Document: Proclamation ordering all strangers to depart the province and forbidding all correspondence with New England

Whereas it is found by experience that, notwithstanding the previously published order and proclamations, many strangers, yea enemies of this state, attempt to come within this government without having previously obtained any consent or passport, and have even presumed to show themselves within this city of N. Orange, also that many inhabitants of this Province losing sight of and forgetting their oath of allegiance presume still daily to correspond and exchange letters with the inhabitants of the neighboring Colonies of New England and other enemies of this state, whence nothing else can redound but great prejudice and loss to this Province and it is accordingly necessary that seasonable provision be made therein: Therefore the Governor-General of New Netherland by and with the advice of his Council renewing the aforesaid orders and placards enacted on that subject, have deemed it highly necessary strictly to order and command that all strangers and others of what quality or nation soever they may be, who have not as yet bound themselves by oath and promise of fidelity to the present Supreme Government of this Province and been received by it as good subjects, do within the space of four and twenty hours from the publication hereof depart from out this Province of New Netherland, and further interdicting and forbidding any person, not being actually an inhabitant and subject of this government, to come within this government without first having obtained due license and passport to that end, on pain and penalty that the contraveners shall not be considered other than open enemies and spies of this state and consequently be arbitrarily punished as an example to others; and to the end that they may be the more easily discovered and found out, all inhabitants of this Province are interdicted and forbidden henceforth any strangers to harbor or lodge over night in their houses or dwellings unless they have previous given due communication thereof to their officer or Magistrate before sunset, under the penalty set forth in the preceding Proclamation. Furthermore, are the inhabitants of this Province strictly interdicted and forbidden from this day forward to hold any correspondence with the inhabitants of the neighboring Colonies of New England and all others actual enemies of our State, much less afford them supplies of any description on pain of forfeiting said goods and double the value thereof; likewise to exchange any letters of what nature soever they may be, without having obtained previous special consent thereto; therefore, are all messengers, skippers, travelers together with all others whom these may in any wise concern, most expressly forbidden to take charge of, much less to deliver, any letters coming from the enemy's places or going thither, but immediately on their arrival to deliver them into the Secretary's office here in order to be duly examined, on pain of being fined one hundred guilders in Beaver to be paid both by the receiver as well as by the deliverer of each letter which contrary to the tenor hereof shall be exchanged or delivered; and finally are all officers, justices and magistrates of this Province ordered and commanded to be careful that these presents be promptly put into execution, and the contraveners duly prosecuted.Done Fort Willem Hendrick, this 12th December, 1673.

On the petition presented by the Commissioners appointed over the estate of the late Governor Francis Lovelace, that Mr. Jacobus van de Water may be adjoined to them inasmuch as he can explain many doubtful items; therefore is said Mr. Jacobus van de Water hereby commissioned and qualified, to settle and arrange together with the Commissioners appointed to that end on the 2nd November last, the books and accounts of the aforesaid Lovelace, in like form as said Commissioners are by their previous commission requested to do.