THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 



277 



be intrusted to the valiant Captain Frederick de Coninck, Captain Lieutenant 

 Brian Naton, and with them the Attorney General, Cornelius Tienhoven, to exe- 

 cute his commission and apprehend the fugitives and thieves. 

 Done in Fort Amsterdam, 6th of March, 1656. Peter Stuyvesaxt, 



NlOASSICS DE SlLLE, 



La Montagne, 



Cornelius tan Tiehhovbht.* 



In accordance with the above order, the valiant Captain Frederick de 

 Coninck embarked in the ship " Weigh-scales" and proceeded to West- 

 chester: where he succeeded in arresting several of the English thieves. 

 Upon their arrival in the city, the following order appears in Council : — 



' • "With regard to the English prisoners, lately brought hither from Vreedlandt, 

 from the village which they call Westclmter, who remain yet in confinement in 

 the ship the •' Weigh-scales" it is unanimously concluded and resolved, that all 

 those who before were on oath and allegiance of this government, and who there- 

 fore either for debts or other causes did run away, or against whom the Attorney 

 General supposes to have a just cause for indictment, these the aforesaid Attorney 

 General is authorized to secure in close confinement, and prosecute them agreea- 

 bly to law. The remainder who either from New England or from other places 

 have been lured and decoyed by Mr. Pell or any other person to settle within 

 our limits, of which district this city had a grant, to keep them in a civil arrest, 

 either in the court house or any proper and convenient place, till a further ex- 

 amination shall be instituted and our orders issued in conformity with these. 



Done in Council, in our fort at New Amsterdam, 



in New Netherland, 14 March, 1656. Peter Stuyyesant, 



NlCABSIDS DE SlLLE, 



La Montagne. j 



On the 15th of March, 1656, the Attorney General presented his de- 

 mand to the Director General and Council as plaintiff in the case : — 



PiEspectftl Lords : — It is not only known to your Honors, but every one re- 

 siding in this country, that since many years the district called Vreedlandt was 

 cultivated and inhabited in letters patent granted by your Honors, and their pre- 

 decessors by the Dutch, under your government, till the period of the general war, 

 in 1G43. Now it has happened that one Mr. Pell, residing inOnkeneg, in New 

 England, has dared, against the rights and usages of Christian countries, to pre- 

 tend that he bought these lands of the natives (which long since were purchased 

 of them and paid by your Honors as evidently appears from the tranfers in your 

 records), and actually made a beginning of settling and culvating these lands, 

 without your Honors previous knowledge or consent, directly contrary to the 

 limits and decisions of 1650, concluded with the United Colonies of New Eng- 



a Alb. Rec. vol. i , p. 315. 

 b Alb. Bee, vol. ii. 89L 



