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THE MAATSCHAPPY. 



administered. This is the Maatschappy (company 

 or factory), a commercial company, established by 

 the late King of Holland in 1824, with a charter 

 giving it a strict monopoly of all commerce to the , 

 East Indies for twenty-five years. An extension for 

 ten years more has recently been obtained by the 

 company. The late King of Holland was himself a 

 large shareholder in the company, and the present 

 King, of course, inherits his father's shares, and 

 with them his interest in the pecuniary welfare of 

 this factory. Most of the Members of the Chambers 

 are likewise large shareholders in the Maatschappy, 

 and of course have an interest in supporting its 

 monopoly. The Maatschappy, independently of its 

 monopoly in supplying the islands with all neces- 

 saries, acts as agent for the Government, receives 

 the produce monopolized by the Government of 

 Java, carries it home, sells it, and accounts for the 

 proceeds to the Home Government. 



The Dutch Government are in debt to the Maat- 

 schappy about 40,000,000 of guilders (3,340,000/.), 

 and as security for the principal and interest of this 

 sum, they have mortgaged to it all the produce 

 received in the East Indies, and the Maatschappy, 

 when it has realised this produce, only pay proceeds 

 after deducting the interest on their loan and their 

 heavy commission as agents. 



The finances, however, both of the colonies and 

 the home government have latterly been so much 

 deranged, that the Maatschappy as well as the 



