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But having read to him a passage of your letter to me, in which you had promised me an introduc- tion, and explained that, being in Germany, I had come to inform myself generally about the island, touching which I already knew something, Mr. Pat- tinson obligingly said that he was ready to give me his help. He accordingly at once accompanied me to the temporary room where the Court of Justice assembles during the bathing season; and having introduced me to Mr. Michels, one of the Coun- cillors and their Clerk, or, as we call him, the Town Clerk, he left me with this gentleman.

Mr. Michele is a retired pilot, and, although apparently willing to answer my inquiries, I did not obtain much information from him. I shall, there- fore, fill up the gaps in bis communications by statements made to me by other persons of station and authority.

Constitution and Laws of Heligoland.

The Government of the local affairs of Heligoland is vested in the Landesvorsteherschaft, or Repre- sentatives of the island, who are divided into three separate bodies of—

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6 Councillors,

8 Wardamen; and

16 Elders.

Councillors.

The mode in which the Councillors have been appointed, has undergone considerable variation at different periods; and this is, upon the whole, rather

a difficult and sore matter.

The last enactment on the subject to which I obtained access, was an Ordinance of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, dated 10th May, 1710, which provides that, on the occurrence of a vacancy in the Council, the Councillors are to meet, and each Councillor is to hand in to the Landvogt a slip of

paper containing the names of two candidates, and that, from these lists, the Landvogt is to appoint the candidate who has the majority of votes: but

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that in case two candidates should have an equal number of votes, the Landvogt is then publicly to elect and appoint one of them. The same law provides for the election of the Wardsmen in a similar manner.

But the election of the elders is not provided for.

Until recently, however, the mode of electing the Councillors and Wardsmen had become altered, to the effect that the Councillors should agree among themselves to select a candidate, whose name should be laid before the Governor for his approval.

But Sir John Hindmarsh proposed a new arrange- nient, which was, to lay before the Councillors the names of the three candidates, from which they should select one; and, as one of the Councillors told me, that proposal was accepted and acted on at the time, because the three names proposed by Sir Jolin for a particular vacancy suited the Councillors equally

well.

It must, then, become a question how a future vacancy is to be filled up.

The Councillors, Wardsmen, and Elders, are sworn in on their appointment, and receive a commission,

or a sort of certificate, countersigned by the Town Clerk, setting forth the fact of their having taken the usual oath of office.

The Councillors, in their,collective capacity, make regulations for the preservation of order, and for disposing of the property of the commune; and they also form the ordinary and sole Court of Justice of the island.

Of these six Councillors, two are called Stipendiary Magistrates, and receive, nominally, in that capa- city, a salary of 301. each from the Parliamentary

vote.

The Stipendiary Magistrates, however, seem to have no distinct authority separate from the Coun- cillors their colleagues, and the remuneration assigned to them is only, possibly, paid to them in consideration of the trouble which is imposed on them in disposing of small cases, which may not be

of sufficient importance to be brought before the collective Court.

The Court holds regular sittings twice a-year, in the spring and autumn.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

1111 CO. 885

4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO.