[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Oeneral effecting a thorough revision of the charter of Freedoms and Exemptions of 1629. The patroonships were not abrogated, but the right to be chosen as patroons was no longer confined to members of the company, and the privileges and powers of the patroons were sub-jected "to considerable modification. The legal limits of their estates were reduced to four English miles along the shore, although they might extend eight miles laud ward in; and the planting of their "colonies" was required to be completed within three instead of four years. Trade privileges along the coast outside of the Dutch dominions were continued as before; but within the ter-ritory of New Netherland no one was permitted to compete with the ships of the company, excepting that fishing for cod and the like was allowed, on condition that the fisherman should sail direct to some European country with his catch, putting in at a Netherlands port to pay a prescribed duty to the company. In this act much greater rela-tive importance was attached to the subject of free colonists, or colo-nizers other than patroons, than in the original charter of 1629, the object manifestly being to assure the public that New Netherland was DUTCH COUNTRY PEOPLE. THE EARLIEST SETTLERS 83 not a country set apart for lords and gentlemen, but a land thrown open in the most comprehensive way to the common people.