The act was to continue in force for six months. This vexatious question was thus for the present set at rest. Sir Lionel Smith had been gazetted as Governor-General of the colonies of Demerara, Trinidad, and St. Lucia. He informed the House that, in consequence of his extended civil government, a necessity would frequently arise of absenting himself from the seat of government, and that the administration during his absence would fall to the President of his Majesty's Council: he recommended therefore that the Legislature should make some adequate provision for the President. Before the House came to a conclusion on this subject it expired. The new House consisted nearly of the same members, and his Excellency the Governor was present at the first meeting of the session on the 30th of June. It had been customary for the representative of the Crown to open the session with a speech. After the House had presented their Speaker, elected according to the standing rules, his Excellency addressed them with Spartan brevity:-" Gentlemen, you can proceed to your business; I have no observations to make, no remarks to trouble you with.” These are the words of the speech as reported in the Barbados Globe,' the paper published by the printer to the House of Assembly. The same number of the 'Globe' which records the proceedings of the opening session, contained a government notice that his Majesty had been pleased to approve of the appointment of Christopher Barrow, Forster Clarke, John S. Gaskin, and Benjamin Ifill, jun., Esqrs., as members of his Majesty's Council in Barbados. Some irregularities in the election of the members for St. Michael's had prevented Mr. R. B. Clarke and Mr. N. G. Taylor taking their seats at the first meeting of the new House of Assembly; they were however duly elected on the 20th of July. At the subsequent meeting no less than nine messages in writing from the Governor, of different natures, were laid before the House of Assembly; and the statement made by his Excellency at the opening of the session, that he had nothing to communicate, no remarks to make, omitting the constitutional mode of communicating with the House for the first time perhaps since the House possessed chartered rights, seemed at total variance with the number of communications now transmitted to them. The increase of the Council, by the appointment of four gentlemen in the place of only one vacancy, was considered an innovation for which there was no assigned or apparent cause. Stokes, in his Colonial Policy,' states that twelve was the uniform number of ordinary members; and, although there were instances of persons having been appointed who held important situations, as Dr. Crompton, and at a more recent period Bishop Coleridge, the head of the ecclesiastical establishment of these colonies, such exceptions only proved the general rule. The Secretary for the Colonies, Lord Glenelg, had observed in a despatch that the act passed in November 1834 for amending the slavery abolition act of Barbados was in several points at variance with the act of Parliament which had been laid before all the Colonial Legislatures for their guidance, and consequently that his Majesty could not sanction it; and that without these amendments being made, the payment of the compensation to the island must be suspended. These amendments were made at subsequent meetings, and various measures were framed to carry out the great object; as for instance, provision for a matron to preside over the female prisoners in the houses of correction, rules for the guidance of a superintendent to the treadmill, the provision for a salaried medical attendant to each house of correction, &c. The latter benevolent measure emanated from the Legislature, and was not prescribed by Parliament. It appears that a better feeling began now to exist between the Executive and the Legislature. The Governor-General addressed the House on the 21st of August in writing, informing that body that he had felt great satisfaction at the honour of receiving their address of the 18th of August, and at having been enabled to give his assent to the amended emancipation act and police acts. He did not consider his having been invested with the appointment of magistrates, or his subsequently having increased the number of the Council, any infraction of the constitution. These had never been laws of the charter, but were founded in the royal instructions, liable to change at the royal pleasure, as circumstances demanded. He sought only the same constitutional powers as the governors of other colonies possessed, and whilst he never would compromise what he believed to be his duty, he solemnly avowed the most earnest desire to profit in his administration by the advice and experience of his Council and the Legislature generally. The important act to assist the parishes in rebuilding their churches, destroyed by the hurricane in 1831, was sanctioned by the Governor. It declared that, on the application of the majority of vestrymen to the treasurer of the island, a loan not exceeding two thousand pounds currency should be advanced out of the treasury, which loan should be repaid by a tax of sixpence (currency) per acre annually. If however it should be more acceptable to some of the parishes to have a grant of money, the treasurer was authorized to pay this to the extent of £500 currency, upon being satisfied by proper certificates that £500 would complete the building of the church1. The next act of importance was one which provided for the building of houses of correction and police establishments, according to which the Governor was to appoint three members of his Majesty's Council, and five members of the General Assembly, to act as joint commissioners to carry the act into execu tion. The Commissioners were empowered to purchase six spots or parcels of land, one in each district of the island, for the erection of police establish 1 It is the Colonial Act, 6 Will. IV. cap. 5. ments and houses of correction, each spot of land not to exceed two acres. The erection of the buildings was to be executed according to certain plans, and they were to be connected with a signal-post, so as to communicate by telegraph with each other, or with the signal-posts already established1. The depravity prevailing at this time in Speightstown, as depicted in the speech which Mr. Springer delivered in the House of Assembly, would appear unparalleled in a civilized country. The Governor-General, in a message to the Legislature, drew their attention to the frequent breaches of the peace and irregular conduct, and the inability of the local authorities to put down these disturbances: his Excellency therefore recommended the organization of a constabulary force. At the meeting of the 29th of September Mr. Corbin presented a petition from the inhabitants of Speightstown for the establishment of a police and a market-place: from this I will only extract a single passage:"That your petitioners do not exaggerate in saying that boxing and cutting matches in the streets are not of unfrequent occurrence; obscene language and conduct often take place; gaming is carried on even on the Sabbath, frequently ended with battles; robberies take place regularly, and the house in which divine service is now performed was pelted lately without any discovery of the offender." A bill to effect the establishment of a constabulary force passed the House on the 15th of December nem. con., and a certain sum was to be granted from the treasury in aid of a police for Speightstown. The by-laws, ordinances and regulations for the good government of Bridgetown passed both Houses unanimously, and received the sanction of the Government on the 16th of November 1835. They consisted of several ordinances, stringent in their nature, and well-adapted to the state of society 2. Another act authorized the enclosure of the market-place, and the 1 Colonial Act, 6 Will. IV. cap. 6. 