[E.B. O'Callaghan (1849)] @ upon a petition of one of them to our present King about Albany the petitioner was referred to his Mat78 council at law who upon a perusal of the Ranslaers papers made their return that it was their opinion that it did belong to them Upon which there was an order sent over to Sr Edmund An-dros that the Ranslaers should be put in possession of Albany, @ that every house should pay some two beavers, some more some less according to their dimensions pr annum, for thirty years, @ after-wards the Ranslaers to put what rent upon them they could agree for — What reason S1-Edmond An-dros has given for not putting these orders in execution I know not The Ranslaers came @ brought me the same orders which I thought not convenient to execute judging it not for his Maty9 interest that the second town of the Goverment @ which brings his Maf soe great a Revenue should bee in the hands of any particular men The town of itself is upon a barren sandy spot of land, @ the inhabitants live wholly upon trade with the Indians. By the meanes of Mr James Graham Judge Palmer @ Mr Cortlandt that have great influence on that people I got the Ranslears to release their pretence to the town @ sixteen miles into the country for commons to the King with liberty to cut firewood within the Colony for one @ twenty years.