NBW-NETHERLANDS.                                    93
First form of government.
Of whatever importance to the prosperity of the Fatherland were the conquests in the West Indies, from the Spanish, Portuguese, and natives, they were not left to the arbitrary whims of the conquerors and naval commanders ; no, the States General established about the year 1629, some articles of order and government, whose prompt and faithful execution they required in the conquered places.
They authorized the different departments of the West India Company to appoint a Council of nine persons, who should be entrusted with the command of the whole.* The precautions which had been taken to secure its success, may seen from the privileges and exemptions for patrons, masters, and private individuals, who shall plant colonies in New-Netherlands, or import there any cattle, &c, from the 10th of March, 1628.f The following were the principal points :—
The West India Company should reserve to itself besides the fur-trade, the island of Manhattan also, both to cultivate it, and to erect there a staple place for commerce, while the colonists were privileged to settle four miles along the coast, or along navigable rivers, or two miles on both sides of these, provided they did sat-isfythe natives for the lands, of which they had taken possession.
The colonists might navigate along the whole coast of Florida to Newfoundland, provided they imported their merchandise to the Manhattans and paid a recognition of 5 per cent.
They were privileged to sail for fishing cod all along the coast of New-Netherlands, provided they carried it directly to Italy, and paid six guilders per last to the company.
Wherever they took any vessels of the enemy, within the limits of this grant, they were holden to conduct them to the Fatherland, enjoying then two-thirds of their value.
The colonies were farther entitled to send from each river or island, a deputy to the council of the Director General and his Councillors in New-Netherlands.
The States General added another restriction to these measures of the West India Company, for the encouragement of merchants and colonists, viz., when they published in the year 1633,an orderand regulation in conformity with which allarmed vessels, privateers, were permitted to sail from the United Netherlands within the limits of the grant to the West India Company, "except the coast of Africa, New-Nether-
?[Great Placard Book, t. ii. p. 1235.
t This is to be found in the Notulen of the department of XIX, in March, 1628.  These too were Separately published at Amsterdam, 1631.