The New York herald., 1844-11-21
Vorsisth Aanivsr sary Of the Kew Yssk
Historical Society.

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Historical Society.
The fortieth anniversary Of that highly respecta-
BILE association, the Historical Society, was cele-
brated yesterday. At o'clock, p NJ, the MEM
bers and invited guests assembled at the University
Library, and from thence proceeded to the church
of the Messiah in Broadway, where the agent Of
the society was to deliver an address, narrating
the result Of his researches in the archives of
Holland, France and England.
The church was toleraby well filed, and the
audience was composed Of many Of the Oldest and
most respectable families, with almost every dis
tingushed professional gentleman in the city
After brief prayer by the Rev. DIR. De Witt
Mr. BRoDHEAD proceeded TO deliver the
Grafton.
He began by the usual expression Of untness for the
task imposed upon him. and hs determination perform
appeared to be suffering from cold and his delivery
so exceedingly rapid that II impossible follow him
with literal precision. He described at some length he
difficulty with which he had to contend ia obtaining
to the archives OF foreign governments In every
oyed kt the Hague be was received With The sreates
courtesy by the officer in charge OF the archives and
the presentation Of the order permitting him to examine
every facility was afforded him He described the docu
ments books and records shown him of immense
volumes and bundles Of documents were examined
BY him at the Hague, the perverse and obscene
the work one o. sts.. ss..ly his rrea. surnrss
AID modification, he found that the collection Of papers
Company" anterior to lie year i75o had been publicly
sold at auction by order Of the the "
iea and had been used as waste paper by the purcha
sers Eighty thousand pounds weight OF historical pa.
pers had thus been lost rrscoveraby Of all the
ment and papers to which he had access Holland Mr.
deposited in the Office Of the Secretary Of state
Albany Ia England, the chief repository in which do
was the State Paper Office The Board Of Trade had,
as was well known, for many years, the supervi.
sion of the American plantations. and the records
contained much OF great interest and value Two thou
sand volumes had been lately removed by order 60
vsrnment from he Of the Board Of Trade to the
State Paper office, where the regulations very pre-
else and formal II in reality part the soveregn
private library ana was on appendage to the department
ship and beraiity Of the noble Foreign Secretary Mr. B.
got admission to the State Paper office much readily
than he could have hoped from the late Secretary The
order him permission 10 examine the papers relative
to the history OF New York. and interpreted very
strictly by the keeper besides any transcript made had
il could be appropriated Several hundreds Of volumes
were reviewed here as al the libraries of the British
Museum. and the Archbishop of Canterbury at
Lambeth The result OF his researches in Eng.
land comprised in fifty volumes Of trans
cripts. containing the official correspondence Of the
governors OF New York from l644 till the end Of the
luton as well az Prvat documents OF great value and
impsrtant papers from 1914 to 1864 It would be crafty
ing many 10 know thar copies or all Sir william John.
papers obtained and although no traces we're
Obtained of the Indian records supposed be removed in
the revolutionary war, yet without ventnrng to affirm
that everything OF importance had been obtained yet Mr.
believed he could confidently that the greatest
and most valuable portion Of them in
Of the Society The infuenre that France for many
years exercised over the Indian tribes important
to allow the opportunity OF examining her archives be
ns in .
quently he sought permission to examine she
French archives, which given with the utmost
Department OF Marine had the chief management of
dian affairs until the breaking out of the revolutionary
war; when II was transferred to the War Department
The archives of the former department are thus partcu
lary rich in interesting records connected with the hsto
ry Of the French dependencies in North America They
consist chiefly Of instructions to the agents of the
ment and the pondence Of the latter with inter-
esing details Of battles and skirmshes and dealings with
ones of l793 had led to the destruction of many vau
able portions Of the contents OF the French archives
but still great stores remained for the historian
r B. then briefly referred to the chief points Of interest
in his researches abroad The chief details of his
toric interest obtained in Holland related HudsoLs
ship and his oysgethat he sailed from Amsterdam in
the Noon" of so TONS in 1908 and returned the
10th Of July, 1870 and wrecked small island in
sas 6 the s S Ths
up the Hudson river far Waterford or HaE Noon
as it was for some time called and also Of his de-
tenton at Dartmouth. in England ia the wear 1909
for eight months Then some interesting Details we
given Of the manner in which the company of merchants
who first explored the New Nstherlandsr obtained
monopoly OF trading thither from the Dutch government
and the fac sme Of map OF the country delineating
which they had accompanied their memoral-was stated
to have been procured and lodged in the office Of the
Secretary Of state At Albany The map was almost three
markable than its high antiquity. Amongst Details it
also discovered that the rst vessel that BELONG
ed to the port OF New York was the Restless" yacht
Of sixteen tons burthen. What prophetic name for the
pioneer craft of this busy busng restless metropolis
m Wi ido riv uith and
sends shps-the pride Of naval archecture-to every
Cline ouriding every tempest and invading every zone
400 families Who under Robinson of Leydeo sailed in the
MAY hower"ther frutless memoralizng of the Dutch
early difficulties end negotiations between England and
Holland relative to the settlement the Hudson river
were glanced at-the encroachments Of England-the
e BILE resistance Of the Dutch governmentthe recall OF
suy vesant-hs surrender-were briefly alluded to as
having received additional light in the OF these
searches The Paris documents almost wholly consisted
OF details With reference to the colonial government
Canada; amongst them was an interesting state
msnt Of the project Of the French to seize upon
New Netherlands-and private letter to the
celebrated Madame de Mantenon descriptive Of the at.
tack and burning Of Schenectady 1t was stated by Mr.
in the course OF remarks, that the Island o Manhattan
estimated then at22 900 urchasdb Dutch from
the Indians for the sum Of $24 iawa money The London
coa nents @ were 50 and voumors that he
80 vols of transcripts Mr. B. having given this sketch
Of his ihors as agent Of the Society. went to say:
Gentlemen the 20th of November 1904 few Of our
citizens being assembled in the picture Of the old
City Hail. agreed to form themselves into society ior
whatever might relate to the history Of the country
the State Mr. Benson. DR.. Minor, and -, were ap
po nted Committee to draft constitution for the pro-
posed society, and at subsequent meeting this
draft was presented and adopted Two Of the pro
jectors Of this Society. DR. lnor and its late Pre-
sident, Mr. Stuyvesant, yet survive But few weeks
ago we were called to the last tribute Of respect
Mr. Pnfard, one Of our members, who was justly and
fcitousy called "that perfect chronicle oi the olden
timen The motives which led to the foundation Of this
society such address themselves at to the
best and nobest feelings of patriotism and
philantrophyas Of which s due ourselves the
memory OF our predecessors, snd respect to postery
We have the proua satisfaction Of being able say that
the approval and liberal patronage OF our ieowczens
have followed the efforts Of this society From small
beginning has resulted noble institution, whose
beneficial influence has been felt and will cont
nne to be felt as our State grows in years and
in empire Our objects are in progress OF success
tul accomplishment. Many valuable MSS have beer
entrusted to the State government and rescued from
the dust and obscuri,y Of private custody Our nob
library Of the richest In the country in historical