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ACCOUNT OF JAVA AND BATAVIA.
The authority of the governor-general is almoft unbounded; and although he isobliged to give cognizance to the council, and confult them on fome matters, he pof-feffes a mod arbitrary and independent power in all: for there are few or no membersof the council who do not Hand in need of his good offices in fome inftance or other;for example, in order to obtain lucrative employments for their relations or favourites* *;and if this be not fufficient to make them obey the nod of the governor, he is not defti-tute of the means of tormenting them, in every way, under various pretences : nay, offending them prifoners to Europe ; as was done, with refpeft to MM. Van Imhof, deHaaze, and Van Schinnen, in the year 1740, by the governor-general Valkenierf. As,therefore, thofe who are immediately next to him in rank, depend upon and Hand inawe of him, it follows, that the fervants of the Company who are in inferior flationsfeel Hill deeper reverence, and tremble before him, as in the prefence of one fromwhofe arbitrary will and power their happinefs or mifery wholly depends: the flavilhfubmiffion with which his commands are received and executed is, in confequence,fcarcely credible; for how is it poffible that freeborn Hollanders ffiould bow them-felves fo low, beneath the ignominious yoke!
His excellency the governor-general, at prefent, ufually refides at his country feat,called Weltevreeden, about an hour and a quarter’s walk from Batavia, and which isa fuperb manfion.
He gives public audience here every Monday and Thurfday ; and on Tuefdays andFridays at another feat, fituated nearer to the city, on the Jacatra road. On the otherdays of the week, he is inacceffible to every body, and cannot be fpoken to unlefs onaffairs of the greateft importance and urgency. Nobody goes thither without havingfome bufinefs to call him; for it would be taken extremely ill if any one was to paya vifit of mere ceremony. The time of audience is from fix o’clock in the morningtill eight. Every one waits in the open air, in the court before the houfe, till he iscalled in by one of the body guards.
When the governor rides out, he is always accompanied by fome of his horfe-guards. An officer and two trumpeters precede his approach, and every perfon who
-counfellors alone conclude upon molt matters that are brought before them ; the other nine members areproperly only afleflors, who may give their advice, but have no votes, except in the queftion of war orpeace with the Indians in the pardoning of criminals condemned to death, in the election of a governorgeneral, and in a few' other important points. The power and influence of this body in the Indies areunbounded. It is the reprefentative of the ftate and of the Company, and millions of Indians are fubjeCtto its fway. Kings and princes are crowned and dethroned by its mandates. “ I have been witnels,”fays Ary Huyfers, a writer to whom we have before had occafion to refer, “ to the depofition of twopowerful kings of the Moluccas , and the hereditary prince of Tidore. One of thefe died miferably in alittle village near the place of my refidence. I faw the venerable old man before his death : he wasfeventy-two years of age. When I exprefled my commiferation at the deep humiliation he had under-gone, he anfwered, with a figh, in the Malay language, pointing to heaven, ‘ It is the will of God .”Other inftances of the tyranny of the Dutch Company over the natives princes, are related is the prefentwork. Tr.
* By the fecond article of the oath taken by the governor general, as likewife by the counfellors ofIndia , on their appointment, they engage “ never to receive any gifts or prefents, diredly or indire&ly,from any one under their authority ; neither in refpedt, or in the hope or expectation thereof, nor of anyadvantage, favour, or other private confideration, either of relationfhip, friendfhip, or otherwife, to appoint,or caufe to be appointed, any other individual to an office, place, or ftation, than fuch as they believe andfind to poflefs the moil experience, the moil integrity, the molt fidelity, and the moil ability for the fame.”So much do men regard oaths 1 Tr.
f Valkenier, who was the perfonal enemy of the above gentlemen, tyrannically abufed his authority,in fo far, that when the council of India refufed to fan£tion this arbitrary meafure, he furrounded the■council table with a body of armed men, and thus conftrained them to afient to his wifhes. Tr.
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