upon Thursday, and the other upon Saturday, days weekly weekly forever. And also, I do by these presents, 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, that they and their successors and assigns, shall and may at any time or times hereafter, when it to them shall seem fit and convenient, take in, fill, and make up, and lay out, all and singular the lands and ground in and about the said city and Island Manhattan's, and the same to build upon, or make use of, in any other manner or way, as to them shall seem fit, as far into the rivers thereof, and that encompass the same, at low-water mark aforesaid. And I do, by these presents, for and on the behalf of his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs, and successors, give and grant unto the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the said city of New-York, and their successors, that they and their successors, shall and may have, hold, and keep, within the said city, and liberties and precincts thereof, in every week in every year forever, upon Tuesday, one court of common pleas, for all actions of debt, trespass, trespass upon the case, detinue, ejectment, and other personal actions; and the same to be held before the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen, or any three of them, whereof the Mayor or Recorder to be one, who shall have power to hear and determine the same pleas and actions, according to the rules of the forever. Power to the Corporation to lay out their ground, build, &c. and Power to hold a court of com mon pleas, on every Tuesday. Grant to the Corporation of all their former Franchises. So they be not repugnant to the laws of England, or acts of assem bly of this colony, saving the fort. common law, and acts of general assembly of the said province. And I do, by these presents, for and on behalf of his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs, and successors, grant to the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the said city of New-York, and their successors, that the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the said city, and their successors, shall have and enjoy all the privileges, franchises, and powers, that they have and use, or that any of their predecessors at any time within the space of twenty years last past, had, took, or enjoyed, or ought to have had, by reason, or under any pretence of any former charter, grant, prescription, or any other right, custom, or usage, although the same have been forfeited, lost, or have been ill used, or not used, or abused, or discontinued, albeit they be not particularly mentioned; and that no officer shall disturb them therein under any pretence whatsoever, not only for their future, but their present enjoyment thereof; provided always, that the said privileges, franchises, and powers, be not inconsistent with, or repugnant to the laws of his majesty's kingdom of England, or other the laws of the general assembly of this province as aforesaid. And saving to his most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs, successors, and assigns, and the Lieutenants, Governors, and Commanders in Chief, and other officers under him and them, in Fort-James, in or by the city of NewYork, and in all the liberties, boundaries, extents, privileges thereof, for the maintenance of the said fort and garrison there, all the right, use, title, and authority, which they or any of them, have had, used, or exercised, there; and also, one messuage or tenement, next the City-Hall; and one messuage by the fort, now in the possession of Thomas Coker, gent. The piece of ground by the gate, called the Governor's garden, and the land without the gate, called the King's farm; with the swamp next to the same land, by the fresh water; and saving the several rents and quit-rents, reserved, due, and payable, from several persons, inhabiting within the said city, and Island Manhat tan's, by virtue of former grants, to them made and given, and saving to all other persons, bodies politic and corporate, their heirs, successors, and assigns, all such right, title, and claim, possessions, rents, services, commons, emoluments, interest in and to any thing which is their's (save only the franchises aforesaid) in as ample manner as if this charter had not been made. And further, I do appoint and declare, that the incorporation to be founded by this charter, shall not at any time hereafter do, or suffer to be done, any thing by means whereof the lands, tenements, or hereditaments, stock, goods, or chattels, thereof, or in the hands, custody, possession of, any the citizens of the said city, such as have been sett, lett, given, granted, or collected, to, and for pious and charitable uses, shall be wasted or misemployed, contrary to the trust or intent of the founder or giver thereof, and that such and no other construction shall be made thereof, than that which may tend most to advantage religion, justice, and the public End of the Charter of Gov. Dongan. Recital that the citizens by virtue of that Charter, have held, & still do hold sundry franchises, lands and tenements, thereby granted to them. Recital of several other buildings made by the City. good; and to suppress all acts and contrivances to be invented, or put in use, contrary thereunto. In Witness whereof, I have caused these presents to be entered in the Secretary's office, and the seal of the said Province to be hereunto affixed, this seven and twentieth day of April, in the second year of the reign of his most sacred Majesty aforesaid, and in the year of our lord God, One Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty-six. THOMAS DONGAN. By virtue, or under pretext whereof, the said citizens and inhabitants from the date thereof, hitherto have held, or claimed to hold, and still do hold, or claim to hold and enjoy, all and singular the rights, privileges, franchises, pre-eminences, advantages, jurisdictions, courts, powers, profits, immunities, lands, tenements, hereditaments, and other the premises therein particularly mentioned and thereby intended to be granted. And whereas the citizens and inhabitants of the said city of New-York, besides the several public buildings, accommodations, conveniencies, and other things in the before recited grant or writing mentioned to have been by them erected, built, and appropriated, have, since the making thereof, built, and.appropriated, at their own proper costs and charges, several public buildings, accommodations, and conveniencies, for the said city, that is to say, the present city-hall and gaols, rooms and places for the sitting of courts of justice, and chambers adjoining, with the ground and appurtenances thereunto belonging, five market-houses, the present crane and bridge, with the common sewer leading through the great dock, and a magazine or powder house near the fresh water, and several other public buildings and conveniencies in the said city; and have built the new ferry houses on the island of Nassau, for the reception of travellers, with a barn, stables, and penn, or pound for cattle. And whereas our late royal predecessor, Queen Anne, by her letters patent, under the broad seal of the Province of New-York made, bearing date the nineteenth day of April, in the seventh year of her reign, did grant, ratify, and confirm, unto the then Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of New-York, and to their successors and assigns, in these words following, to wit, Anne, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, queen, defender of the faith, &c. To all whom these presents may in any wise concern, sendeth greeting: Whereas the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of New-York, by their petition to our right trusty and well beloved cousin Edward Viscount Cornburry, our Captain General and Governor in Chief, in and over our Province of New-York, and territories depending thereon in America, and Vice Admiral of the same, &c. preferred in Council; therein setting forth, That they having a right and interest, under divers ancient Charters and Grants, by divers former Governors and Commanders in Chief of our said Province of New-York, under our noble progenitors, in a certain ferry from the said city of New-York, over the East River to Nassau-Island, (alias Long-Island) and from the said Island to the said city again, and have Recital of the Patent of Queen Anne. In hæc verba. Recital of petition from the Corporation to lord Corn- Setting forth their right to the Ferry on Nassau-Island; |