforesaid again comprehending the necessity of them, hereby Ordain, command and renew:

"First, that no person, of what rank or station he may be, shall, within this Province, on the Sabbath or Lord's Day of Rest, by us commonly called Sunday, or during Divine service, entertain any company or be allowed to buy, sell, give or receive, directly or indirectly, under what pretext soever, any Wine, Beer or Strong Drink in any Tavern, or perform or carry on any handicraft or business, much less go or ride for pleasure in Boats, Carts or Wagons, on the penalty of fine heretofore affixed thereto, and last renewed and here proclaimed in front of the City Hall on the 26th October, A. D., 1656.

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Secondly, no person shall, directly or indirectly, within this Province, under any pretext whatsoever, sell, give or present to any Indians, any Wine, Beer or strong drink, either on land or water, from Houses, Yachts, Barks, Boats or Canoes; which, that it may be the better prevented, no person shall be permitted, in accordance with the previously enacted and renewed Ordinance, dated as aforesaid, to wit: 26th October, 1656, to embark or take with him any Wine, Beer or Strong drink in any Barks, Boats or Canoes, not even for his own provision, unless he have previously entered the same with the Officer of the place where he embarked it, and that in its true quantity and quality, on pain of forfeiting what is smuggled and five times the value thereof; he remaining bound to exhibit on his return a receipt of delivery of the entered and embarked liquors, agreeably to the Ordinance thereupon published and renewed as aforesaid, dated 26 October, A. D., 1656."

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Note. This ordinance then provides generally for the entry of goods imported before they are discharged from the vessel in which they are imported, for the roadstead where the vessels are required to anchor, etc., and contains numerous provisions not connected with the subjects of this collection. They are consequently omitted.

1657, November 29th.

An ordinance regulating the currency and the prices of certain Liquors when paid for in Wampum.

"The Director General and Council of New Netherland, * known.

make

"That whereas both by their own experience and by manifold complaints of Inhabitants and Strangers, they are sufficiently, to their sorrow, daily informed and importuned respecting the great, excessive and intolerable high prices of necessary commodities and household articles, arising among other causes, principally from the high price, far beyond their value, of Beaver and other Peltries in this Country, in consequence

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

of the abundance of Wampum, which has run up to 10, 11 and 12 guilders for one Beaver, and wampum being still, for want of struck or stamped coin, the most general Currency between Man and Man and Buyer and Seller, the prices of household commodities and common daily necessaries range according to that rate, and are from time to time dearer, the rather as 30, 40, yea, sometimes 50 per cent difference is made not only by the Merchants, Factors and wholesale Traders, but also, consequently, by the Shopkeepers, Tradespeople, Brewers, Bakers, Tavern keepers, Grocers and others, if they work and sell goods for Beaver or Wampum. This, then, creates considerable confusion on the one hand, and causes, on the other, great burdens, loss and damage, as well to the majority of the Inhabitants as to the Company and its Servants, insomuch that by reason of the aforesaid inordinate and excessive prices of necessaries, the Superior and Inferior Magistrates of this province are blamed and accused both by Strangers and Residents; the Country in general has received a bad name, and some greedy people, not hesitating to sell even the most necessary supplies, articles of food and drink, according to their insatiable covetousness at intolerable prices for Wampum, to wit:

The can of poor Vinegar at 24 stivers,

The can of Oil, 3 a 4 guilders [query: stivers].
The can of French Wine, 40 and 50 stivers,

Two quarts of home-brewed Beer 12 stivers,
A tun of small Beer 8 guilders,

and all other neces

A tun of strong Beer 24 guilders, etc., saries in proportion, which high prices are generally excused on the ground that 30, 40 and 50 per cent is lost on the Wampum before it can be traded off for Beaver.

"The Director General and Council, aforesaid, wishing to provide and to introduce some better order herein, as far as possible, for the advantage of all in general and in particular, have not been able to discover, after much serious consideration and advice, even of the Lord's Patroons themselves, any better expedient than to declare Wampum in trade an absolute merchandise to buy, barter, sell and rebarter it at wholesale, according to the value and quality thereof. But inasmuch as Wampum, for want of Gold and Silver Coin, as already stated, must still serve as smaller change for daily necessaries between Man and Man, Buyer and Seller, the Director General and Council have judged it necessary to reduce, at the General Counting House, the Wampum due the Company for Rents or other outstanding debts to, and also, consequently, to keep, receive and pay it out at Beaver value, the Beaver being reckoned still and until further advised from Fatherland, at 8 guilders; therefore fixing and reducing Wampum at the general Counting House, provisionally, from six to eight White for one stiver, and from three to four Black Beads for one stiver, at which rate wampum shall be received and paid out after the publication and posting hereof at the general Counting House, without distinction of persons."

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1657, December 3d.

An ordinance prohibiting the taking of articles in pawn or pledge for

liquors.

The Honorable Peter Stuyvesant Director and the Council of New Netherland do ordain as follows:

"No man may take anything in pawn for Liquors, on pain of restoring the Goods and paying in addition 25 guilders for the first offense, 50 guilders for the second, and double for the third offense, and also to be deprived of his license, and to have his business stopped."

1658, January 25th.

An ordinance relating to the fees of Notaries and other officers.

By the ordinance of the Director and Council of this date, on the subject of fees, it was, among other things, ordained that

"No disbursements for Drink or any other extraordinary Presents, Gifts or Gratuities shall be brought into any account or demanded or collected by the Secretaries, Notaries, Clerks or such-like officers."

