Document: Order releasing from confinement two prisoners committed for plucking the goose

The director-general and council of New Netherland having heard and examined the fiscal's complaint against Jan Jansz van Oosterhout and Jan Jacobsz van Gieteren near Blocksiel[1] both prisoners for violating the order and interdict of the director-general and council of which the court-messenger informed them; also, for their curses, threats and foul language directed at the director-general and high council which was seen and heard by the director-general and council themselves, as has been described in detail in the complaint. As such matters are crimes of major consequence, they indeed merit the recommendation and conclusion of the fiscal that they be corrected by corporeal punishment; however, the director-general and council, after closer consideration of the intercession of the mayors and schepens of this city (except for Jochem Pietersz) which was made verbally to the honorable General yesterday, we have consequently resolved to suspend the sentence, and, because the delinquents are farm laborers and in order not to impede their masters' work, to release them, keeping a closer watch on their behavior. Thus done and executed at the session of the honorable director-general and high council of New Netherland, 27 February 1654, New Amsterdam; and was signed: P. Stuyvesant, Nicasius de Sille, C. van Werckhoven, La Montange.