Document: Judgment for plaintiff in the case of the farmer of the excise vs. Caspar Steynmits

[several lines lost] [ ] hem geweesen hebbende [ ] de to confiscation, upon which his final claim and demand the lords councilors then governing resolved on the 9th of February 1655, the farmers shall send the four and half amen of wine of Caspar Steijnmits to the person who will be sent by the fiscal, and their legal claim amounting to 84 guilders on their promised excise shall be validated against the lord’s.[i] According to this resolution he, plaintiff, recently requested your honors to have that much written off on his credit, which was not accepted, because your honors explained that this could not be charged against the honorable lords directors. Therefore, he demands and requests payment of the said ƒ84: from the defendant.

The defendant replies that the former fiscal Tienhooven promised him, defendant, as an exceptional favor, to return the confiscated wines without loss, and that he had agreed to satisfy the farmers on account of their claim.

The director general and councilors having heard the parties and read whatever could serve in the matter, cannot understand how the demanded sum can rightly be brought to the expense of the lords directors; and whereas Cornelis van Tienhoven is absent and therefore cannot be heard on this matter, it is agreed and ordered that the defendant pay the plaintiff half of the sum demanded; Van Tienhoven’s account shall be charged for the other half, and the plaintiff shall be credited. Dated as above.