The Colony of Surinam. 239 
tants and three among the ex-members of the Court, 
who were re-eligible. In its decisions and resolutions 
the Court had to proceed by majority of votes. In case 
of equal or standing votes the Governor's advice, in this 
Court, was decisive. 
The Court of Policy had right of precedence, and the 
members of the Court of Policy elected and sent to be 
members of the Court of Justice had a right of prece- 
dence over the members elected among the inhabitants 
and colonists. 
The colony prospered under this form of Government. 
But it was of short duration. The growing distrust in 
the company's administration of the colony, which began 
to show itself about the middle of the last century : the 
infractions on, and the apert violations of, the privileges 
granted in 1682 with respect to the constitution of the 
Polity cquen Raadtj in answer on a petition for redress by 
the planters and inhabitants of the colony of the 23rd 
March, 1753, (see HARTSINCK cited here before:) the 
deplorable and chaotic state into which her affairs had 
passed : her inability both to fulfil her obligations under 
the o6lroy of 1682, and to provide the planters with the 
required labour : her desperate financial distress, amount- 
ing to bankruptcy, annihilated her authority, hastened 
her downfall and, at last, her dissolution in 1791. 
The constitution of 1682 continued however all that 
time in force. But only in principle and in name. The 
unsettled and stormy state of affairs at home : the unsuc- 
cessful trials given to various forms of Government for the 
mother country and her colonies : the invasion of the 
French armies and the incorporation of Holland with 
France : the occupation of Surinam by England : all 
