ust be had. From this Council of the Indies, orders and instructions
are sent to all the other governments, which must be implicitly
obeyed. In this council, all letters addressed to the governor or
director-general are read and debated, and answers agreed upon by a
plurality of voices.

The Council of Justice consists of a president, who is generally a
counsellor of the Indies, together with eight counsellors of justice,
a fiscal or attorney-general for affairs of government, another fiscal
for maritime affairs, and a secretary. The first fiscal has a vote
along with the counsellors, and receives a third part of all fines
below an hundred florins, and a sixth part of all above that sum.
The duty of his office is to observe that the laws are obeyed, and to
prefer informations against those who break them. The fiscal of the
sea has jurisdiction over all frauds committed in commerce, in cases
of piracy, or in whatever tends to disturb the settled rules of
maritime affairs. Besides these sovereign tribunals, there is a
council of the city of Batavia, consisting of nine burgomasters or
aldermen, including a president, who is always a member of the Council
of the Indies, and a vice-president. The bailiff of the city, and the
commissary of the adjacent territory, have also seats in this council,
to which likewise there is a secretary.

The governor-general is head of the empire belonging to the company in
India, being as it were stadtholder, captain-general, and admiral of
the Indies. By his office he is president of the supreme council, in
which he has two voices. He has the keys of all the magazines, and
directs every thing belonging to them, without being accountable to
any one. He commands by his own proper authority, and every person is
bound to obey him, so that his authority equals, and even surpasses,
that of several European sovereigns. But he is accountable to, and
removeable by the directors at home. In cases, however, of being
guilty of treason, or any other enormous crime, the Council of Justice
have a right to seize his person and call him to account. In case the
governor-general dies or resigns his office, the Council of the Indies
meets and elects a successor, when they immediately write to the
directors at home, desiring them to confirm and approve their choice.
They also write to the same purpose to the states-general of the
United Provinces, who have reserved to themselves the power of
confirming or exclu