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1658, April 9th.

An ordinance renewing sundry ordinances therein mentioned. "The Director General and Council of New Netherland

"To all those who hear, see or read these presents,

"Greeting, make known.

"That divers Ordinances and Edicts have been from time to time enacted and published by them, tending to the preservation of Good Government and the prevention of Smuggling: but whereas the greater part of these have by connivance and non-execution by many, fallen into disrepute and desuetude, therefore the Director General and the Council have considered it highly necessary to renew some of them, and as a warning to bring them again to the remembrance of their good subjects, as they do hereby ordaining and commanding;

"First, that no person shall, on the Sabbath of the Lord during divine service directly or indirectly tap any Beer, Wine or Liquors, or sit in clubs; according to the edicts of the last of May, 1647; 26 September, 1656, and 12 June, 1657.

"Secondly, also, that no one shall continue any Clubs in the evening after nine o'clock when the Bell stops ringing, according to the aforesaid Edict dated last May, 1647.

'Thirdly, that no person shall directly or indirectly sell or present any Strong drink to the Indians, according to the Edicts, dated 26 September, 1656, and 12 June, 1657.

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"Eighthly, no Tavern Keepers shall be permitted to brew, or any Brewers to tap, or to retail by the half can, any small or strong Beer, according to the Ordinance of the 12 January, 1648; afterwards renewed at divers times

66 11thly. All Fighting, Wounding, Drawing of Knives and Assaults, are also forbidden, agreeably to the laudable Custom of the aforesaid City of Amsterdam, and all Innkeepers and Tavernkeepers remain bound and obliged by oath, to make known immediately to the Fiscal, such Fighting Wounding, Drawing of Knives and assaults, on pain of being debarred from business; besides the fine affixed thereto. Amplified 15 December, 1657.

"12thly, on the Sabbath of the Lord, no person shall fish, hunt, or perform any ordinary business, much less commit any unlawful acts, on pain of bodily arrest and arbitrary correction, pursuant to the ordinance of 29 April, 1648.

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"14thly no Brewers, Factors or Merchants shall be allowed to deliver any wine or Beer they have sold, or to remove the same out of their Houses, from one cellar to another, without having first entered it and received an Excise permit therefor, on pain of forfeiting such Wine and Beer and paying the fine imposed thereon by the Edict of 8 November, 1648."

1658, April 23rd.

An Ordinance continuing the Ordinance of the 27 April, 1656, and further regulating the Duties payable on Imported and Exported Goods.

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By the Director General and Council of New Netherland. 'ALL Merchants, are hereby notified that, conformably to the Ordinance and Edict on this subject enacted and published the 27 April, 1656, no persons shall be allowed to embark, convey or tranship by water or by land, any Peltries of any description whatsoever, or any Wines and Beer, or even to remove anything outside the gates of this City, unless they have previously entered the same with Nicolas Verlet, commissary of the Company's Warehouse, and herein Collector of the Export Duties, in their exact quantity, quality and description, and received thereof an export Permit, whereupon shall appear, besides the quantity and quality, from whom received and to whom consigned, and, if they are conveyed out of this Jurisdiction promptly, to pay thereof to the aforesaid, our appointed Collector, 8 per cent of all Peltries in species, or the just value thereof in good Merchantable Wampum, according to the Counting-house rate.

For a tun of Beer..

For an anker of Brandy, Spanish Wine or Liquor.
For an anker of French or Rhenish Wine or Mead.

fl. 2. 2. 2. 2. 1. 1.

on the penalty of forfeiting the smuggled and seized Wines, Beer and Peltries, and double the value thereof.

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The entered Peltries, Wines Beer and Spirituous Liquors shall be shipped, carried away and removed on the same day, and that by daylight, between the rising and setting of the Sun, and "Further, the Director General and Council give notice that no person, of what quality or Nation soever he may be, shall discharge or unload any goods or Merchandises coming from abroad before and until he have entered the same in their species, quantity and quality with the Director General or his deputy, the Fiscal, or, in his absence, with the aforesaid Commissary, Nicolas Verleth, and paid thereof the heretofore Ordained 10 per cent in kind, or the Value thereof in good merchantable Wampum, according to the rate of the Counting-house, on the aforesaid penalty. But from this are exempt all sorts of Provisions, except Oil, Wine, Vinegar and Beer, on which, as on all other merchandises the Duty shall be paid. Also, no duty shall be paid on imported Wampum, Tobacco, Sugar, Indigo, Cotton, Hides and other native products and fruits of this country in America.

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"To the end that no man shall plead ignorance, the Director General and Council of New Netherland Ordain and command their Fiscal to have these presents translated and posted in the English and French Languages, and after the posting, to proceed against the Contraveners, as the case may require."

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1658, November 11th.

An ordinance fixing the value of Wampum in payment for bread, beer, wine and other most necessary articles.

"The Director General and Council of New Netherland known.

make

** * from the abundance and uncurrent condition of the wampum, it, in barter for Beaver, has risen to 16 guilders and more for one Beaver, according to which rate all household commodities and common daily necessaries take their course, even to such a degree that a difference of 80, 90, yea, 100 per cent, is made by Shop keepers, Tradesmen, Brewers, Bakers, Tapsters and Grocers, if they work and sell their wares for Beavers or Wainpum, * * ** to be current * * in place of 6, Eight, white, and in place of three, Four black for one stiver