472 HISTORY 



but two obstinately refused to make the apologies required of them. The other 

 five had to submit to the indignity of remaining in prison for a few days. The 

 effect of this was to increase the influence of the Executive and the public con- 

 fidence in his impartiality* to all classes.^*' 



The Out-Islands. 



Although the Governor could send back an Assembly to its constituency, 

 still he could not by this means control slave masters in all their dealings with 

 their slaves. The people did not consider themselves subject to all the re- 

 straints which the Governor had attempted to enforce in their relations with 

 their slave property. In the Out-islands the prestige of the reforms that had 

 been effected in part at Nassau was not great. In these places the Magistrates 

 were of the same class as the ignorant mass of the people. From such admin- 

 istrators of the law, justice could hardly have been expected, especially towards 

 a class of persons whom they held as chattels. The consolidated slave law was 

 so loosely constructed, and speciously worded, that it could easily be interpreted 

 and applied to the prejudice of the slave class. The giving of slave testimony 

 had become a deterrent to the infliction of wanton punishments of slaves, and 

 yet the section of the slave code applying to testimony was the most complicated 

 portion of the statute."^ The possibility of abuses on the Out-islands was so 

 great that Governor Smyth resolved, on his own authority,, not to allow the 

 removal of slaves from New Providence to any of the Out-islands, unless the 

 names of all slaves thus removed should be entered in his office as qualified and 

 competent to give evidence in the courts."^ At Governors Harbor, Eleuthera, 

 it was reported that several masters had not allowed to their slaves the requisite 

 legal amount of food and clothing."' Cases of cruelty occurred in some places. 

 In several instances when masters attempted to exercise authority over slaves, 

 or to inflict punishment on them, the latter ran away to Nassau, where they 

 knew they could claim the protection of the Governor.'"' It has been stated 



'^* Smyth's Ds., No. 203. It is interesting to note in connection with this affair 

 that the Secretary of State not only refused to ratify the conduct of the Governor, 

 but that he also replied that he had no power to interfere with, or take cognizance 

 of, the exercise of the Governor's powers as Chancellor of the Colony. He declined 

 even to express an opinion on it. Ds., S. St., 1832, No. 114. 



"^Smyth's Ds., No. 212. Also 10 Geo. IV, 13. 



"» Smyth's Ds., No. 212. 



''^LoG. cit. Also Balfour to Stanley, No. 27. 



"' Smyth's Ds., Nos. 63, 64, 187, 189 and 216. 



