[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14653-14655]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    FLUSHING REMONSTRANCE STUDY ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 3222) to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with 
the 1657 signing of the Flushing Remonstrance in Queens, New York, and 
for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3222

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Flushing Remonstrance Study 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Dutch involvement in North America started with Henry 
     Hudson's 1609 voyage on the ship, Half Moon, employed by the 
     Dutch East India Company.
       (2) After 1640, New Netherland gradually began to transform 
     from a chain of trading posts into a settlement colony.
       (3) As Dutch and English settlers moved closer to one 
     another, they began to assimilate in what would later become 
     Queens County.
       (4) The Dutch and English settlements had not been without 
     conflict. Although the Dutch Republic was well known for its 
     toleration of other faiths, Director General Peter Stuyvesant 
     and his council thought that liberty of worship should not be 
     granted to Quakers.
       (5) When Quakers began to arrive in Flushing, the colonial 
     government issued an ordinance that formally banned the 
     practice of all religions outside of the Dutch Reformed 
     Church.
       (6) On December 27, 1657, 30 Flushing residents signed what 
     was later called the Flushing Remonstrance, objecting to this 
     order. None of the remonstrance's authors were Quakers.
       (7) Dutch colonial authorities proceeded to arrest the 
     signers of the Flushing Remonstrance. In 1662, John Bowne 
     defied the ban and allowed Quakers to hold services in his 
     house. Bowne was fined and banished to the Dutch Republic for 
     showing contempt for secular authority.
       (8) Bowne was later exonerated after appealing to the 
     guarantees of religious liberty before the Dutch West India 
     Company and returned to Flushing in 1664. The colony later 
     fell to British control on September 24, 1664.
       (9) The Flushing Remonstrance is now considered by many to 
     be instrumental in the development of religious liberty in 
     the United States and a precursor to the First Amendment to 
     the United States Constitution.
       (10) In 1957, the United States Postal Service released a 
     3-cent postage stamp commemorating the 300th Anniversary of 
     the signing of the Flushing Remonstrance which read, 
     ``Religious Freedom in America''.
       (11) Queens remained rural and agricultural through the 
     18th and 19th Centuries. Although

[[Page 14654]]

     its Dutch identity diminished, the tolerance of diversity 
     that has harbored Quakers and other religious sects in the 
     Dutch Colonial period continues to this day. Queens is the 
     most ethnically diverse urban area in the world, with a 
     population of over 2,200,000 representing over 100 different 
     nations and speaking over 138 different languages.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the John 
     Bowne House located at 3701 Bowne Street, Queens, New York, 
     the Friends Meeting House located at 137-17 Northern 
     Boulevard, Queens, New York, and other resources in the 
     vicinity of Flushing related to the history of religious 
     freedom during the era of the signing of the Flushing 
     Remonstrance.

