442 HISTORY 



period compatible with a fair consideration for the rights of private property.'''' 

 Under the second of these heads may be grouped the details of the measures 

 that were proposed. The negroes were to be instructed in the principles of 

 Christian morality and religion, to be qualified for and given the right to 

 testify in the courts of law, to be taught the sacredness of the marriage tie, to 

 be secured against the forced neglect of it, to be given every facility in securing 

 their own emancipation, to be attached to the soil, to be protected from too 

 severe punishments, and to be given facility and encouragement in the accu- 

 mulation of property/' 



Besides maintaining that these reforms were only giving justice to the 

 slaves from the humanitarian point of view, the Ministry attempted to point 

 out to the colonists that from the point of view of the slave owner's real inter- 

 ests these things were also demanded. The state of feeling in the mother coun- 

 try, and the solicitude of the people for the slaves, were held out to the As- 

 sembly; and after the refusal of the Bahama House to act compliantly 'with 



"^ H. v., 1823, pp. 35-37. Copy of these resolutions of Parliament. 



"" H. v., 1832, p. 17. The details of the plan are fully set forth in the Order- 

 in-councll for Trinidad, a copy of which is given in this place. This order was put 

 in force in the Crown colonies. It is a document embodying a great many details 

 in large volume. The Ministry had at first attempted merely the suggestion of the 

 general outlines of what they desired of the Colony in the amelioration of the 

 slaves. It was soon found that their suggestions were purposely, and deliberately, 

 given a wrong interpretation by the colonial legislature. The latter affected to 

 misunderstand the intentions of the home government, holding this in the way as a 

 reason why the recommendations should not be enacted into their codes. 



The more important provisions of the Trinidad Order-in-council were as follows: 

 A protector of slaves should be appointed to reside at the capital of the Colony, and 

 have there an office open at all times to give access to and hear complaints from the 

 slaves; the protector was not to be interested in slave property by ownership, man- 

 agement or guardianship of the owners of it; he was to keep the records of the 

 operations of the system, to attend all trials affecting the lives or property of slaves; 

 and in all his functions he was to have the assistance of the Commandant of the 

 military forces of the Colony. Sunday markets were to be abolished throughout 

 the Colony; slaves were not to be allowed to work between sundown on Saturday 

 evening and sunrise on Monday morning. The use of the whip or " cat " as a mark 

 of the authority of the slave-driver was to be prohibited; only limited punishments 

 were to be allowed to be inflicted each day; the flogging of females was altogether 

 done away with; and strict records of punishments inflicted were to be kept on 

 each plantation. With the consent of the owner, the Commandant of the Colony 

 could issue licenses for the marriage of slaves; husbands and wives were not to be 

 separated from each other, nor children under fourteen years of age from their 

 parents. Slaves were to enjoy property rights, holding and inheritance, etc.; savings 

 banks were to be established for the security of the property of slaves. The tax 

 on manumissions was to be abolished; slaves were to be allowed to purchase their 



