The Colony of Surinam. 
OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HER 
POLITICAL ORGANISATION AND HER LEGISLATION. 
By B. E. Colaco Belmonte, LL.D., graduate of the University of Ley den, 
Advocate at the Bar of British Guiana. 
i. Political. — By a treaty between England and the 
Republic of the United Netherlands, dated the gth day 
February 1674, alter the second war, the rights and 
title of the Republic in and over the colony of Surinam 
were finally confirmed and recognised, and said colony 
was rendered to the Dutch as conquest of the Republic. 
The Province of Zeeland however, had before that 
time claimed a dominion over the colony, under an as- 
serted right of previous occupation and of having in- 
curred in 1667 expenses in regaining possession of the 
colony from England. Her pretensions were strongly 
opposed by the States of Holland, in particular on the 
strength of a resolution of the States-General of 4th 
November 1668, wherein it was expressly stated that 
Surinam was reconquered by vessels equipped at the 
general expense of all the Provinces (the Generaliteyt) 
and by the land forces of the Republic. The conten- 
tion between the two Provinces remained however un- 
settled, and the States of Zeeland continued after the 
treaty of 1674, to retain and rule the colony as before. 
In the meantime the sovereign power was with the 
States-General. Negotiations, anterior to the said 
treaty between the States-General and the States of 
Zeeland had proved ineffectual, the latter, though de- 
