OHAPTEHI.
 

<16G9-16840
 

Court of Asnaei, tlie First Hayor, tho Pint Tax and tlie Bnt fiisht

Watoh—Begiimmg of Property Condemnation and Street Pavins

—^BeHgious Fervor of the Huguenots,

StudoDts of the hi&tory of New Tork City know that it derived iU origin
And commercial Importance from the colonizing and trading spirit of the
Hollanders, and tbe tbirst Tor adventure which characterized other maritime
nations of Europe soou after the discovery of this Weateru CoutltieuL

The early troubles and civil commotions of tho colonlea were occasioned
by tbo confliociDg claims of England, France and Hollandp arising from
real or pretended rights from prior discovery of territory. Many facts
mlffht be outlined regarding these interior collisions from 1G03, the advent
of Hudson, and the year which Ket whirling the competitive and tngentous
brains of the adventurous setllers, but they are in the minds of most school¬
boys, and have no place in this compilation of events loading up to tho prea^
cnt day. As one historian puts it, when apeakJng of the first ground given
to the Dutch by the Indians, a classical knowledge of Queen Dido was
turned to profitable account by the Dutch, and the Drst American got drunk
on Hudson's whiskey, slept, awoke and called for more.

According to manuscript documents antedating 1800, which yield the
most curious particulars of local history and statistical information, some
apparently trivial and unimportant at first sight, but all valuable In tracing
the history and progress of the city and Us unexampled growth and pros¬
perity, the earliest authentic record of population is in 1G56. Then several
new streets were laid out, and the first map of the city was sent to Holland
by Governor Stuyveeant, who arrived In 1647, and waa the last Governor
under the Dutch dynasty. He held ofilce for seventeen years, until tbe
colony was taken In 16G4 by Colonel Nichols, who arrived from England
with four frigates and 300 soldiers, and afterward reported to the Duke of
York, who had granted the patent for tbe expedition, that the town was
composed of a few miserable houses, occupied by men who wore extremely
poor; but he foretold Its greatness if certain immunities were granted.

Colonel NIchola organised the first Court of AsaizeSi Invested It with
every power, collected Into one code the ancient customs of the colony,
added improvements, and made the laws of England supreme.    Henceforth

II