2 Viz. An ordinance relative to dangerous, noisome and offensive trades, and relative to the construction of chimneys. An ordinance relative to idle, disorderly and suspicious persons. An ordinance relative to porters, carters, boatmen and labourers. An ordinance against forestalling and regrating. An ordinance regulating the time for bringing provisions, poultry, guineagrass, and other articles from the country into Bridgetown. An ordinance regulating the building of houses. An ordinance relative to the keeping of the streets clean. An ordinance relative to hogs, goats and sheep, going at large in the streets. An ordinance relative to the firing of guns, pistols, or other fire-arms. An ordinance relative to riding and driving of horses, mules and cattle, and to the flying of kites. An ordinance relative to the dispersing of all mobs and the punishment of all indecorous behaviour within the limits of the town. An ordinance to prevent seamen being left on shore. erection of commodious buildings where the articles intended for market might be offered for sale. The act established certain tolls, and authorized the police magistrates to be visitors of the market, to see whether the regulations were carried into effect. The Sunday market for butchers' meat was abolished. Of equal importance was the establishment of regulations for the government and discipline of the rural police, which received the sanction of the Governor-General on the 9th of December. An act for the management and discipline of the common jail contained, among other rules, those established for inflicting punishment on the treadmill. The frequent circulars which the Governor-General addressed to the stipendiary magistrates and justices of the peace for the government of the labourers, evinced his anxious wish that the duties and interests of both employers and apprentices should be properly understood, and acted upon with justice and moderation. A scale of labour was established, framed by a committee of planters, by which all parties connected with agricultural pursuits were to be governed. The colonies of British Guiana and Trinidad, where extensive tracts of land were lying uncultivated for want of labourers, sent emissaries to Barbados to induce able-bodied labourers to emigrate to those colonies by holding out to them the promise of high wages. A thirst for novelty and change, which is a prominent trait in the negro character, induced a great number to leave the island, without providing for their offspring, or such of their aged relatives as were dependent on them for support. There were likewise many cases in which it was evident that the emigrants had been imposed upon; and when this practice increased, the Legislature saw themselves obliged to interfere, and to pass an act to secure the labourer against fraud, and to prevent mothers and fathers leaving their children to the mercy of others, or children forsaking their aged relations. Though numerous individuals who had left Barbados returned grievously disappointed, and frequently sick in body, the system continued for several years. The cruel practice of leaving their children behind was carried to such an extent that the disproportionate number of children who died of tender age in 1841 is ascribed to this circumstance'. Sir Lionel Smith received his Majesty's commands to assume the government of Jamaica, and Sir Evan John Murray MacGregor was appointed Governor and Commander-in-chief of Barbados. The period during which Sir Lionel Smith presided as his Majesty's representative over Barbados was one of the most eventful in the history of the colony. His administration was just and even-handed, and, though it has been observed that his inflexible temper and conduct would have rendered him more fitted to execute the laws of an arbitrary government than those of 1 See ante, p. 76. i a free country, the important measures and changes of those days which were to be forced upon the colonists, afford perhaps the best excuse for the style which he adopted in his messages to the Legislature, and the conduct which he followed in his intercourse with those over whom he presided. The Council addressed his Excellency on his departure, and referring to his removal, they observed: "It is the misfortune of being colonists in a small island, that often when their Governor has had time to obtain by his own observation a knowledge of the characters of the persons over whom he presides, and they have become acquainted with his talents and worth, they are deprived of the benefit of his government. In no instance can this observation more closely apply than on the present, when your Excellency is about to leave us. "From the excitement occasioned by important changes in our social system, it is probable that some of our members may have taken an erroneous view of many occurrences, and with mistaken judgement differed from your Excellency on various points with good motives; it is possible they have erred, and it is to us a subject of sincere regret that circumstances should ever have arisen to produce misunderstanding between your Excellency and any member of our Board. Your Excellency for a considerable time has possessed our entire confidence, obtained by our being witnesses of your impartial administration of justice to every class in this island; by your exercising, with benefit to the community, that controlling power which your exalted station placed in your hands over persons in every state of authority; and by enforcing proper subordination and due obedience to the laws on those who, neglecting their duty, were disposed to be disorderly and idle. The present flourishing condition of the island and the happiness of the inhabitants cannot be ascribed to adventitious circumstances-they are chiefly the result of your Excellency's laborious zeal and judicious administration. "The continuance of this prosperity and happiness depends upon the just views taken of our situation by your successors, and the permanence of that control which has been exercised by your Excellency since the passing of the abolition law. It is easy therefore to judge of our anxiety for the future. We cordially unite in sincerely thanking your Excellency for the blessings of good government, and in wishing your Excellency health and all possible happiness in every station to which his Majesty may be pleased, in consideration of your merits, to appoint you. Signed "We have, &c., &c. "JOHN BECKLES. "PHILIP L. HINDS. "R. A. ALLEYNE. "J. H. GITTENS. An address similar in purport was delivered to his Excellency by the House of Assembly, headed by their Speaker, on the 9th of August 1836. The following passage, so highly flattering to Sir Lionel Smith, deserves especially to be noticed:- |