513 HISTORY 



to absolve his obligation to his master for a stipulated consideration/"" A 

 number of others were released for no pecuniary consideration. 



Just before the close of the apprenticeship period, Parliament amended its 

 abolition act with a statute regulating the labor of apprentices/"'' It enjoined 

 certain duties on the employers, gave the governors of colonies additional 

 powers of control of apprentices, and gave the latter a numl)er of additional 

 privileges and exemptions. It was of no considerable importance in this 

 Colony, having been declared in force on May 29, 1838, only two months before 

 the laborers, praedials as well as non-praedials, were finally set free. It might 

 have borne some fruit in vexing the masters in this Colony. As it was, perhaps 

 its principal result was in helping to induce the local Assembly to enact a law 

 releasing the praedials from the unexpired portion of their term of apprentice- 

 ship. 



Complaints. 



The complaints made by the employers and apprentices were mostly of a 

 trivial nature. They were much more frequent at the beginning than after 

 the magistrates had completed the first visitations to all parts of the Colony. 

 They became less and less frequent with each successive tour.'"* As has been 

 stated the formation of voluntary engagements tended greatly to lessen the 

 number of complaints,^"" and the arbitration of difficulties was successful and 

 satisfactory to all."^ 



Punishments. 

 The special magistrates had the power to require obedience to engage- 

 ments, and good conduct on the part of all by the infliction of penalties on 

 offenders. The mind naturally reverts to the lash when penalties are men- 

 tioned in this connection. We have seen that Parliament prohibited its use for 

 women in the abolition act. It went out of use also for male servants. Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor Colebrooke soon after his arrival ordered a gradual discontinu- 

 ance of its use as a stimulus to labor, and the substitution for it of other modes 



"-The total number of instances of this up to Sept., 1835, was 81; the total 

 amount paid for these was £1215 9 s. or a little more than £15 each. Those 

 voluntarily released without compensation during the same period numbered 688; 

 293 being males and 395 females. 



'°*Imp. Stats., 1 Vic, 19. 



^"^ Sess. P., 1836, 49, p. 532. Also pp. 543-5, on report of circuit, especially that 

 referring to Cat Island and Rum Cay. 



"' Colebrooke to Glenelg, No. 95. 



""■ Sess. p., 1836, 49, pp. 524-31, No. 3. 



