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Superintendents and Courts were without a studied head, and groped along blindly as well as they could. Ministers and teachers were left to themselves, their official connex. ions with the church by the provost, the inquirers, and the general superintendent being cut off. They stood under no ecclesiastical control, neither did they enjoy any protection by any ecclesiastical authority. That encroachments would take place is evident, and more and more shaken was right and law.

The dues for letters or writs to become a citizen ceased, and this was of such a conse- quence that the church lost its principal income, and with this also its independence. The worst off was the administration of the treasury. The citizens themselves were no more asked, but it was only managed by the councilmen and superintendents. As proof positive of this, it may serve that in the year 1806, according to the rescript of the Chief Justice's Court, the debts of the country amounted to 32,000 marks, whilst at the rendition of this year's account they had risen to the enormous height of 114,180 marks 14 pf.

One might object that the arrangements made for sea-bathing and the altered conditions of the circumstances of the times made greater expenditures to the country necessary, and that, owing to all this, the burden of debt had occurred and had its foundation. But on a nearer insight this objection will be found not to bear out an examination. For, ia addition to the former, revenue from the sea-bathing establishment and the Conversation House, so that the receipts in cash amounted to upwards of 70,000 marks. The receipts of the treasurer's department are therefore not in fault. Has the country had to put up large The buildings ? If we look about us we shall find that such has not been the case. church has not been repaired by the country but by Government. The parsonages and schools have been built up by the goodness of England. The fine staircase also gives proof of the munificence of Great Britain. The lighthouse, the beacon (buoys), &c., &c., are kept by Trinity House. The falm (firlm) has been newly erected at the expense of the State's treasury.

All this we are indebted for to the kindness of England, and still

much much more. Or has, peradventure, the country founded the bath? No; a number of citizens have established it on shares. Has the country built the Conversation House? This, too, was built on shares by our citizens, and was afterwards enlarged by great sums from the Conversation House. Has, perhaps, the country expended so much expenses have money for the improvement of streets? By voluntary contributions these been covered for the most part too.

Then possibly the quays on the Strand may have required so much money. But no; all the timber necessary for this work the country got by a shipwreck.

We see hereby that everything done in Heligoland was either done by our gracious Government or by the citizens thereof, who are not any more asked about anything. The cause of the country's debt is, therefore, neither in its too low revenue nor in that of its too high expenses, made to the same, but is "only owing to the unexampled bad and unscrupulous administration of the Treasury Department of the country." As a proof of the correctness of this assertion may best serve the settlement of accounts for 1865.

We must not be astonished if we, as a representative, request copies of accounts, having been found correct four weeks previously, that we at last, after much delay, get them and find them, in the course of four weeks later, so altered that there should be in the last copy of the papers a deficit of a trifle of 986 marks 11 pfennings in comparison with the first copy. Moreover, there are such colossal expenses made without consent of the employed for that purpose, partly without any proofs and specifications and the credit amounts in such a state of disorder, without all justification, and all so jumbled up and thrown together that the criminal want of principle in the whole administration of the people's property is not only very apparent, but that it may easily be comprehended how the "people, indeed, are not the cause of the large debt of the country." Even the Governor disposes arbitrarily of the property of the citizens. Last year he has been building for account of the country a theatre, for which the representatives allowed him 210 marks out of the treasury; the remainder, it was said, was to be done with his own money. The expenses of the treasury, however, have been much larger. According to the account, moreover, has he used arbitrarily timber for the same, belonging to the Government (country), and has thus caused the community a useless and expensive burden. We pass over single points, though stepping points (Anhaltspunkte) are not wanting, and beg to show by the subjoined two copies of accounts that are said to be correct (independent of the horrible irregularities in them), that both widely differ in the statement of the balance, viz., to the disadvantage of the treasury. We

41 erasures observe by insinuation that by the insight of the original treasury-book have been noticed, and omit further remarks, trusting to the examination by our just and paternal Government. Again, bad the administration of justice to suffer

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We

greatly from the altered circumstances, as it was left solely in the hands of not studied councilmen, learned man being wanting, and instead of having a Court of Appeal the Governor, though not well versed in judiciary matters, formed the highest tribunal. will not dwell on the many irregularities, delays, and law encroachments that were made, knowingly or unknowingly, but only emphasize "that such conditions were the cause "why the respect for authority and law more and more declined, and called into existence lasting moral degradation and loss." Moreover, it may be added that the councilmen who were formerly elected to honorary offices, with but little or no salary, now received, in good intention no doubt, from Government a pension, and were allowed, as for instance "the town clerk" a good salary out of the treasury, the natural consequence of which was that their own interest was easily made to be paramount to that of the other, and that little regard was paid to the responsibility towards their fellow-citizens.

In a word, the councilmen entered upon a sphere which was above them, and which was disadvantageons to their moral and official activity.

Many former law suits still in the remembrance of the people prove the foregoing in the most striking manner. In respect to the ecclesiastical condition, we have already mentioned, that the church and schools, bereft of control and protection by the abolish- ment of part of their income, had lost their independence, and had not the royal and gracious Government come to their rescue in the way building their parsonage and schoolhouses, and in the payment of salaries to the ministers, their existence indeed would have been very much endangered. Sad disorders disturbing the intimate con- nexion between pastor and congregation have occurred, because the law was not obeyed. The trustees of the congregation assumed rights over their pastors they were not entitled to as members of their flocks; they even went so far on an election for a preacher, to invest him in his office only on condition and under proviso of a mutual three months notice. The way in which church matters have gone on and are still going on is very sad to behold, it seizes every human heart with sorrow, if it is still believing in the gracious words of our blessed Redeemer ! What will become of the congregation, what will become of the youths growing up, if their sanctuary is thus desolated? The lawful churchwardens who were independent in church matters and in regard to administration of the congregation do not exist any more; instead of these, new created officers and administrators of the congregation shall manage the affairs of the churchwardens too. The church with its servants is therefore in a servile state. A representative of the people who was elected as a churchwarden, and who, for the sake of the independence of the church, refused the choice fallen upon him, was fined 10. by the Governor without any verdict, so that he was obliged to seek the assistance of the very Reverend Arch- bishop of Canterbury. The consistory is cutirely wanting and sad examples of unlawful marriages have often occurred in the course of some years. A teacher has been em- ployed at the highest public school and performed church matters, of whose moral character at his dismissal the authorities wisely say nothing. So in matters of shipwrecks have occured a great many dishonest practices of which the authorities could not clear themselves, also pilot concerns have been managed in such a way that this source, in former years so important to the island, is almost entirely dried up.

Paragraph III.

The new laws introduced by Governor Maxse, and the unlawful condition on the island caused them.

Unlawful practices occurred under former the country's rights and laws were often shaken, but there still remained a respect for the same. To touch them Colonel Maxse is the bold man who, forgetting the respect he owes to the people, to history, and to their laws, proposed to Her Majesty our Gracious Queen, contrary to the promises of England and entirely contrary to the ground-laws of Great Britain, "a new Constitution which he in his position as Governor succeeded.

But Governor Maxse does not know the "motto" of the sons of Friesland, and is much mistaken, if he believes that his intrigues with which he deceived our most Gracious Queen have given us new liberties. If we look a little closer of the Constitu- tion of the 7th January 1864, it begins with a simple untruth.

It states "the present form of Government suffices no more the wants of the people." It might have been better said, "the prescut laws of the country were constantly dis- respected and encroached upon."

The representation of the land consists of 12 hirelings of the Government, and of 12 representatives annually to be elected by the people. The citizen himself has lost all co-action in communal respect.

D 3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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