Letters of Aristodemus and Sincerus. 243 



not allow himself to be deterred from nis duty, but go 

 on with the prosecution. 



Mr. MEERTENS, the Fiscal, considered that if the four 

 leaders, who were Messrs. Albinus.Santheuvel, Hart- 

 SINCK, and JONAS, could be made to pay, the other 

 planters would soon follow : — 



Letter to the Fiscal. 



" Having already asked the Directeur-General to allow 

 mattes to remain on the old footing, we expected a 

 different answer. This provocation has not however 

 made us lose our temper ; we know taxes must be raised 

 and we are quite willing to pay at the old rate ; this 

 proposition might have been accepted. Instead of 

 making peace, the action of the Dire6teur-General 

 served only to stir up strife. We dispute the authority 

 of the Council to either impose the fine or fix the Head- 

 Tax at J6. We do not consider ourselves justified in 

 paying this. We thought that the decision of the Stadt- 

 holder on our memorial might have been awaited. The 

 order to give in the slave return has been improperly 

 given, as the taxes are not due until November, while 

 the returns were to be made in September. No ships 

 arriving before February, the produce will not be ready 

 in time for the tax in November, this not being crop 

 time. We have to complain of the Fiscal imposing this 

 fine. We received the citations, but did not think them 

 of any importance, not troubling ourselves or losing our 

 tempers. We propose to let the matter stand, but we 

 are not afraid. We don't want any disturbance, but it 

 any does take place, we shall place it to the account of 

 those who force the matter.'' 



Four points were considered by the Court. 

 HH2 



