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4. That a searching examination into the administration of justice (in the country), the Treasury Department, &c., &c. be made, under advice of men learned in the law and possessing the confidence of the people, so that the money so uselessly thrown away be repaid, and the guilty proceeded against with the severity of the law. Most humbly by virtue of the subjoined mandate of the citizens.

The Committee of Citizens,

P. A. HEIKENS. HEINR. FRANZ.

H. SPANGENBERG.

MICHEL RÖHRS. J. G. DENKER.

J. THATEN.

J. RALFS.

D. REDELL.

P. LASSEN.

Heligoland, May 1866.

H. FRIEDRICHS.

No. 2.

(Translation.)

P. P. HANSEN. O. PAYENS. PAY RICKMERS. TIMM BOTTER. H. R. FRIEDRICHS. H. O. RICKMERS. J. M. HEICKENS. P. MOHR.

HANS LORENZEN.

HELIGOLAND, in the ASSEMBLY of CITIZENS.

10th May 1866.

We, the undersigned citizens of Heligoland, hereby authorize P. A. Heikens, P. P. Hansen, H. Franz, (). Payens, H. Spangenberg, Pay Rickmers, Michel Röhrs, Timm Botter, J. Ralfs, J. G. Ďenker, H. R. Friederichs, J. Thaten, H. O. Rickmers, J. M. Heikens, D. Redell, P. Mobr, Paul Lassen, H. Lorenzen, H. R. Ohlsen, Hans Friederichs, citizens of this island, to send in a complaint to the Government regarding the abuses against our administration, and to petition for the discontinuance of the new enacted Constitution and Ordinances, and in fact to take all legal steps for the restoration of our rights and privileges and lawful state of affairs.

We declare beforehand that we agree to those steps already taken and to those to be taken by them, and are responsible for the same "in solidum," and appoint them hereby as our Committee of Citizens acting as such by the authority of the cítizens.

(Signed)

JANN NICKELS,

HAMCKE B. AMKENS,

AENCKE RICKMERS,

EHRICH H. AMKENS,

JACOB EHRICH HORNSMANN,

PAUL L. RICKMERS,

And here follow the rest of the signatures.

PETER JACob dehn,

PETER CH. OELRICHS, ANDREAS M. FRIEDRICHS, PETER H. ROHRS, PETER CARSTEN,

&c., &c., &c.

(Then follow the signatures of the inhabitants.)

No. 6.

GOVERNOR LIEUTENANT-COLONel maxse, c.M G., to The Duke of`

BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS.

MY LORD DUze,

(Received May 27, 1867.)

Heligoland, 23rd May 1867.

I HAVE now the honour herewith to forward the original and translation of the paper from those members of the so-called Bürger Committee who got themselves elected into the Combined Court of 1867.

2. This paper, like the former ones, has been drawn up by Mr. ex-pastor Petersen who is living in a small public-house in Bredstedt in Schleswig on such remuneration as he may receive for preparing these memorials.

This person, however, has managed to involve himself in so much debt with his landlord, for which it appears the so-called Bürger Committee refuse now to be respon- sible, that a complaint has been lodged here against Mr. P. A. Heikens and the so-called Bürger Committee for the purpose of enforcing payment.

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3. If I mention this circumstance to your Grace, it is merely for the sake of showing the true igin of these papers.

4. Every argument advanced in the appended paper by the memorialists who owe their present position in the Combined Court to the free terms of the Constitution which they desire to upset, has been fully answered by the Secretary of State in his Lordship's despatch, of the 17th September 1866.*

5. I have also to remark that the present paper has been forwarded by ex-pastor Petersen from the Continent so far back as January before these 11 persons got themselves elected, and would never have been sent to the Colonial Office if the financial state of the island, the necessity of taxation, and the validity of the reforming laws under the new Constitution, and the question of the continuance of the play-tables had not been necessarily impressed upon the signers by myself.

6. These questions they could not meet, bound as they were to their election cry, and the temporary expedient was to send another memorial to the Secretary of State, escaping thus the necessity of action in the matter of taxation, &c., on the plea that they had "appealed to the minister."

7. The only addition to the memorial is that these persons having got elected under the new Constitution are desirous that all officials should for the future be elected in the same manner naturally for life.

8. In other words, though they would wish the old state of things back, they by no means wish the old officials to be reinstated, considering that the situation of Rathmänner with its former unlimited power would be better in their hands.

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9. The better portion of the islanders and the larger majority of their own followers are getting heartily sick of the so-called Bürger Committee; their proceedings are there- fore now divested of any serious weight or political significance whatever.

10. Indeed from several of the more respectable citizens, I have been lately informed that these persons have no chance of re-election next year; a dissolution, however, would probably return them, as they would make political capital of it amongst the lower classes. 11. With regard to the appendix to the memorial I beg to state to your Grace that the greatest consideration and mildness has been used towards the memorialists more particularly in their position as representatives, but it became my duty to point out that the enactment of some sort of taxation was imperative, that the public play-tables could not be considered a necessary institution consequent upon their debt, and finally, that England could not be expected to continue the extra temporary annual grant of_1107. towards the liminution of the public debt if the condition regarding some sort of efficient taxation was not fulfilled,

12. Should your Grace please to take such a course, I would respectfully suggest that a reference to the former answer as to the impossibility of the re-establishment of the old state of things to be read by your Grace's desire to the Combined Court would fully meet the exigencies of the case as far as the memorialists and the public are concerned.

13. Late events, moreover, since these persons have been in the house, have caused a species of counter-agitation amongst some of the more respectable inhabitants who have hitherto been satisfied to look on quietly.

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It is just possible, and I sincerely trust that it may be so, that this feeling will enable me to manage the financial crisis without going to the length of surrendering the Con. versations House to the creditors, on which point I have already had the honour of addressing your Grace.

His Grace The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos,

&c.

P. P.

&c.

&c.

I have, &c.

FITZ MAXSE,

Lieut. Colonel, &c.

To A HIGH COLONIAL MINISTRY, Downing Street, London. (Translation.)

تر

Dated the 17th September 1866 the High Ministry sent an answer to a memorial of the Bürger Committee which complained against the arbitrarily introduced Constitution and the wretched state of affairs in Heligoland.

As, however, the answer in question hardly alludes to the real points of the complaint, but still more on the contrary is only a communication of the defence of his Excellency the Governor Maxse, as the Bürgers of Heligoland have too high an opinion of the

89499.

• No. 4.

E

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

EPIPE CO. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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