The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-01


thus threatened with dissolution. the Director
General, too continued his arbitrary efforts to re.
press the growing spirit OF freedom, and acted i'm
periously to the popular representatives and the
Vice Director and others who took their part
After resting dormant FOR two years, the 'Provi-
sional Order" was revived by the States General
in 1852, when 1t was still opposed by the Amster.
dam Chamber OF the West Indla Com panv who ex-
pressed the hope That the complaint OF ''the pre-
tended ana dsaffected delegates OF few evh-dls-
posed persons IN New Netherlands" would have
been dtsregarded as grOun1less The otner Cham
bers OF the Company, however, being OF q contrary
opinion the Amsterdam Chamber found 1t neces-
quenty on April A, 1862, the Directors OF the West
lndla company granted ''burgner government
IN Instructions TO the Director General which
THE FIRST MUNICIPAL oHAETER OF NEW AMsTER'
BY this the citizens were 10 be allowed to choose
schout (sherllr, two burgomasters (mayOrs, and
nve schepens laldermen! ''as much as possible &C
Fatherland These officers were to form municl-
pal court oil justice, subject to the right OF appeal to
election every attention was to be paid to "hOnest
and respectable individuals" who 1t was hoped,
said the Directors or the Company to the choice or
persons OF their own nation, VINO It was judged
sion OF q municipal form OF government was made
by the Company with the very worst grace; 1t was
less SPIRITS" whose "impertlnences" had already
been an ANNOYANCE. The Company at this time
Stuyvesant, whom they had ordered to repair to
Holland anu there give an account or his admin
instructions to the schouI which comprised four.
teen articles he was by them constituted Direct0r
disrict Of the CITY Of New Amsterdam was to
convoke and preside at :he meetings OF the city
government; was to present all offenders, and to
enforce all Judgments OF the city government: He
was also TO report annually the proceedings OF the
City Fathers TO the Director General and Council OF
the province. Sucn was the
ORIGIN OF MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS
IN the Empire CITY. 1t WIZ be noticed that they
people and patrotlc demands OF their represent
atlves the preceding boards or Twelve Men,"
Eight Men" ana "Nine Men," were organized TO
scarcely municlpal officers. Still, as their duties
referred more especially to the welfare OF the town,
and as they were manly Instrumental In obtaining
"burgher government for the thenceforward
'city, the history OF the rise Of local self govern
their proceedings. the population Of the new city
was at this time between seven aud eight hundred.
Four years later IN 1d58, census was taken, when
there then found to be III the city 100 houses
aud 1000 inhabitants
ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT
After this prOtracted struggle or many years du-
ration the ctzens believed that they had at last OBJ
tanned municipal privileges; yet they were still
denied the power selecting their own local rulers,
while the latter were restricted IN their authority
The instructions plainly 8ld down that the Olcers
like that whion existed In the city whence 1t derived
Its name. Stuyvesanr, however, retained their ap-
polnlment in his own hands, and gave them early
TO understand that their existence did not in any
way diminish his own power and authority to
make ordinances or publish particular lnterdlcts"
for the new city. In accordance with these views
he issued proclamation, on February 2, 1858. the
feast OF Candlemas In winch lie appointed the fol-
lowing as the
FIRST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW AMsTERDAM:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Van Hatten, Martin Kry-
Schepens-pauus Leendertsen Van DER Grist
Macmillan Van Gheei Alard Anthony, Wlllem
beekman, Pieter Woliertsen Van Couweahoyen.
the city. however, was no. allowed u scnOut OF
It's own I'LL 1861 the COmpany'S Sch0ut-nscal being
commissioned to act as the city sheriff. similar
ATTRACTION OF the city privileges was also committed
on the appointment OF secretary, for Jacob Kip was
nominated ny StuyvesanL at salary OF $50 guilders
(S1O0l instead OF the clerk being appointed by the
city government, as IN the FaLnerIan1. me Board
shortly alter organized, and afterwards met every
alternate Monday mornlng, at nine O'Clock. In the
building erected by tue government IN 1872 hitherto
known as the City Tavern, put nencef0rward TO be
called the Stadt Hugs, or CITY Hall. StuTvesan5
preceded by The ringing OF bell and opened with
prayers ana In winch there was always
was then unfinished. In the transaction OF
public business the purgOmaster5 and schepens at
They constituted Court OF Session, in wnicn they
tried botn civil and criminal Cases. and had the
o Who oGecs 90 ns a
rage OF their children, to Withdraw their opposi-
tlon. They also granted PASSPORTS 10 persons re.
Court were in writing, witnesses beng examined
OH heterogeneous. The infant city did not then en-
brace the services of lawyer within Its limts-a
blessed state Of peaceful existence winch, however,
was removed soon after the establishment Of this
Court upon the advent OF one Drck van Schelluyne,
q notary, who came nltner from Holland but whose
business was not lucrative. We can state, without
fear OF contradiction that the number OF the legal
fraternity has since then Increased, and that some
members oil the profession nnd better pckings tnan
their Dutch prototype Inis Van ,cneuyne became
the organization OF new system OF police. 1t was
proposed that the
SALARY OF THE CITY FATHERS
should be fixed ~ $50 guilders $l40j for tile burg0
masters and $50 guilders (Sl00) lor the schepens,
annually; but 1t does not seem that they ever re.
ceived the salary; indeed, 1t would appear that
there were no iunds from which their pay could be
drawn, as the ''chestp or treasury was but poorly
supplied and the current expenses Tor otner pur-
tue 'cnesp' actually gave out SO tnat II was found
lmpossole.to pay the wages OF the town drummer
present experienced. The City Fathers at first de.
voted their anenton more to the welfare OF the city
than to their own private gains; yet they, IN course
nf time thought II well 10 petition the general gov
eminent FOR '.the arrears OF their salary, long
their aDors they may be encouraged TO still greater
ZEAL" StuyveBant however, informed them
ter and Referred tnen 10 the " erpty "chest
as 80. the source whence they might draw
their salary. But though these officials OBJ
tanned no pay they were subject TO tine for non.
attendance to their duties, for II absent on Court
days tney were fined six stlvers for the first half
hour, twelve for the second and forty stivers II abb
sent during the whole meeling-a stIver being about
two cents But though the position OF our first
civic magistrates was not one OF emoument, IL was
nevertheless deemed
PLACE or GREAT HONOR AND IEsPECrABILITY.
The CIV Fathers then enjoyed the title OF my
lord" were awarded a prominent place on ali Cere-
moniou5 occasions, ana on Sundays occupied a
separate place IN church, whittier their State cusn
Ions were carried by tue belman from the City Hall
and placed In their pew.
In the manner we have here related the island Of
Manhattan az last became the city OF New Amster.
dam. Nearly two centuries ana TWO decades have
since passed away, and though the city Is OF the
same territorial extent that II was then, Its popua-
ton has increased, We repeat just about one tnou-
sand fold.
In the present state of our local finances, with
our large Indebtedness 1t Is interesting to note the
FIRST PUBLIC DEBT or THE CITY.
When the burghers' government came into being
war mad broken out between Holland and England,
ana IL became one OF the first duties OF the new au
thOrltie5 to place the City In q state OF defence
against anticipated attack from the Purltans OF
New England. TO defray the necessary expenses
QOYeHumanL nrOnO3nl had