[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Synod of Dort, or at least well-aftectioned thereunto. The village of Fordham, also, was constrained to adapt its local affairs to the new conditions. Colve caused its citizens to nominate to him six of their number best qualified to act as magistrates, all of whom should be of the Reformed Christian religion, and at least one-half men of Dutch nationality. This action as to Fordham, however, was in part the result of the initiative of the people of the place, who desired a new status of village government. The secretary of the province under Colve, it is worthy of mention, was Cornelius Steen-wyck, who subsequently became the owner of the Manor of Fordham. During the Dutch restoration, which lasted fifteen months, New York province (or the Province of New Orange, as it was styled) did not revert to the proprietorship of the Dutch West India Company, but was subject direct and solely to the States-General of the Nether-lands. The great commercial corporation which had settled it and ruled it for forty-one years had fallen upon unprosperous times. The affluent condition of the company during its early career was mainly GENERAL HISTORICAL REVIEW TO 1700 197 due to its revenues from the prizes of war and from wealthy cap-tured provinces in the West Indies and South America. These reve-nues were cut off by the conclusion of peace with Spain, and its affairs began to decline, until " finally its liabilities exceeded its as-