Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/25

GOVERNMENT, 13 the individual, and not only fills up vacancies by death, but will take upon them to remove an ob- noxious individual, and proceed to a new election. Independent of their deliberative functions, the members of the council of seven hold also executive offices ; one, for example, is first minister, another commander of the army, &c. Any individual of the privileged families, even a woman or an infant, is eligible to be raised either to the government of the particular states, or to be head of the general government. When a wo- man or minor, as very frequently happens, is rais- ed to the latter office, the constitution provides a guardian. This person is called in their language Madangrangy which means literally " a prop or support." The head of the confederacy cannot separate him- self from his council to go on a warlike expedition, or similar employment, without, by a kind of fic- tion, making a temporary abdication of the throne. In this case he is at liberty to nominate a viceroy, an officer who, in the Bugis language, is called his Sulexvatang, or proxy. The majority of the council then attend the king, and the remainder stay with the Sulexvatang to render him assistance. In illustration of this peculiarity of the govern- ment, I shall report the substance of a conversa- tion which took place in 1814, in the council of Boni, as it was rendered to me from the native