i 



280 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



by the planters for the defence of their property in the colony, 

 they should have been left attached to that service for which 

 they were originally intended. Instead of this, on evacuat- 

 ing the colony, the colonel commandant took the regiment 

 with him, as he would any other regiment of the line belong- 

 ing to his Majesty. 



Governor Meertens now became the representative of the so^ 

 vereign power. The burgher regulations for arming the in- 

 habitants for the internal defence of the colonies were nearly 

 the first official discussions, which his excellency, after being 

 installed, had in the court of police, where he sits as president; 

 the former laws on that subject were all annulled, and those 

 now produced were of a much stricter nature than the others, 

 but on the whole, well arranged for a protection against revolts 

 of the negroes. One article, however, occasioned great in- 

 convenience to the inhabitants of Stabroek, and was produc- 

 tive of dangerous consequences to new comers, or unseasoned 

 inhabitants. 



When the health of the Batavian troops began to be so bad 

 that one half of them were confined to the hospital and bar- 

 racks, it was determined that they should never mount guard 

 or do night duty in Stabroek, but that a company of the 

 burgher militia, or inhabitants of Stabroek and the adjoining 

 towns, should do it. 



