A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 11: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History; of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and; Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the; Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 11: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History; of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and; Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the; Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
The governor-general is head of the empire belonging to the company in
India, being as it were stadtholder, captain-general, and admiral of
the Indies. By his office he is president of the supreme council, in
which he has two voices. He has the keys of all the magazines, and
directs every thing belonging to them, without being accountable to
any one. He commands by his own proper authority, and every person is
bound to obey him, so that his authority equals, and even surpasses,
that of several European sovereigns. But he is accountable to, and
removeable by the directors at home. In cases, however, of being
guilty of treason, or any other enormous crime, the Council of Justice
have a right to seize his person and call him to account. In case the
governor-general dies or resigns his office, the Council of the Indies
meets and elects a successor, when they immediately write to the
directors at home, desiring them to confirm and approve their choice.
They also write to the same purpose to the states-general of the
United Provinces, who have reserved to themselves the power of
confirming or excluding a governor-general. It is usual, however, for
the directors and the state to confirm the choice of the council, and
to send him letters patent, conformable to the desire of the council;
yet there have been some instances of the directors rejecting the
governor-general thus elected, and sending out another.
The salary allowed by the company to the governor-general is 800
rix-dollars, with other 500 dollars for his table, and also pay the
salaries of the officers of his household. But these appointments form
a very small portion of his revenue; as the legal emoluments of his
office are so great that he is able to amass an immense fortune in
two or three years, without oppressing the people or burdening his
conscience. Being the head and apparent sovereign of all the countries
belonging to or dependent upon the company, he is allowed a court and
most of the honours usually paid to crowned heads, in compliance with
the customs of the east. When he goes from his palace to his country
seat, he is preceded by the master of his household, at the head
of six gentlemen on horseback. A trumpeter and two halberdeers on
horseback go immediately before the coach. The master of the horse and
six mounted halberdeers ride on the right; and he is followed by
other coaches carrying his friends and retinue. The whole cavalcade is
closed by a troop of forty-eight dragoons, commanded by a captain and
three quarter-masters, and preceded by a trumpeter richly clothed. If
this office be considerable for its honour, power, and emolument,
it is also very fatiguing, as the governor-general is employed from
morning to night in giving audiences, in reading letters, and in
giving orders in the service of the company; so that he seldom can
allow above half an hour for dinner, and even dispatches pressing
affairs while at table. He has also to receive all Indian princes and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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