The Colony of Surinam. 237 
managers and the delegates of the different Provinces of 
the United Republic. 
Under this octroy the highest official was the Gover- 
nor who was appointed by the Company, but held his 
commission from the States-General and His Highness 
the Prince of Orange, under instructions enacted and 
approved of by the States-General. The administration 
of the government of the colony w r as conducted by him, 
jointly with a Court of Policy, a Politycquen Raadt, 
which was to consist, at first of ten members and, after- 
wards, in the course of time and the population increas- 
ing, their number could be brought up to forty. They 
were chosen from the principal, the most intelligent and 
the most moderate inhabitants, and selected by the 
Governor out of a double number, elected by all the 
colonists. The form of government was representative, 
the right to vote, or franchise, was based on general 
suffrage, and the members of the Court of Policy were 
elected for life. On any vacancy, by death or depar- 
ture from the colony, the vacant seat was filled in same 
manner; it being provided however that, in case by a 
considerable increase of the population, an election by 
all the inhabitants should prove impracticable or likely to 
lead to disorder, it should be competent for the company, 
with the approbation of the States-General, to order the 
nomination and election of a new member to be made 
by the remaining members ; but such alteration in the 
fundamental law of the colony was disallowed unless 
the members of the Court of Policy should have in- 
creased to thirty in number.* 
* It appears that on or about the middle of the last century the elec- 
tion of members proceeded in the last mentioned way. The population 
