Mss Eur Mack Private 67

1, pp. 1-66: Celebes & Macassar. Administrative and judicial regulations in the form of a series of paragraphs. The first 8, under the heading Instructions for the Residents of Outstations, are of a general character, the remaining 88 constitute a code whereby they are to administer justice among the native inhabitants. It is apparently based on native law, as it allows even murder in some cases to be compounded by a fine of twenty rixdollars. The main headings are :- Arts. 1-2: On the Oath; art. 3: On Penalties; arts. 4-7 :Of the Laws and punishments; arts. 8-12: On Thieving; arts. 13-21: On Murder; arts. 22-7: Treating on Adultery; arts. 28-9: On Divorce; art. 30: Payment on decease; art. 31: On unjust Pretensions; arts. 32-6: On purchase of Stolen Goods; arts. 37-40: Concerning Matrimony; then follow arts. 41-88 which have no headings and are of a very miscellaneous character. Copy. Translated from the Dutch.

2, pp. 67-110: Complaints made by the King of Boni to the Governor General in Council at Batavia and the Reply in vindication to it, made by the then Governor of Maccassar Barend Reyke, written in the year 1783. Copy. Translated from the Dutch. Comprises the documents following- (a) pp. 68-76: Fort Rotterdam, Macassar, 22 July 1783. Letter from B. Reyke to Gov(r).-Gen(l) W. A. Alting, complaining of the arrogant character of the Bugis in general, excusing himself from having given any offence to the King of Boni and forwarding (b) and (c) infra. (b) pp. 77-100: Oedjong [= Ujong] Tanah, 21 October 1782. Translation of the Malay Letter, written by Padooka Srie [=Paduka Sari] Sulthan Ahmad . . . King of Boni, to . . . William Arnold Alting, Governor-General of the Netherlands India, received at Batavia the 7/11 November 1782. In half margin and opposite thereto, (c) Fort Rotterdam, Maccassar, 22 July 1783. Respectfull Reply to this Letter of Complaints to the Honble. Governor General in Council, Batavia. By B. Reyke. (b) contains fifteen paragraphs setting out the grievances alleged against the Company's administration in matters affecting the subjects of the King of Boni, most of which are denied in (c). They include a variety of points, such as the harsh exaction of tithes and customs, &c., but one of the chief sources of trouble appears to have been the presence at the court of Boni of one Henry Voll, who seems to have enjoyed the confidence of the King, but was not a persona grata with the Governor. The letter suggests that he and a bookkeeper named Clootwyk, who appear to have gone to Batavia bearing the king's letter, should be punished and prevented from returning to Celebes. (d) pp. 101-4: Macassar, 14 July 1783. Report of a Committee made to the Governor, on an inquiry concerning the complaints of the king of Boni. By Gerrit Brugman and Diederick Deefhout, denying that the tithe was collected oppressively or otherwise than in accordance with ancient custom; as authorized by previous Governors. (e) pp. 105-110: Fort Rotterdam, Macassar, 8 January 1765. Proclamation by Cornelius Sinkelaar, Governor in Council of Celebes, forbidding the subjects of the Dutch East India Company from carrying on correspondence or other communications with native princes or chiefs without the knowledge of the Governor.

3, pp. 111-75: Fort Rotterdam, Macassar, 20 August 1805. Compendious account drawn up by order of the Supreme Government of Batavia, in their separate Letter of 1(st) February this current year. Par.7 :-Exhibiting all affairs and Occur(r)ances, running to the charge of the King of Boni and his Subjects, with an addition of some Remarks etc: by M(r) [P.T.] Chasse, Governor of Maccassar. Copy. Contains:- (a) 15 Articles of charges against the King of Boni of breaches of his treaty obligations, by assisting rebels, levying war against chiefs in alliance with the Company, allowing his subjects to resort to places in the occupation of the British (who were at war with the Dutch and had conquered the Moluccas) and even inviting the British to take Macassar, supporting the opposition to the tithe, and in various other ways displaying a hostile spirit towards the Dutch and their subjects ; (b) An historical retrospect of the relations of the Dutch Company with Southern Celebes from the year 1667 onwards; (c) Recommendations for the future, with a view to the strengthening of the Company's position in South Celebes and the weakening of the native powers. These recommendations include the suppression of the unauthorised maritime trade of the Bugis, the strengthening of the Company's garrison, and the making of a new treaty with Boni more clearly defining its status in relation to the Company and the other native principalities; all these steps to be taken even if they involved an armed conflict between the Company and Boni. Translated from the Dutch.

4, pp. 172-226: Extract from the Resolutions taken in the politic Council in Fort Rotterdam Maccassar, on Friday the 6th February 1759. Endorsed Instructions for the Court of Justice and their officers. Copy. Translated from the Dutch. Contains a code of regulations stated to be based on the Statutes of Batavia and native custom, &c., divided into parts, headed as follows :- (a) For the Court of Justice at Maccassar. 28 arts. containing general provisions as to the constitution of the Court, its jurisdiction, and the like. (b) Manners of procedure at the Court of Justice. 34 arts. (c) On Arresting. 15 arts. (d) On Condemnations and Executions. 35 arts. (e) On Appeal and Reformation. 9 arts. (f) On Preference and Concurrence. 23 arts. (g) On Oaths. 1 art. (h) On Orders touching the payment of Debts. Five pages of arts. (unnumbered). (i) For the Summoner. 7 arts. on his duties. (j) For the Constable and Jailor. 10 arts. on their duties. A comparison with the old Statutes of Batavia shows that the above regulations are to a large extent based upon the former, for which see Van der Chijs, Nederlandsch-Indisch Plakaatboek, 1602-1811, (1885), l(e) Deel, under date 5/8 July 1642, especially pp. 480 seqq., 495-513, and 534-6;. but some sections cannot be traced to this source. Cf. 055. 10 supra.

5, pp. 227-46: Batavia, 4 October 1791. Regulation on the general introduction of Tax on all Legacies, and Collateral Successions coming under the Jurisdiction of the East india Company. Copy. Translated from a Dutch original which is printed in Van der Chijs, Op. cit. (1893), 11 (e) Deel, pp. 340-9.

6, pp. 247-76: Instructions for the Officers for the registering and taking care of orphan Estates. Copy. A section of the old Statutes of Batavia translated, not always quite exactly, from the Dutch: the ultimate original (dated 5/8 July 1642) is printed in Van der Chijs, Op. cit. (1885), l(e) Deel, pp. 513-25, under the heading Weesmeesteren, but the translation was not made direct from this as it adds :- (a) An article (here numbered 60) based on a Resolution of the Supreme Government at Batavia. of 3 March 1643, printed op. cit. (1886), 2(e) Deel, p. 22, ,and (b) two schedules of fees payable to the officers of the court, printed op. cit. (1890), 7(e) Deel, pp. 644-7, under date 3 May 1763.