GEORGE, the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c. To all whom these present letters shall come, greeting:

Whereas, on the twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty and six, Thomas Dongan, then lieutenant governor and vice admiral of New York, and its dependencies, under our predecessor, James, (the second) then king of England, &c., did make and execute a certain grant, or instrument in writing, under the seal of the province of New York, in these words following:

1. Thomas Dongan, lieutenant governor and vice admiral of New York and its dependencies, under his majesty James, (the second) by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, supreme lord and proprietor of the colony and province of New York, and its dependencies in America, &c. To all to whom this shall come, sendeth greeting:Whereas, the city of New York, is an ancient city within the said province, and the citizens of the said city have anciently been a body politic and corporate; and the citizens of the said city have held, used, and enjoyed, as well within the same, as elsewhere, in the said province, divers and sundry rights, liberties, privileges, franchises, free customs, pre-eminences, advantages, jurisdictions, emoluments, and immunities, as well by prescription as by charter, letters patent, grants, and confirmations, not only of divers governors and commanders-in-chief, in the said province, but also of several governors, directors, generals, and commauders-in-chief, of the Nether Dutch nation, whilst the same was, or has been

under their power and subjection. And whereas divers lands, tenements, and hereditaments, jurisdictions, liberties, immunities, and privileges, have heretofore been given and granted, or mentioned to be given and granted, to the citizens and inhabitants of the said city, sometimes by the name of schout, burgomasters and schephens of the city of New Amsterdam; and sometimes by the name of the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of New York; sometimes by the name of the mayor, aldermen, and sheriff of the city of New York; sometimes by the name of the mayor and aldermen of the city of New York; and by divers other names, as by their several letters patents, charters, grants, writings, records and minuments, amongst other things, may more fully appear. And whereas the citizens and inhabitants of the said city have erected, built and appropriated, at their own proper costs and charges, several public buildings, accommodations, and conveniences for the said city, That is to say, the city hall, or stat-house, with the ground thereunto belonging, two market-houses, the bridge into the dock, the wharves or docks, with their appurtenances, and the new burial-place without the gate of the city; and have established and settled one ferry from the said city of New York to Long Island, for the accommodation and couvenience of passengers, the said citizens and travellers.

And whereas, several the inhabitants of the said city, and of Manhattan's Island, do hold from and under his most sacred majesty respectively, as well by several and respective letters patents, grants, charters, and conveyances, made and granted by the late lieutenants, governors, or commanders-in-chief, of the said province, as otherwise, several and respective messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, upon Manhattan's Island, and in the city of New York, aforesaid, and as well as the said mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the said city, and their successors, as also, the inhabitants of the said Manhattan's Island, and the city of New York, aforesaid, and their heirs and assigns respectively, may hold, exercise, and enjoy, not only such and the same liberties, privileges, and franchises, rights, royalties, free custom, jurisdictions, and immunities, as they have anciently had, used, held, and enjoyed; but also such public buildings, accommodations, conveniences, messuages, tenements, lands, and hereditaments, in the said city of New York, and upon Manhattan's Island aforesaid, which, as aforesaid, have been by the citizens and inhabitants erected and built, or which have, as aforesaid, been held, enjoyed, granted, and conveyed unto them, or any of them, respectively.

2. Know ye, therefore, That I, the said Thomas Dongan, by virtue of the commission and authority unto me given, and power in me residing, at the humble petition of the now mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the said city of New York, and for divers other good causes and considerations, me thereunto moving, have given, granted, ratified, and confirmed, and by these presents, for and on the behalf of his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs, successors, and assigns, do give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the said city, all and every such and the same liberties, privileges, franchises, rights, royalties, free-customs, jurisdictions, and immunities, which they by the name of the mayor and commonalty, or otherwise, have anciently had, held, used, or enjoyed, Provided always, That none of the said liberties,

