464 HISTORY 



before they were first suspended. The sanction of the home government of the 

 removal for a second time was a virtual confirmation of the policy of the 

 Governor in his dealing with the police magistrates."' 



Elections of 1832. 

 It was necessary, for the sake of the interests of the Colony, to have another 

 session of the Assembly, but the Governor delayed the issuance of the writs of 

 election in order that the minds of the excited slaveholders might become more 

 calm before legislation was again undertaken.'" The calmer mood was not 

 reached, however, as he had hoped it might be. All classes in the Colony looked 

 forward anxiously to the coming election. The members of the late House did 

 not give up their determination to contest every point with the Governor. Tn 

 this they were supported by a majority of the voting population."" At the be- 

 ginning of the last session of the Assembly a number of the more conservative 

 members, who were men of influence in the community, had withdrawn 

 from the House in order to avoid being present on the occurrence of such a 

 breach with the government, as seemed to be inevitable. Only four members 

 were left who were favorable to the Governor. Almost every vote of the session 

 had resulted in a majority of 13 to 4 against him. The extremists now set 

 about the returning of the same individuals to the new House. A scurrilous 

 newspaper, edited by a disaffected individual, took issue with almost every act of 

 the government, and became the organ of the opposition, reveling in false 

 charges against the government and gross abuse of the colored population/" 

 Local officials, the payment of whose salaries depended on the annual grant of 



^^^ Smyth's Ds., Nos. 122 and 124, and Ds., S. St., 1832, Nos. 44 and 45. 



^" Smyth's Ds., No. 127. 



^^^See H. v., 1832; app., p. 1. Petition of the House for the removal of the 

 Governor. Petitions were also sent in from the inhabitants of New Providence, 

 from Harbor Island, and from Abaco, calling for the removal of the vexatious 

 Governor. See loc. cit. and ft. The results of the elections to the new House 

 will show better than these things the state of feeling of the majority of the voters 

 of the Colony towards the policy of the representative of the Crown in the Bahama 

 government. 



"° Smyth's Ds. of July 2, 1832, account of the prosecution of the editor of the 

 Argus for libels on the Governor, abuse of the negroes, and the whites who had 

 acted in support of the Governor and his policy. This editor was convicted on the 

 first of the six charges brought against him. The others were withdrawn. See on 

 the conduct of this paper, Ds., No. 127. 



