_A Letter from Justice Ffilkin to the Secretary at New-York._
SIR,--I am in expectation of a complaint coming to his Excellency by
Coll. Beeckman against me, and that his Excellency may be rightly
informed of the matter, my humble request to you is, that if such a
thing happen, be pleased to give his Excellency an account thereof,
which is as follows: A Ffriday night last, the Justices of the County
and I came from his Excellency’s; Coll. Beeckman happened to come over
in the fferry boat along with us, and as we came over the fferry, Coll.
Beeckman and we went into the fferry house to drink a glass of wine, and
being soe in company, there happened a dispute between Coll. Beeckman
and myself, about his particular order that he lately made to Mr.
Ffreeman, when he was President of the Councill, without the consent of
the Councill; Coll. Beeckman stood to affirm there, before most of the
Justices of Kings County, that said order, that he made then to Mr.
Ffreeman as President only, was still in fforce, and that Mr. Ffreeman
should preach at Broockland next Sunday according to that order;
whereupon I said it was not in fforce, but void and of noe effect, and
he had not in this County, any more power now than I have, being equall
in commission with him in the general commission of the peace and one of
the quorum as well as he; upon which he gave me affronting words, giving
me the lie and calling me pittifull fellow, dog, rogue, rascall, &c.
which caused me, being overcome with passion, to tell him that I had a
good mind to knock him off his horse, we being both at that time getting
upon our horses to goe home, but that I would not goe, I would fight him
at any time with a sword. I could wish that these last words had bin
kept in, and I am troubled that I was soe overcome with passion and
inflamed with wine. The works of these Dutch ministers is the occasion
of all our quarrells.[29] And this is the truth of the matter, there
was no blows offerred, nor noe more done. Mr. Ffreeman has preached at
Broockland yesterday accordingly, and the church doore was broke open,
by whom it is not yet knowne. Soe I beg your pardon ffor this trouble,
crave your favour in this matter, and shall alwayes remaine.
Sir, your ffaithful and humble servant,
H. FFILKIN.
[E]
_The Address of the Deputies, assembled at Hempstead._
We the deputies duly elected from the several towns upon Long-Island,
being assembled at Hempstead, in general meeting, by authority derived
from your royal highness unto the honorable Colonel Nicolls, as deputy
governor, do most humbly and thankfully acknowledge to your royal
highness, the great honor and satisfaction we receive in our dependence
upon your royal highness according to the tenor of his sacred majesty’s
patent, granted the 12th day of March, 1664; wherein we acknowledge
ourselves, our heirs and successors forever, to be comprized to all
intents and purposes, as therein is more at large expressed. And we do
publickly and unanimously declare our cheerful submission to all such
laws, statutes and ordinances, which are or shall be made by virtue of
authority from your royal highness, your heirs and successors forever:
As also, that we will maintain, uphold, and defend, to the utmost of our
power, and peril of us, our heirs and successors forever, all the
rights, title, and interest, granted by his sacred majesty to your royal
highness, against all pretensions or invasions, foreign or domestic; we
being already well assured, that, in so doing, we perform our duty of
allegiance to his majesty, as freeborn subjects of the kingdom of
England inhabiting in these his majesty’s dominions. We do farther
beseech your royal highness to accept of this address, as the first
fruits in this general meeting, for a memorial and record against us,
our heirs and successors, when we or any of them shall fail in our
duties. Lastly we beseech your royal highness to take our poverties and
necessities, in this wilderness country, into speedy consideration;
that, by constant supplies of trade, and your royal highnesses more
particular countenance of grace to us, and protection of us, we may
daily more and more be encouraged to bestow our labors to the
improvement of these his majesty’s western dominions, under your royal
highness; for whose health, long life, and eternal happiness, we shall
ever pray, as in duty bound.
_List of the Deputies._
New-Utrecht Jaques Cortelleau Younger Hope
Gravesend James Hubbard John Bowne
Flatlands Elbert Elbertsen Roeloffe Martense
Flatbush John Striker Hendrick Gucksen
Bushwick John Stealman Gisbert Tunis
Brooklyn Hendrick Lubbertsen John Evertsen
Newtown Richard Betts John Coe
Flushing Elias Doughty Richard Cornhill
Jamaica Daniel Denton Thomas Benedict
Hempstead John Hicks Robert Jackson
Oysterbay John Underhill Matthias Harvey
Huntington Jonas Wood John Ketcham
Brookhaven Daniel Lane Roger Barton
Southold William Wells John Youngs
Southampton Thomas Topping John Howell
Easthampton Thomas Baker John Stratton
Westchester Edward Jessup ---- Quinby
The people of Long-Island considered the language of this address as too
servile for freemen; and were exasperated against the makers of it to
such a degree that the court of assizes, in order to save the deputies
from abuse, if not from personal violence, thought it expedient, at
their meeting in October 1666, to declare that “whosoever hereafter
shall any wayes detract or speake against any of the deputies signing
the address to his royall highnes, at the general meeting at Hempstead,
they shall bee presented to the next court of sessions, and if the
justices shall see cause, they shall from thence bee bound over, to the
assizes, there to answer for the slander upon plaint or information.”
The deputies subsequently to the address made to the duke of York, made
one to the people, in which they set forth their reasons for agreeing to
the code styled the duke’s laws.