302 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT [BOOK n. 



any old law, or to give reasons for any new one, whrch, being modelled 

 by the governor and council into form of" Jaw, and transmitted unto your 

 majesty, if by your majesty and council found reasonable, may be trans- 

 mitted back thither to be enacted accordingly. 



6th. It was sufficiently apparent unto your majesty, that laws must al- 

 ter with the interet ok the place, when you were graciously pleased to lodge 

 such a power in that government, as might not only, from time to time, 

 with your majesty's approbation, and by the advice both of your 

 privy council here and of the governor and council there, enable the as- 

 sembly to enact new laws answerable to their growing necessities, but even, 

 upon urgent occasions, to provide, by raising money, for the security of 

 the island, without attending your majesty's orders or consent. 



yth. It is not to be doubted but the assembly have endeavoured to 

 grasp all power, as well as that of a deliberative voice, in making laws : 

 but how far they have thereby intrenched upon your majesty's preroga- 

 tive, and exceeded the bounds of their duty and loyalty, upon this pre- 

 tence, may appear by their late exorbitant and unwarrantable proceedings 

 during the government of the Lord Vaughan, in ordering and signing a 

 //arrant under the marshal of the island, your majesty's officer of justice, 

 for the stopping and preventing the execution of a sentence passed, ac- 

 cording to the ordinary forma of lav/, upon a notorious pirate and disturb- 

 er of your majesty's peace : and they have further taken upon them, by 

 virtue of this deliberative power, to make laws contrary to those of Eng- 

 land, and to imprison your majesty's subjects, nor have they forborne to 

 raise money by public acts, and to dispose of the same according to 

 their will and pleasure, without any mention made of your majesty, 

 which has never in like ease been practised in any of your majesty's king- 

 doms. How far, therefore, it is fit to intrust them with a power which 

 they have thus abused, and to which they have no pretension of right, 

 was the subject of your majesty's royal commission, when you were 

 pleased to put a restraint upon those enormities, and to take the reins of 

 government into your own hands, which they in express words, against 

 their duty and allegiance, have challenged and refused to part with. 



8th. It cannot with any truth be supposed, that, by the present form 

 of government, the governor is rendered absolute, since he is now, more 

 than ever, become accountable unto your majesty of all his most import- 

 ant deliberations and actions, and is not warranted to do any thing but ac- 

 cording to law and your majesty's commission and instructions* given by 

 .advice ,of your privy counciL 



