“Yes.”
Verbrugge wrote it down … his declaration lies before me.
“That will do,” said Havelaar, “I know enough.” And Verbrugge left. Havelaar went out and played with little Max, whom he kissed very fervently. When Madam Slotering was gone, he sent away the child, and called in Tine.
“Dear Tine! I have a favour to ask you. I should like you and Max to go to Batavia:—to-day I accuse the Regent.”
She fell on his neck, for the first time opposed to his wishes, and cried, sobbing— [[360]]
“No, Max; no, Max, I will not go … I will not go; we eat and drink together.”
Was Havelaar wrong when he made out that she had as little right to blow her nose as the women at Arles?
He wrote and despatched the letter of which I here present a copy. After I have given a slight sketch of the circumstances under which that letter was written, I believe that it is not necessary for me to show the circumspection which he observed, while not uttering a syllable of the discovery just made, not to weaken his positive accusation by the uncertainty of a very important but as yet unproved accusation. His intention was to exhume the corpse of his predecessor, and to have it scientifically examined as soon as the Regent should have been removed, and his party made harmless; but as I have already said, he was not allowed the opportunity of doing this.
In the copies of official documents—copies which strictly conform with the originals—I think I may use single pronouns instead of the foolish titles. I expect that the good taste of my readers will approve of this change.
“No. 88. { Private. Immediate.
“Rankas-Betong, 24th February 1856.
“To the Resident of Bantam.
“Since returning a month ago to my duties here, I have occupied myself principally in examining how the chiefs [[361]]discharge their obligations towards the population as regards statute-labour, poondootan,[1] and suchlike.
“I very soon discovered that the Regent, on his own responsibility, and for his advantage, summoned the population to work for him, far above the legally authorized number of pantjens or kemits.[2]
“I hesitated between the choice of sending at once an official report and the desire to make this native functionary change his policy by gentle means, or even afterwards by threats, in order to attain the double purpose of putting an end to abuse, and at the same time not acting too severely against this old servant of the Government, particularly considering the bad examples which, I believe, have often been set before him; and in connexion with the peculiar circumstance that he expected a visit from two relations (the Regents of Bombang and Tjandoer, at least of the latter, who, as I hear, is already coming with a large train), and he being thus more than usually in temptation—and with regard to the critical embarrassment of his pecuniary circumstances, as it were obliged—to provide by unlawful means the necessary preparations for that visit. [[362]]
“All this made me incline to moderation, with regard to what had already happened, but not at all to indulgence for the future.
“I insisted upon the immediate cessation of every unlawful act.
“I made you acquainted with that previous experiment to induce the Regent by moderation to do his duty.
“Yet it is evident to me that he casts all to the winds with rude insolence; and I feel bound to communicate to you in virtue of my official oath;
“That I accuse the Regent of Lebak, Radeen Adhipatti, Karta Natta Negara, of abuse of power, by disposing unlawfully of the labour of his subordinates, and suspect him of extortion while exacting productions in natura, without payment, or for prices arbitrarily fixed:
“That I suspect, moreover, the Demang of Parang-Koodjang (the Regent’s son-in-law) of complicity in the above-mentioned abuses.
“In order conclusively to prove both these charges I take the liberty of proposing to you to order me—
“1. To send the Regent of Lebak with the utmost speed to Serang, and to take care that he shall not have occasion, either before his departure or during the journey, to influence by corruption, or in any other way, the witnesses. I require,
“2. Previously to take the Demang of Parang-Koodjang into custody.
“3. To apply the same measure to such persons of [[363]]inferior rank as, belonging to the family of the Regent, may be expected to mar the impartiality of the examination to be instituted.
“4. To order that examination to take place immediately, and to report circumstantially on the issue. I take the liberty of submitting to your consideration the advisability of countermanding the visit of the Regent of Tjanjar.
“Finally, I have the honour to give you, as one who knows the district of Lebak better than it is as yet possible for me to know it, the assurance that, from a political point of view, the strictly just treatment of this affair has no difficulty at all, and that I should be rather apprehensive if it was not cleared up, for I am informed that the poor man is, as a witness told me, ‘poessing’ (tired, sick, disgusted) of all the vexation he has suffered, and that he has long sought relief.
“I have partly derived the strength to fulfil my difficult duty in writing this letter, from the hope that I may be allowed in due time to bring forward one or two excuses for the old Regent, for whose position, though caused by his own fault, I nevertheless feel great compassion.—
The Assistant Resident at Lebak,
(Signed) “Max Havelaar.”