CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

say, from the east side of the Wall-About, opposite the now dwelling house of James Bobine, to the west side of the Red-Hook, commonly called the Fishing Place, with all and singular the appurtenance and hereditaments to the same, or any part or parcel thereof belonging, or in any wise of right appertaining; together with all and singular the rents, issues, profits, ways, waters, easements, and And all pro- all other benefits, profits, advantages, and appurtefts belonging thereto. nances, which heretofore have, now are, and which hereafter shall belong to the said ferry, vacant land, and premises, hereinbefore granted and confirmed, or to any or either of them in any wise appertaining, or which heretofore have been, now are, and which hereafter shall belong, be used, held, received, and enjoyed; and all our estate, right, title, and in terest, benefit and advantage, claim and demand of in, or to, the said ferry, vacant land, and premises; or any part or parcel thereof, and the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders; together with the yearly and other rents, revenues, and profits, of the premises, and of every part and parcel thereof; except and always reserved out of this our present grant and confirmation, free liberty, leave, Reserving lib. and license, to and for all and every person or perberty to the inhabitants hav- sons, inhabiting or having plantations near the said ing plantations river, by the water side, within the limits and bounds near the water side to trans- above mentioned, to transport themselves, goods, port them.

selves & goods horses, and cattle over the said river, to and from without paying

ferriage; so as the said city of New-York, and Nassau-Island, (alias

they transport

themselves and Long-Island) to and from their respective dwellings

their own

goods, and in or plantations, without any ferriage or other account

their own boats

only;

To hold the

said ferry and vacant land to the corpora

to the said ferry, hereby granted and confirmed to be paid or given; so always as the said person or persons do transport themselves only, and their own goods, and in their own boats only, and not any stranger or their goods, horses, or cattle, or in any other boat: To have and to hold, All and singular the said ferry, vacant land, and premises, herein before granted and confirmed, or meant, mentioned, thon, their sucor intended to be hereby granted and confirmed cessors and assigns forever, (except as is hereinbefore excepted) and all and singular the rents, issues, profits, rights, members, and appurtenances, to the same belonging, or in any wise of right appertaining unto the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the city of New-York, and their successors and assigns forever; to the only proper use and behoof of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the city of New-York, and their successors and assigns forever; to be holden of us, our heirs and successors, in free and common soccage, as of our manor of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, within our kingdom of England; yielding, rendering and paying unto us, our heirs and successors for the same, yearly, at 5s. per annum. our custom house of New York, to our collector and receiver general there for the time being, at or upon the feast of the nativity of St John the Baptist, the yearly rent or sum of five shillings, current money of New York.

And we do further, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for us, our heirs and successors, give and grant unto the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, and their successors,

Under the yearly rent of

Power to estab- full and free leave and licence to set up, establish, lish as many

shall think fit.

Fecies as they keep, and maintain one or more ferry or ferries, as they shall from time to time think fit and convenient, within the limits and bounds aforesaid, for the ease and accommodation of transporting of passengers, goods, horses, and cattle, between the said city of New-York, and the said island (except as is herein before excepted) under such reasonable rates and And receive payments as have been usually paid and received such ferriage fees as now are for the same; or which at any time hereafter, shall taken, or shall be by them established by and with the consent and with the con- approbation of our Governor and founcil of our said vernor & coun- Province, for the time being. And we do further, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, give and grant unto the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the city of New York, Power to make and their successors, full and absolute power and bye laws for regulating the authority, to make, ordain, establish, constitute,

be established,

sent of the go

cil.

ferry.

and confirm, all manner of bye laws, orders, rules ordinances, and directions, for the more orderly keeping, and regularly maintaining the aforesaid ferry that now is kept, or any ferry or ferries which shall at any time or times hereafter, be set up, established, or kept within. the bounds aforesaid, by virtue hereof, or of, for, touching, or concerning, the same (so always as the same be not contrary to our laws of England, and of our Province of NewYork) and the same at all times hereafter to put in execution, or abrogate, revoke or change, as they in their good discretion shall think fit, and most convenient, for the due and orderly keeping, regulat

ing, and governing the said ferry or ferries hereinbefore mentioned.

the record

And lastly, our will and pleasure is, and we do This grant or hereby declare and grant, that these our letters thereof to be of force, patent, or the record thereof, in the secretary's office of our said province of New-York, shall be good and effectual in the law, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, notwithstanding the not true and well reciting or mentioning of the premises, or any part thereof, or the limits and bounds thereof, or of any former or other letters patents, or grants whatsoever, made or granted; or of any part thereof. by us or any of our progenitors, unto any person or persons whatsoever, bodies politic, or corporate, or any law or other restraint, incertainty, or imperfection whatsoever, to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding, and although express Notwithstandmention of the true yearly value, or certainty, of fections whating any imperthe premises, or of any of them, or of any other soever. gifts or grants by us or by any of our progenitors, heretofore made to the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of the city of New-York, in these presents, is not made, or any other matter, cause, or thing, whatsoever, to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. In testimony whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent, and the seal of our said province of New York, to our said letters patent to be affixed, and the same to be recorded, in the secretary's office of our said province Witness our right trusty and well beloved cousin, Edward Viscount Cornburry, Captain General, and Governor in Chief, in and over

hold the ferry

ed.

our province of New-York aforesaid, and territo ries thereon depending in America, and Vice Admiral of the same, &c. in Council, at our fort in New-York, the ninteenth day of April, in the seventh year of our reign. Annoq; Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eight.

By virtue of By Virtue, or under pretext whereof, the said which Patent the citizens do inhabitants and citizens of the city of New-York, & vacant land have held and enjoyed, or have claimed to hold thereby grant and enjoy, and still do hold, or claim to hold, the ferry, vacant land, perquisites, profits, privileges, powers, and other the premises, in the before recited letters patent mentioned and intended to be thereby granted. And whereas, besides all the aforesaid particulars in the said grant or instrument made, in the aforesaid year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty and Six, and in the before recited letters patent of Queen Anne, Recital of sun- mentioned or intended to be thereby granted, the dry other frauchises, lands, citizens and inhabitants of the said city of NewYork have anciently held, or claimed to hold, use, corporation; and enjoy, divers and sundry other rights, privileges, franchises, pre-eminences, advantages, jurisdictions, emoluments, powers, profits, immunities, lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, as well by prescription, as by divers grants, and confirmations of and from divers Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and Commanders in Chief, of the said province, by the name of The Mayor, AlAs well by pre- dermen and Commonalty of the City of New-York, scription as by and by divers other names, stiles, and titles, and

and tenements,

held by the

grant and

otherwise.

otherwise.