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Cape Council of Policy

717

1682-12-11

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Minute details

Entry number
717
Date
1682-12-11
Year
1682

English translation

Lieutenant Jan Baptist Dubertijn, as a member of the Political College, having been warned at the appropriate time together with the other members, and not appearing that morning, was, because of the weakness of the College, once again ordered by the Commander the bailiff to summon the aforementioned lieutenant to council, the meetings being meanwhile60 suspended until the aforementioned Lt. was called upon when the Commander assigned him his place to take a cession, which he refused, requesting that he be excused from the meeting in the future. He was of the opinion that his duty should be excused until a later date, after which he was further asked for his reasons for doing so. He responded that if a Commissioner arrived, he would provide reasons for this, and it was decided to commission two members of this Council to ask him to explain, in general terms, the reasons and motivations that motivated him to do so; his response would be written behind this resolution and ratified by the signatures of the commissioners. Yesterday evening a small English ship called 62 arrived here in the harbour, coming from India. Some of the officers from this ship came ashore this morning with a request for an audience with Mr. Commander of this residence. Whereupon Mr. Commander summoned the Council and deliberated on how one should behave towards these English friends if they came to request some refreshments and other necessities. Whereupon Mr. Commander submitted his regards. the other members of this meeting, noting the successive orders given by our Lords Principals, how we should conduct ourselves with regard to the salary of this and other European nations, and specifically summarizing the most recent general letter written by the Noble Lords Majors to this government, dated June 8 of this year, expressly stating that their Highness in her previous intention in this regard as still persisting, also taking into special account that with the appointment of the E.Heer Ordinary Councillor Maerten Pith, and Extraordinary Councillor Nicolaes Schaegen, speculation on this subject was also entered into, and it is made clear that one could not understand that it was her High Nobility's intention that those strict orders would necessarily have to take place, but in such a case, some measures of it may be dispensed with, which pro and con being ventilated, it is good and understood the aforementioned. English friends, should they come to ask for refreshments or any other necessities, except for fetching water, to reply that we are entirely unsupplied with them and that everything is based on their own needs, with an added outward show of goodwill that we would be very pleased to assist them with their request.

Thus arrested at the Castle of Good Hope, date above.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.

[Signed:] A. DE MAN, Rt. and Sect.

Subsequently, [the arrestee] this morning at the meeting held by Lieutenant Jan Baptist Dubertin, which, for reasons further extended by the resolution adopted today on this matter, we have signed that, in accordance with the order imposed on us in this regard in Rade, he be transported to the home and residence of the aforementioned Dubertin, and that he be asked the reasons and motives why he had refused to accept cession in Rade this morning, with an additional request to be excused from the meeting henceforth.

To which the same replied that he had been appointed by the Lord Commander and Council as president of the board of commissioners for minor matters, where hardly a case had been heard before the parties had addressed the Lord Commander and expressed their displeasure. To which the Lord Commander allegedly replied that the matter should be dealt with in the Political Council, thus stripping the said board of its authority and ridiculing it to everyone, since the cases had been heard without the Commissioners, much less had they reported them to the Political Government.

Furthermore, he will take care, when the Commissioner arrives, to provide further reasons for his abstention from the meeting.

At Cabo d'Boa Esperance, on … 65 December 1682.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.

Original Dutch transcription

Den luijtenant Jan Babtist Dubertijn als een lidt van ‘t Politicque Collegie tot dese vergaederinge, nevens de andre leeden meede ter behoorlijcke tijt gewaerschout sijnde, ende van de morgen niet compareerende, is om de swackheijt van ‘t Collegie door de Heer Commandeur de gerechtsboode andermaal gelast den voornoemde luijtenandt in Raaden te ontbieden, sijndeinmiddels60 de besongies61 opgeschort tot dat den voornoemde Lt. is gecompareert, wanneer hem door de Heer Commandeur sijn plaats is aengewesen om cessie te neemen, ‘t welck den selven refuseerden, met versoeck dat hij voortaen van de vergaederingh mochte werden geexcuseert, en van meeningh was sijn dienst tot nader gelegentheijt te quiteeren, waer op hem verder is aff gevraeght wat rheedenen hij daer toe hadden. Heeft den selven daer op gerepliceert, als een Commissaris quam, daer van reedenen te zullen geven, waer op is goet gevonden twee leeden uijt desen Raaden te committeeren om hem aff te vraegen, in generaele termen de reedenen en motiven die hem daer toe sijn moverende; sullende sijn antwoort achter dese resolutie in geschreven, en door de handtteeckeninge van de gecommitteerdens werden becrachtight.

