29* HISTORICAL ACCOUNT [BOOK n. 



having made any deference to my opinion : in it, my lords, much sue- 

 cess depends upon the despatch, and of the circumstances Mr. Atkinson 

 will give you an account. His business is wholly to attend your lord- 

 ships, and I believe, he will always be in the way. He has prayed me to 

 intercede with your lordships, to excuse what errors he may commit, as 

 having been a West-Indian for these eight years past, and do on his behalf 

 beg that favour of your lordships j but hope that he will prove so discreet, 

 as to give your lordships no manner of offence. I thought it the readiest 

 and best way to have all things rightly understood, and do hope that 

 issue will be produced from it. 



I am, your Lordships' most 



humble, and obedient servant, 



CARLISLE. 

 St. Jago de la Vega> AW. 15, 1678. 



NUMBER IX. 



Extract of a Letter from the Earl of Carlisle to Mr. Secretary Coventry. 



On the sd of September last, the general assembly met ; but under 

 so much dissatisfaction from the new frame of government, and their 

 losing their deliberative part of power, in framing, altering, and amend- 

 ing laws, that they spent near a fortnight very uneasily about some of the 

 laws, and would have begun with the bill of revenue, to have thrown that 

 out first, as a mark of their disallowing the new method of government, 

 being so highly incensed, that they were near questioning the king's power 

 and authority to do it : insomuch, that I, taking the maintenance thereof 

 to be in my charge, and finding some of the council equally disgusted at 

 the change of government, and foreseeing that it was like to encourage 

 discontent in the assembly, to take them off, and leave the assembly 

 upon their humour by themselves, I thought it absolutely 



necessary to put this question to each of the counsellors, in these words : 

 '* Do you submit and consent to this present form of government which 

 44 his majesty hath been pleased to order for this island of Jamaica?" 

 To which the chief justice, col. Long, refused to answer, with two 

 more, col. Charles Whitfield ajid col. Thomas Freeman. The chief 

 justice, being a man of very great influence upon the assembly, I pre- 

 sently suspended, and gave the other two (less dangerous) till morn- 

 irg to consider on it : and then the chief justice sent to me his submission 



