[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] The documents thus collected by Mr. Brodhead remained for several years in the condition in which they had been deposited in the Secretary's office, aflfording light and aid to historical inquirers, not only of this but of other States. The " Paris Documents" xlii GENERAL INTRODUCTION. "were found to be of special interest to the literary investigators of Canada and the northwestern States, while many of the papers procured in England contained new and important facts illustrating the general history of the Union. The " Holland Documents" related more particularly to the local annals of New -York, while it was the Dutch Pro^-ince of New Netherland. Nevertheless, there were many pajjers found in that series which had an important bearing upon points of great interest to the neighboring Colonies, and which explained some uncertain passages, especially in the history of New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The documents procured in Holland and France, however, were in the Dutch and French languages — the law of 1839 having required the Agent to obtain "if possible the originals, and if not copies," of papers — and proper translations were necessary in order to render them generally useful. In the meantime the new State Hall at Albany had been completed, and the records of the Secretary of State, together with those of the other State officers, had been removed thither.