Page:Max Havelaar Or The Coffee Sales of the Netherlands Trading Company Siebenhaar.djvu/319

 He rose and wrote the following request, in my opinion an example of eloquence:

“Rangkas-Betoong, 29th March, 1856. “To the Governor-General of Netherlands India.

“I have had the honour to receive Your Excellency’s Cabinet-missive of the 23rd instant, No. 54.

“I find myself compelled, in answer to that document, to ask your Excellency to give me my honourable discharge from the service of the State.

“.”

Not so long a time was required at Buitenzorg to give the discharge applied for as appeared to have been necessary for the decision as to how one might divert Havelaar’s accusation.

“Thank God!” exclaimed Tine, “that at last you may be yourself!”

Havelaar received no instructions provisionally to hand over the administration of his division to Verbrugge, and thought therefore that he should await his successor. That officer was a long time in arriving, as he had to come from an entirely different part of Java. After waiting nearly three weeks, the ex-Assistant-Resident of Lebak, who, however, had all the time still functioned as though in office, wrote the following letter to Controller Verbrugge:

“No. 153. “Rangkas-Betoong, 15th April, 1856.

“To the Controller of Lebak.

“You are aware that by Government-decree of the 4th instant, No. 4, I have, at my own request, been honourably discharged from the service of the State.

“I might have been at once justified, on receipt of that decision, in giving up my duties as Assistant-Resident, as it appears an anomaly to fulfil a function without being an official.