Gisteren spaden op den avont alhier ter rheede gearriveert sijnde seeker Engels schip genaemt62 , comende uijt India, van ‘t welcke eenige officieren van de morgen sijn aen landt gecomen, met versoeck ontrent d’ Hr. Commandeur deser residentie audientie te mogen erlangen, waarop door de Hr. Commandeur den Raat is geconvoceert en in deliberaatie genoomen, hoedaenigh men sigh ontrent dese Engels vrinden, soo deselve om eenige verversinge en verdre benodigheeden comen te versoecken, soude hebben te gedraagen, Waarop dan bij d’ Hr. Commandeur mitsgrs. de verdere leeden deser vergaederinge met opmerckinge gelet sijnde op de successive gegeven ordres onser Heeren Principaelen, hoedaenigh wij ons ontrent het tractement van die en andre Europiaense natie soude hebben te gedraegen, en specialijck geresummeert de jonghste generaele missive door d’ Edle. Heeren Maijores aen dese regeringh63 geschreve, onder dato 8 Junij deses jaers, uijt druckelijck behelsende dat haar hoogh Edle. bij haer voorige intentie dienaengaende als noch blijven persisteeren, oock daer nevens specialijck gelet dat bij ‘t aanwesen van den E.Heer Ordinaris Raadt Maerten Pith, en Extraordinarij Raat, Nicolaes Schaegen, over dat subject meede speculaetie sijn genoomen, en doen maels verstaan dat men niet conde begrijpen haar Hoogh Edle. intentie te wesen die stricte beveelen in nootsaekelijckheijt soude plaats moeten grijpen, maar in sulke[n] geval, eenigermaaten daer van mogen dispencere[n], ‘t welck pro et contra geventileert sijnde, is goet gevonden en verstaan de voorn. Engelse vrinden, soo sij om verversingh off eenige andre benodigheeden, verstaande nochtans buijten ‘t haalen van water, comen te versoecken, in antwoort te geven dat wij t’ eenemael daer van sijn onvoorsien, en alles op eijgen benodigheijt excuseeren, met een bij voegende uijtterlijcke genegentheijt, dat wij andersints seer genegen soude weesen haar met het versochte te assisteeren.

Aldus g’arresteert in ‘t Casteel d’ Goede Hoop, datum ut supre.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.

[Signed:] A. DE MAN, Rt. en Sects.

Achtervolgens64 ‘t g’arresteerde heden morgen ter vergadering in ‘t reguart van den luijtenant Jan Babtist Dubertin, om redenen bij de resolutie heden daerover genomen breder g’extendeert, hebben wij ondergeschreven, ingevolge de last ons dien aengaende in Rade opgelecht, getransporteert ten huijse en woonplaetse van voorn. Dubertin, mitsgaders den selven afgevraaght de redenen en motiven waerom hij van de morgen hadde geweijgert om cessie in Rade te neemen, met bijgevoecht versoeck om voortaan van de vergadering te mogen werden g’excuseert.

Waerop den selven heeft g’antwoort ten opsighte hij door de Heer Commandeur en Raat was aengestelt als president van ‘t collegie van Commissari[ssen] van cleijne saeken, alwaer nog naeuwelijckx een saack hadde gedient, of partijen hadde haer g’addresseert aen de Heer Commandeur en haer ongenoegen daer over getoont, waer op de Heer Commandeur soude hebben gerepliceert dat men de saack in Politique Rade soude afdoen, ‘t gemelde collegie sodoende haer autoritijt benemende, en voor een ijder bespottelijck makende, dewijl men de saeken sonder Commissarissen daerover gehoort, veel min dat sij rapport gebragt hadden, aen de Politique regering aenwees.

Mitsgaders dat hij opsight neemt, wanneer de Commissaris comt, van ‘t een en ‘t ander nader redenen te geven, waerom hij sigh van de vergadering komt te onthouden.

Aen Cabo d’ Boa Esperance, den …65 December 1682.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.