Cape Council of Policy
708
1682-08-31
Minute details
- Entry number
- 708
- Date
- 1682-08-31
- Year
- 1682
English translation
Noting that the Council of Justice, due to a group of disingenuous people in this Colony, almost every week met the appointed court days with proceedings involving injuries, disputes, etc. were difficult to resolve, without them being dismissed in any way or referred to good men, so that they, by mutual agreement, could settle their question through arbitration, which then causes much difficulty. Therefore, it was decided to establish a private board, to decide all citizen questions, for a sum of ƒ300, under the name of Commissioners of Minor Affairs. This board would consist of the following persons: Lieutenant Jan Baptist Dubetijn, president; the garrison accountant, Philip Welcker; Elbert Diemer and Willem van Dieden, Citizen Councilors; the provisional assistant Jan Blesius, secretary.
At which college all such questions will be terminated and settled, at the end of which all the aforementioned Commissioners will end. A meeting must be held so as not to delay those interested, but any amounts exceeding ƒ300 must be addressed to the Council of Justice.19
Furthermore, noting that various discrepancies have occasionally arisen among the citizens of Stellenbosch regarding the boundary separation of the lands, common weights, etc., to resolve and settle these differences, it was decided that four of the most prominent freemen there should be appointed as district council members to handle any such matters that arose. Consequently, Gerrit van der Bijl,20 Henningh Huijsen,21 Hans Jurgen Grim22 and Hendrik Elberts were elected for this purpose, provided that To report their actions to the authorities of this place,24 the Commander will also return there at the first opportunity to see whether the citizens have implemented all the necessary measures for the expansion of agriculture and to further establish the necessary order in this regard.
Citizen Jan Scholte and his family arrived here with the return fleet for repatriation, but subsequently understood that they would have to remain here until the arrival of the return fleet next year. They appeared in Council and requested permission to depart for Batavia again, as he, his wife, and children could no longer afford to live there and were suffering great hardship. Thus, his request was granted to allow him to depart with the flute, the Yellow Bear.
Thus arrested in the Castle of Good Hope, date above.
[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.
[Signed:] A. DE MAN Rt. and Sects.
[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.
Original Dutch transcription
In aan merckinge genoomen dat den Raadt van Justitie door een partij canaljeuse menschen onder dese Colonie bijnae alle weeken ten gestelde rechtdaegen met prosesse van inijurie, gekijff &a. werden moeijelijck gevallen, sonder dat deselve in eeniger maenieren connen affgeweesen off aen goede mannen gerenvoijeert werden, op dat sij malkanderen verdraegende, haer questie bij arbitragie soude bijleggen, ‘t welck dan veel moeijelijckheeden causeert, Soo is goet gevonden tot het decideeren van alle borgerquestien, tot het bedraegen van ƒ300, een particulier collegie op te rechten onder de benaminge van Commissarissen van de cleijne saaken, sullende het selve bestaen uijt de hier volgende persoonen, namentlijck: den luijt. Jan Babtist Dubetijn,17 preses; den guarnisoenboeckhouder, Philip Welcker; Elbert Diemer en Willem van Dieden, Borgerraaden; den provisionl. adsistent Jan Blesius,18 Secrts.
Bij welck collegie alle soodaenige questien sullen werden getermineert en affgehandelt, ten welcken eijnde alle weeken Commissarissen voornt. sullen moeten vergaderingh beleggen om de luijden die daer bij geintresseert sijn, niet op te houden, doch die meer als ƒ300 comen te bedraagen, sullen haer moeten adresseeren aen de Raat van Justitie.19
Wijders meede geleth sijnde dat onder de borgers aan Stellenbosch nu en dan al verscheijde discrepantien sijn ontstaan over de limitscheijdinge van de landereijen, gemeene waegenweegen &a., om welcke verschillen te decideeren en bij te leggen, goet gevonden is vier van de civielste daer remorerende vrijborgers tot het affhandelen van soodaenige voorvallende questien onder de benaeminge van heemraeden te stellen, sijnde gevolghlijck daer toe verkooren Gerrit van der Bijl,20 Henningh Huijsen,21 Hans Jurgen Grim22 en Hendrik Elberts,23 mits gehouden sijnde van haere verrichtinge rapport te doen aen de overigheijt deser plaats,24 sullende de Heer Commandeur met de eerste gelegentheijt mede een keer derwaerts doen, om te sien off door de borgers tot de voortbreijding van den landtbouw de vereijste debvoiren al sijn aengewendt en verders op ‘t een en ‘t ander de noodige ordre te stellen.
Den borger Jan Scholte nevens sijn famielie met de retourvloot hier aen gecomen om te repatrieeren, doch doenmaels om reedenen verstaan alhier tot de komst der retourvlooth van toecomende jaar te moeten verblijven, in Raaden verscheenen en versocht hebbende, dat hij mochte werden gelicentieert om weder nae Batavia te vertrecken, ten aensien hij alhier met sijn huijsvrouw en kinderen niet langer aen de cost konde geraeken en groot gebreck leeden. Soo is sijn versoeck hem g’accordeert om met de fluijt de Geele Beer te mogen vertrecken.
Aldus g’arresteert in ‘t Casteel de Goede Hoop, datum ut supra.
[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.
[Signed:] A. DE MAN Rt. en Sects.
[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.