The following ordinances were issuedsince the arrival of the secretaryCornelis van Ruyven, namely,1653 in November.[1]
The director and council of New Netherland. To all those who shall hear, or see this read, greetings.
Let it be known that in the month of September last past the respective New Netherland colonies and courts and their deputies enacted, published, and posted various orders and regulations concerning the great and excessive expense of all sorts of merchandise, foodstuffs and grains, and workers’ wages;[2] which well-intentioned orders and regulations, published and enacted by previous ordinances, and made known to everyone, the director general and council still expect to be promptly observed and obeyed without any connivance, deceit, or favor, on pain of the fine more fully expressed in the ordinances. But whereas the most recently arrived passengers, merchants and traders have not been informed in advance in the matter of declaring their goods and merchandise, [ and ] because they have also declared their goods and merchandise according to their previous customs, [ and ] in addition considering among other things the great risk of the sea, the heavy insurance and the extensive storage of the goods and merchandise in the ships, subjecting them to much leakage and loss; all of which having been considered by the director general and council, they find it here well advised that the merchants could not survive with one hundred percent above the duty on the company's invoice at the present time. Therefore, not to annul absolutely the previously enacted order, the director general and council have for the present time thought it best and necessary to appraise some goods and merchandise as follows:
One pair of men's shoes, sizes 8 to 12 ‘3:5One pair of Icelandic stockings at 36 stiversOne firkin of soap at 20 guildersOne quart of salad oil 1:10One pound of candles at 12 stiversOne ancker of distilled spirits 32One ancker of vinegar at 16One ell of duffel cloth for Christians not to be priced higher than 3:10One hundred pounds of nails 30One ancker of Spanish wine 40One ancker of brandy at 44One hogshead of French wine at 110
What further concerns the goods and merchandise that are neither specified nor appraised herein, and some that cannot be appraised such as assorted linens of Haarlem and Leiden manufacture, cloth, worsted stockings, etc., of which some are finer and better than others; also, all materials and necessities required for farms and households, all too numerous to be specified here, the director general and council order that the authentic invoice of the actual cost of these [ items ] and of all other merchandise, however they might be named, shall be exhibited and shown to the buyers at their request; and for the present out of consideration of the present dangers and the heavy insurance, the seller shall be allowed to ask one hundred and twenty percent above the first and actual cost and no more, on pain of the fines expressed more fully in the previously enacted ordinances. The director general and council hereby give notice that this order and regulation shall only continue for the present time and until further orders from the fatherland, and no longer.
Thus done at the session of the director general and high council. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, this 19th of November 1653.[3]