     SEC. 4. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource 
     study of the study area.
       (b) Contents.--In conducting the study under subsection 
     (a), the Secretary shall--
       (1) evaluate the national significance of the study area's 
     resources based on their relationship to the history of 
     religious freedom associated with the signing of the Flushing 
     Remonstrance;
       (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 
     designating resources within the study area as a unit of the 
     National Park System;
       (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 
     protection, and interpretation of the study area by Federal, 
     State, or local governmental entities, or private and 
     nonprofit organizations;
       (4) identify properties related to the John Bowne House 
     that could potentially meet criteria for designation as a 
     National Historic Landmark;
       (5) consult with interested Federal, State, or local 
     governmental entities, private and nonprofit organizations, 
     or any other interested individuals;
       (6) evaluate the impact of the proposed action on the flow 
     of commerce and commercial activity, job opportunities, and 
     any adverse economic effects that could not be avoided if the 
     proposal is implemented;
       (7) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, 
     development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance 
     associated with the alternatives;
       (8) analyze the effect of the designation of the study area 
     as a unit of the National Park System on--
       (A) existing recreational activities, and on the 
     authorization, construction, operation, maintenance, or 
     improvement of energy production and transmission 
     infrastructure; and
       (B) the authority of State and local governments to manage 
     those activities; and
       (9) identify any authorities, including condemnation, that 
     will compel or permit the Secretary to influence or 
     participate in local land use decisions (such as zoning) or 
     place restrictions on non-Federal lands if the study area is 
     designated a unit of the National Park System.
       (c) Notification of Private Property Owners.--Upon the 
     commencement of the study, owners of private property in or 
     adjacent to the study area shall be notified of the study's 
     commencement and scope.
       (d) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection 
     (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 8(c)) of 
     the National Park System General Authorities Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1a-5(c)).
       (e) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
     funds are first made available for the study under subsection 
     (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural 
     Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 
     containing the results of the study and any conclusions and 
     recommendations of the Secretary.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3222 authorizes a special resource study to 
determine the suitability and feasibility of creating a National Park 
unit in Queens, New York, from those resources associated with the 
history of religious freedom and the signing of the Flushing 
Remonstrance.
  The Flushing Remonstrance was a 1657 petition to the director general 
of New Netherland in which several citizens requested an exemption to 
his ban on Quaker worship. It was recognized as a forerunner to the 
First Amendment to the Constitution and one of the earliest demands for 
freedom of religion in what became the United States.
  The study would evaluate and provide different Federal, local, and 
nongovernmental management proposals. The study is informational. 
Congress would still have to act on separate legislation to create such 
a designation.
  I urge passage, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Let me associate myself with Chairman Hastings' comments and 
introduction and support for H.R. 3222. This legislation would 
acknowledge and begin the process of studying and protecting a valuable 
resource and a historic resource for this country, and I appreciate his 
comments.
  I reserve the balance my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I will reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, at this point I yield as much time as she 
may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), the sponsor 
and author of the legislation.
  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, the 
Flushing Remonstrance Study Act, H.R. 3222. This bill directs the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the 
Flushing Remonstrance and significant local resources.
  The Flushing Remonstrance is not only an important part of my local 
history, but also a significant event in our Nation's history. The 
Flushing Remonstrance is recognized as a precursor to the First 
Amendment and our Nation's commitment to the freedom of religion. 
During these troubling times in which religious freedom is not a 
globally recognized right, it is especially important to remember the 
history of our great Nation and the heroic actions taken by those 
before us to ensure individual liberty.
  In the mid-17th century, the Quakers residing in New Netherland, an 
area including parts of what is now New York State, were not allowed to 
observe their religious traditions and practices. In response to this 
injustice, a group of local non-Quaker activists wrote the Flushing 
Remonstrance as a declaration against religious persecution in an 
attempt to allow the free practice of one's religion. It was met with 
great opposition from the local government, and an effective ban on 
specific practices was enforced.
  John Bowne arrived in New Netherland during this time and proceeded 
to hold Quaker meetings in his home despite the political 
repercussions. He was eventually arrested, fined, and deported. He made 
his way to Holland and appealed to the Dutch West India Company for the 
religious liberty granted to New Netherland in its charter. John's 
appeal was accepted, and the company demanded that religious 
persecution end in the colony.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Flushing Remonstrance is historically 
significant and will benefit from further study and that its associated 
location, such as the John Bowne home and the Quaker Meeting House, 
deserve more national recognition. If signed into law, the Park Service 
would work with all stakeholders to find the best path forward to 
include these important locations in the National Park system.
  The story of the Flushing Remonstrance is not for New Yorkers alone. 
It was an early struggle to establish the fundamental right to practice 
one's religion, but each demand for tolerance ultimately paved the way 
for the First Amendment, which protects our religious freedom today.
  I stand today in strong support of my bill, the Flushing Remonstrance 
Study Act, and hope it will help us all remember the courage of John 
Bowne and the passion for religious freedom held by the authors of the 
Flushing Remonstrance.
  I would also like to thank Chairman Hastings for his leadership and 
guidance, Ranking Member DeFazio and Congressmember Grijalva for their 
support, Congressman Rush Holt for

[[Page 14655]]

cosponsoring the bill, and all the staff on their work and support of 
this bill.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3222, the 
Flushing Remonstrance Study Act introduced by Representative Grace Meng 
from New York, representing the borough of Queens.
  H.R. 3222 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study to determine the feasibility of including sites 
associated with the signing of the Flushing Remonstrance in 1657 as 
units of the National Park Service.
  These sites include the John Bowne House and the Old Quaker 
Meetinghouse in Flushing, Queens which are associated with the history 
of religious freedom in America and the signing of the Flushing 
Remonstrance.
  The Flushing Remonstrance was a 1657 petition to Director-General of 
New Netherland, in which several citizens requested an exemption to the 
Director-General's ban on Quaker worship.
  While the signers of the Flushing Remonstrance didn't know it at the 
time, this petition is today recognized as a precursor of the First 
Amendment of the Constitution and one of the earliest demands for 
freedom of religion in what became the United States.
  The Quaker's who chose to practice their religion as well as those 
who volunteered their homes for Quaker meetings, such as John Bowne, 
were jailed. Bowne, whose home had been the place where the Flushing 
Remonstrance was signed, was actually banished from the colony.
  On his trip back to Europe, Bowne carried with him an account of the 
case which he eventually presented before the Dutch West India Company. 
The reply established religious liberty in the colony and stated that 
``The consciences of men at least ought ever to remain free and 
unshackled.''
  Located a few blocks away from the Old Quaker Meetinghouse, the Bowne 
house has changed little since 1680. However, the concepts of freedom 
of religion and freedom of speech that were established in the Flushing 
Remonstrance have continued to evolve as our country and our influence 
around the world has grown.
  I think it is vital that citizens and politicians alike recognize the 
importance of freedom of speech and political activism in our country.
  I hope that the continued preservation of these historic places will 
serve as a reminder to all Americans of the fights that resulted in the 
rights we enjoy in this country today, as well as those around the 
world that continue to fight for their own right to speak freely and 
practice their religion without fear of persecution or consequence.
  I applaud Rep. Meng for her advocacy and urge support for H.R. 3222.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3222, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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