[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] Tliat your High Mightinesses would be pleased to declare at the same time whether the Petitioners, as Delegates and inhabitants of New Netherland, which is a conquest of the Company in general, as your Petitioners are informed, have improperly applied to your High Mightinesses, after, however, the same Commonalty had, some years ago, presented lo the Directors their complaints respecting the bloody War authorized by Director Kieft, and other excesses in the government there, without experiencing any benefit thereby, except that on the coming to that country of the present Director, the Eight men, who had made the complaints, authorildte jiubliai, were separately put in prison, locked up, banished or hunted and utterly terrified, which ail at present in New Netherland have seen with their eyes and can exhibit affidavits thereof. In order, should they have improperly or illegally applied to your High Mightinesses, and their Commission and the legality of the constituency have been found to be, or yet is, null, that they, the Petitioners may change their course and address in time and, if possible, arrest and prevent their utter ruin. Which doing, ( Signed ) Adriaen van deu Donck. Memlution of the States Genei'ol on the Petition of Adriaen van der DoncTc. [ From the Kcglsler of West Imiia Affairs, 1652 — 1663, in the Royal Archives at the Hague. ] Friday, 24"" May, 1652. Folio 22.