THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NEW-YORK: 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 Gov.Donmajesty James (the second) by the grace of God, of gan's charEngland, Scotland, France, and Ireland, king, defend-ter of 1686. er 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, of ancient Recital liberties, privileges, franchises, free-customs, pre-emirights and nences, advantages, jurisdictions, emoluments, and privileges. immunities, as well by prescription as by charter, let ters 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 commanders-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 conveniencies 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 conveniency 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, conveniencies, 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. A. Grant to the corpo 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 rationofall moving, have given, granted, ratified, and confirmed, mer rights and by these presents, for and on the behalf of his and privileges. most sacred majesty aforesaid, his heirs, successors, and assigns, do give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto their for A. Note 1. 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 conveniencies 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 for ever, to establish, appoint, order and direct the establishing, making, laying ont, 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 person's right or property, without his, her, or their consent, or by some known law of the said Province. 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 these veral 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 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 for ever. B. of all waste 3. And I do by these presents, give and grant unto the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the said the Corpocity of New-York, all the waste, vacant, unpatented ration and unappropriated lands, lying, and being within the and vacatsaid city of New-York, and on Manhattan's Island Manhataforesaid, extending and reaching to the low water ed lands on tan's Isl and. B. Note II. |