‘f the basis of the
“ ipresentrespective European .rights' in-this colony;*
“ As a continuation of the measures so ably sketched -oixt by my prede-
««cessor,» I issued thé proclamation; dated the 21st January 18M. : i
Inrthh dfatteihptedto isimplify the diimsy and; unyieTdy] structureiöf
“.‘fee ferpier Courts, by .abolishing some/ulbssentag the number o£c .the
‘.‘ judge? iff the remaining tones, .and by defining* as. accurately as I Gebuid,
‘‘ fee limits ,ctf feeir;irespeetive> j utósdiotiöns. .:
t: Ijr was,fbonfi feat/ formerly! febrer»ore separate dourts fol wvestig&ti|8|
‘‘.the.conduct pf 'the'immédiate Eiiropeamservants of.the Dutch Company!
‘f, 1 and of 'Europeans not included in that servibe; This *distinGtion, as
“ oLord :Mintö' öbservédioneveE.could bave.'been grounded: oh., any sound
V ptfihciplelfj-andi'ite bêipg" resolved! th a t' jsfetieé, iindé*, the.' fiat|shv''gi-
vemmeht, should he administered equal and alike to alb:©lasses.; :and
^'denominations!''the judicial power of feciCollegeof Schepenen was abo-
p lished, and transferred to the jurisdiction o f th e r co ufts ■ ofo justice^.§ 1!
v nvif.- .The great number of judges who, under the Dutch administration,
■ t‘ formed^ a court; was reduced in each to a presidenfc'andchreeimem»
“ feers.
•/lit One: court was established in each of the three principal towns, Ba-
“ tavia!.--Semarang, and Surabaya, thé jurisdiction of-which extended over
fAits .Europeaff inhabitants; proceeding, in civil«odses,.:in the modeifaefore
-established,’'but ip criminal, sones/;so aA to conform as jhtttih.aSjpossihlèJ to
“ that established in Great Britain; in all cases confronting the prisoner with
{‘.fee bvidencë, and* a. jury»being called to jud^e of thé fact :.on :tbfe evi-
“ -dence so adduced.
- -Tof rejiesrg these courts from numerous inconsiderable causèsj.i ©hurts,
“i of theinature of Courts of Bequests, were also established .iutthese three
!‘ towns, for the reeovery of small debts;
s For matters, of ;-police , within -the town?}- magistrates were ap-
« pointedy but they were lOpdewd to confine themselves entirely to^this
“ branch. E
“ An abuse which had been discovered to be usual,» the compoufiding
“ crimes and offences in ( consideration of a sum of money paid to the
“ Fiscafor other officer, had also met with Lord Minto’s most severe repre-
“ hension,
« hension as being opé. ofan abô'minafelenalüfe, and to Bé 'suppressed
«‘ without dçlày. f(fbè ^practice-' was P.cS^>rdiö'gly - 'strictly prohibited, and
(f consonantly with British'ideas. was^termefeseandalousri- 1
Thus-much had been'jdone wxttat%atdl:to-FWrqpeansj and it has been
‘‘. fâùiiff.ftilly sufficient;.
\ «. But with respect' , to the -native:(.irihèbitlnts-of th é island,,;it was tô
<( be expected that’much gre'atér Changes woüldibTéLheeëss^py.VG t
•«- Jff'fee -first instance/iit-WaS^orcfferèd feat édiiMSyioilldrbe’ éstéinlisheff
“ in the different districts, in whichtthe' (fei'feficivii>iapthorities shbüld pre'-'
‘.“ side, raided by thé Itegents-and^öfe'ërNative officeis/for the purpose' of
‘-‘.héaring and trying' afe4;âbstes-in which n a t i v e s ' w e r e feöncérfféd ; -The
“ amount of » their civib/dfecisions, ’when eXeéê’diôg- 'fifty'dollars, ■ being sub-
•f mitted for confirmation, to the -conks Óf j-ükiW^arid -all'Crimiflà’1 -cases,
“ of a capital nature, feeing made ôVérfeythem to judgCs-Wunr'cHit; whö
«.«. were'ordered toMbe sent»ôn this'duty-twice a yéar/> from among the -mem-’
ttfeers .of fee -superior courts.- •
<< Thus.much’ was known not to^militufe -feifefer-'against-the principles of
« universal and natural justice, of «against thé -.particular .lffwri AndJ ufeigéfr
« of the country/ and thus much; waS'Ottlÿl )"&£* firsfe dönë/ becauséf if
‘-‘.wasurésolved to obtain the’fullest knowledge ófifeh subject* ; With- regard
‘t fevthe manners,' habits, and' insthution&'’Ó fÓ tr‘native1 sdbjeótspBèfbré
«• )we established one general code’of regulâ’tiôHsfof' fetf iafernàî admînisfra-
% jjtien: of fee country S0
In- effecting this--grand 'object; it -was : father,'nay-wish to haVe- i!t
‘^maturely and well done, than by accelerating itfoO-fnuch; to run fee fisk
U of taking up a crude system,^ «which would require-to hè ’ aftetifcafdk
‘^reconsidered, and perhaps entirely.neWimodeUe$.
Qn the principle, however, which!#kouM '.eventually guide ime,' there
‘.‘ was no doubt, nortis it necessary fori me to dilation fee impolicy; feè‘
“•^convenience, -or the injustice, of • ■subjecting' the natives' of Java tô
««g]atjy other laws, - than those of their - ancient- government and established
‘ótfaith.
, “ The, tranquillity.; of the: country f and the ^duties óf police' have -been'
“ -.provided for, by preserving:-the- original constitution r-villages,
ft?and continuing .the superintendence and respbösibihty*iii the’hands ' of
“ . those, whose rank enables them: to. exert a due influencé, and to command
“ respect. .Fte 'fee^Mministration of; justice, the' duties; ó f‘.fee Bcsidenfi
? P f ' “ as