3 March
Proposals read aloud today to the lords councilors by the lord general.
Honorable lords.
On the 22d of last month I laid before your honors:
1. The necessity of devising some subsidies;
2. The constraint of the commissary or bookkeeper concerning the closing of the accounts;
3. The needed promotion of the consolidation of settlements; and in addition to this, I requested of your honors definite recommendations concerning the Indians. I remind your honors of these matters again with the request to draft one or the other appropriate resolution as circumstances allow, with one another or however your honors may deem fitting; which, with regard to the last subject, I would not find completely unadvisable for better justification, in case, contrary to our projections, matters with the Indians should happen to turn out otherwise, to draft a resolute and responsible order against the Indians; all the more urgent because sad experience shows that the Indians, notwithstanding they are still holding against their promise and our expectation many captured children and 3 elderly persons of our nation, do not hesitate to come daily into this city and fort, and following previous custom drink themselves drunk, from which nothing more than new misfortunes (may God make it no worse) and more misery is to be feared.
I have been told (the certainty and the consideration thereof I recommend to your honors’ attention) that the Indians almost continually have their spies even among our people, who report almost everything that is going on, who inform them that we have requested assistance in the form of troops from Holland, and have requested counsel and advice from our superiors whether we should make peace or war with them; together with many other discourses of that nature too long to relate here on how to defend against and prevent one and other. For which your honors’ advice and definite resolution is requested in order to absolve both your honors and our selves from negligence. For this reason I lay before your honors if it would not be advisable:
1. To inform the Indians in the most civil manner not to come into our places in such great numbers at the same time, unless they have prior consent; and those who come in smaller number are to come without weapons and to remain sober, and those who are found otherwise are to forfeit their weapons, whatever they are, and those found drunk are to be placed in the hole, without regard to person, and to remain there until voluntarily confess from whom they received the drink.
[one line lost]
[ ] that the Indians [ ] [ ] be admitted [ ] either in this city or in [ ] shall depart before evening and the setting of the sun, and so that no inhabitant shall undertake to quarter any Indians for the night without consent or permit shall be fined f25:0 for each Indian quartered without consent or who spends the night in the house.
Third, to renew the ordinance for the sale of strong drink, and concerning the renewal thereof and with regard to the foregoing proposals, to invite the magistrates and some of the most prominent burghers to the session in order to lay before them the bad consequences of both the sheltering and excessive drinking of the Indians, and to admonish them under oath to pledge themselves to devote as much attention thereto as possible, and to inform on violators without cunning or regard to person, so that they may be discovered at once. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland. Ady ut supra, and read aloud to the lords councilors.
