300 REVENUE.
Taxes in the
district of
Surabaya.
and have a.national feeling, very'differentfrbin that which is usually to be
found among^a conquered peopled
! The subject of. revenue, for the support of the various establishmetats
under the native "government, has be.en . so, repeatedly touted'upon',, and
came so-much into view in the accqunt given of Javan agriculture, that
many further details here .would appear tedious and unnecessary." • All
puljlie officers, it has been often observed, fro.m' the Mgr^t^hief' to the
lowest menial, are^ remunerated by grants tof land' revokable ‘at*'pleasure,
and , all e^pences of the qourW of justice; ‘aïl p^nce'.and militaryis^tvicéls,
,defrayed-out-of \he sameTund. '.Th|rei§r'no public tfëasUry. When public
wprks are to be,'executed or supplies are to^be furnished, each village is
called ,Upon ,’tbf furnish." its quota! of men,. Of provisions, &c. ; and on "the
equitable, regulation b f thfesq’-servlces and contributions; depehdsfthe.repu-.
tation of thV native .chief. The land constitutes the only tre'asuryjSf We
prince, and this, is valuable according to its fertility, and'^the'extent and
number of fits, cultivators.*” There are; to be sure, certain * general' taxes
and imposts levied throughout the country ; butxnpi|rappe& to1 ha^Beèn
of comparatively modern introduction, and* ünc~önneeted' '’with the' 'gehhipe
principles of the Javan government. T h e 'n a tu reOT^ëveraïra^^^^l imposts
and taxes has beecLe-xpIained, in treating’ oft'ffie Jandfd^&qf^and
the condition of the peasantry. The following statéffiebf, ex'tracied. from
the Report of a Dutch Commissioner,* appointèdbo Inquire-intb the subject
, of! taxation in the year 181'g, though it‘fhfers to the’ particular province"of
Surabaya, may he considered, as applicable to the greater part;of^pf|islaud ^
and I here produce it, in preference £q any pïnqfe 'gènefalfen' more .cqncise
account of my owii, because it will shew that, thé opinions-Ï have ftiJaften
expressed^ concerning the oppressionsof the Dutch authorities, the phtient
submission,. the industry, and other good qualities, of the lower "classes of
Java, are not peculiar tb the English;’but etfteftained "by. söme of thé subjects
of-a government, which profited by the abuses complained of,. land
must have been anxious to conceal their enqrmlty.- ‘
“ The ordinary taxes annually leviéd in the distriet'-Uf-! Surabaya are as
“ follow.
, _ “ _1 „ ThSgrabdg or peték, or as it iSjsometimes called, the' chdcha o» capi-
i « tation ,tax, is generally levied .at -.the rate, of four rupees for eacfo$ac^a
- “ a year; that is fro say, for such a quantity of profitable land as. may be
“ cultivated by one family.. ‘ ■' “ 2. The
M r . R o th c n b u lle r.
1 n g. Xhe contingent oEcqifributiqn^pftrice tdgovernment,; being from
'«■ .fifteen! thrifipetefen b/teZsef tcleanurihe Jlp ’b^bacb ’-jmg'il according to its
situation arid fertility, ft
g. pdri pancyimg'* (from'.which, howtqverr, are rexcused ,th%l,distant
'«^districts), -e’qris.Stiri Jgeneraily of three: ww$sM pdrj, ; equal to/ frqm eight
a to ten hati of rice, from; .This Js destined f^j the maintenance
’«iqflthose i^aw/rw^andUchiefewho .were not at all pr insufficiently, provided
“ with’ ritepfieldsiof/their dwnvf
“ 4. Parl-pagon^ikani levied .only in,rthe_districts.near jtin:,capital, con-
‘b^sisting-generally Jof .t,wck-ye^hgiu'^_dd^ lfah&apS£.qf,@^^a.|,rThis was- des-
« -.tined for the extraordinary. ^genqes"of ^qjdi^tricts^j as^tjje^naintenance
,m f^helgoverninehtjr state »prisoners, .native amd,4psad.qrsTrqm.lthe^oppp^ite
“ ;|Msf5y dndrthedike;!;:' i
ItIs. PdrP pakdhdk^soviskted. q^th'ree gtdmgsjxom e^ch ju ^ g ,, destined
i^forTthe'1 maintenance .of j tho'se; wfio-bunerintend; th eidir e c tip m, ftfT^he j^ater-
1 «-Purges,"'&c'. * 'V
wB^^i&pdri zdkUt;^rSoT^kteA^£. jO&e jMnat.o^_pari Sspkip- eae.h^ywg',.- apd, was.
« destinedIfoi1 the maintenance, ofithp, church and chief^prjest^j^;
=,-ft v , % jPdfrah,'Consisted in jj|&» payment of.
V‘ §ung, also'dhstihed'.’fb^the maintenance^' the. priests.
jK m ^M d lam d n . 'leThis/consistedhof a paymprit p^de^tothe. Regent 4<or
“ EchibfsJq&thei‘districts qat-heach- of.^.e^Si^e^festivals pd^ulut;-PAasa,
<‘^and RgSar,^c5fxten. Mti.j oMgieei and itju,eetand; a qai^fe^atiyers jp..m,qney
« ■from eachpJ^Mg-,-!opel^rge fdwl, fiveseggsj:~fqr^id^Lajhulsn.
“ {plantains *,yUnd - from those .who; held thre^dt fo.ur. yi^rs'jjWas, jfurther
*<'Bt5ir.ed‘-a bottle fqftvpihuto add. to^tpe ^€mm| yvo f ,‘to^
“ Iwhich personamf th ik q o n d itib n .v ^ f^ ^ i^ rs^ ^ ^ itM -,^
'ii, it it is-easy torf'G'on’ceiye? that the, cotmnon, Javan<3^a^ noftal^e-)to make
. any.: rhfoi^^?Lf t e r ' ' p a y i n g a n ' d
-! «..^hch-as: h© wanted for himself and;familyl jpartihiil^id.- we take>to
: « ^consideration, that it isiVery seldom,.one. man is^^p^qle gppprietor/of. a
i( yUtng, alone, but-that idfts:oftenydB^ded./between'th^ee; aqdu-fou^'jpe^ons,
■' and'-that,. with'tS^cnbst. successfuUha®^^, .ffle&a-. jung]&eggiot produce
«Vmore'-than thirty, tbiithirty-fiygiii^wiafcvof^^h „With,all tliis^ho^p^er,
f^ tth e' qpmmon.Javan WQuldfTeel ^imself'satisfied,; iflie, had^ nq^qther, taxes
r «»to pay, 1 having generally a godd many fruit:trees,;and^,.a^little vcqftage
;• ,, «.'farm,