privileges, franchises, rights, free-customs, jurisdictions, or immunities be inconsistent with, or repugnant to the laws of his majesty's kingdom of England, or any other the laws of the General Assembly of this province; and the aforesaid public buildings, accommodations, and conveniences in the said city, That is to say, The aforesaid city hall, or stat-house, with the ground thereunto belonging, two market houses, the bridge into the dock, the wharves or dock, the said new burial-place, and the aforementioned ferry, with their and every of their rights, members and appurtenances, together with all the profits, benefits and advantages which shall or may accrue and arise at all times hereafter, for dockage or wharfage, within the said dock, with all and singular the rents, issues, profits, gains, and advantages which shall or may arise, grow, or accrue by the said city hall, or stat-house, and ground thereunto belonging, market houses, bridge, dock, burying-place, ferry, and other the above-mentioned premises, or any of them; and also, all and every the streets, lanes, highways and alleys within the said city of New York, and Manhattan's Island aforesaid, for the public use and service of the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the said city, and of the inhabitants of Manhattan's Island aforesaid, and travellers there; together with full power, license and authority to the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty, and their successors forever, to establish, appoint, order, and direct the establishing, making, laying out, ordering, amending and repairing of all streets, lanes, alleys, highways, water-courses, ferry and bridges, in and throughout the said city of New York and Manhattan's Island, aforesaid necessary, needful and convenient for the inhabitants of the said city, and Manhattan's Island aforesaid, and for all travellers and passengers there: Provided always, That this said license so as above granted, for the establishing, making, laying out of streets, lanes, alleys, highways, ferries and bridges, be not extended, or be construed to extend, to the taking away of any person or persons' right or property, without his, her, or their consent, or by some known law of the said proviuce. And for the considerations aforesaid, I do likewise give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto all and every the respective inhabitants of the said city of New York, and of Manhattan's Island aforesaid, and their several and respective heirs, and assigns, all and every the several and respective messuages, tenements, lands and hereditaments, situate, lying, and being in the said city, and Manhattan's Island aforesaid, to them severally and respectively granted, conveyed and confirmed, by any of the late governors, lieutenants, or commanders-in-chief, of the said province, or by any of the former mayors and aldermen of the said city of New York, by deed, grant, conveyance, or otherwise howsoever; To hold to their several and respective heirs and assigns forever.

3. And I do by these presents, give and grant unto the said mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the said city of New York, all the waste, vacant, unpatented and unappropriated lands, lying and being within the said city of New York, and on Manhattan's Island aforesaid, extending and reaching to the lowwater mark, in, by and through all parts of the said city of New York, and Manhattan's Island aforesaid, together with all rivers, rivulets, coves, creeks, ponds, waters, and water-courses in the said city and island, or either of them, not heretofore given or granted, by any of the former governors, lieutenants, or commanders

in-chief, under their or some of their hands and seals, or seal of the province, or by any of the former mayors or deputy mayors and aldermen of the said city of New York, to some respective person or persons, late inhabitants of the said city of New York, or Manhattan's Island, or of other parts of the said province.

And I do by these presents, give, grant, and confirm unto the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty, of the said city of New York, and their successors forever, the royalties of fishing, fowling, hunting, hawking, minerals and other royalties and privileges, belonging or appertaining to the city of New York, and Manhattan's Island aforesaid (gold and silver mines only excepted) to have, hold, and enjoy all and singular the premises, to the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the said city of New York, and their successors for ever, rendering and paying therefor, unto his most sacred majesty, his heirs, successors or assigns, or to such ocffier or officers, as shall be appointed to receive the same. yearly for ever hereafter, the annual quit-rent or acknowledgment of one beaver skin, or the value thereof, in current money of this province, in the said city of New York, on the five-and-twentieth day of March, yearly forever.

4. And, moreover, I will, and by these presents do grant, appoint, and declare, that the said city of New York, and the compass, precincts and limits thereof, and the jurisdiction of the same, shall from henceforth extend and reach itself, and may and shall be able to reach forth and extend itself, as well in length and in breadth as in circuit, to the farthest extent of, and in, and throughout all the said Island Manhattan's, and in and upon all the rivers, rivulets, coves, creeks, waters and water-courses, belonging to the same island, as far as low-water mark. And I do also, for and on behalf of his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs and successors, firmly enjoin and command, that the aforesaid mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city aforesaid, and their successors, shall and may freely and quietly have, hold, use, and enjoy, the aforesaid liberties, authorities, jurisdictions, franchises, rights, royalties, privileges, exemptions, lands, tenements, hereditaments and premises aforesaid, in manner and form aforesaid, according to the tenor and effect of the aforesaid grants, patents, customs, and letters patents of grant and confirmation, without the let, hinderance or impediment of me, or any of my successors, governors, lieutenants, or other officers whatsoever.

5. And also, I do, for and on the behalf of his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs and successors, grant to the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the said city of New York, and their successors, by these presents, that for the better government of the said city, liberties and precincts thereof, there shall be forever hereafter within the said city, a mayor and recorder, town clerk, and six aldermen, and six assistants, to be appointed, nominated, elected, chosen and sworn, as hereinafter is particularly and respectively mentioned, who shall be forever hereafter called, the mayor, aldermen and commonally of the city of New York; and that there shall be forever, one chamberlain, or treasurer, one sheriff, one coroner, one clerk of the market, one high constable, seven sub. constables, and one marshal or sergeant-at-mace, to be appointed, chosen, and sworn, in manner hereinafter mentioned.

6. And I do, by these presents, for and on the behalf of his most sacred