522 HISTORY 



The spirit of the opposition was " inimical to the changes in progress." "° The 

 Council, with the exception of one or two members, was in favor of the program 

 of the government. 



A session of the Assembly which began in the autumn of 1834, under the 

 administration of Balfour, continued until after the coming of Colebrooke, 

 in February of the following year. In March, 1835, the House of Assembly 

 incorporated in its appropriation bill an item of £"3225 as remuneration to 

 Henshall Stubbs, the member from the Turks Islands, on a claim for service 

 rendered with a private guardship at the Turks Islands, during the agitation 

 over the abolition of slavery."" The claimant voted in his own behalf and the 

 appropriation bill was carried in the House by a majority of only one vote. 

 On account of the presence of this item the Council rejected the whole appro- 

 priation bill. A sensation was created in the House by this vote. To prevent 

 a difficulty the Lieutenant-Governor prorogued the Assembly for a few days. 

 A new session began within a few days afterwards. No serious interruption 

 of business was caused by the prorogation and the effect of it on the House was 

 salutary. The members became milder and received government recommen- 

 dations with more favor than before."' But in this session one of the first 

 things to come up was the appropriation bill including the claim of the Turks 

 Islands member. The amount of the claim had now been reduced to £900. 

 The Council, although disposed to reject the bill again, passed it and it received 

 the assent of the Executive.''' The Council did not adjourn without placing on 

 record a resolution that it would pass no more such claims for public services 

 unless they were preferred through the Executive. The bone of contention 

 was removed. The Assembly was prorogued without further breach of rela- 

 tions, but the feeling in the House was not such as to promise careful consider- 

 ation to proposals at the next session. 



^'"Loc. cit. 



"" H. v., 1834-5, p. 1.30, report of the committee on this claim. There had been 

 excitement and insubordination at the TurlvS Islands in the year 1832 when all were 

 expecting action by Parliament on the slave question. The slaves were not easily 

 controlled. Many of them were eloping from Grand Cay. There was little hope of 

 securing aid from Nassau to put down the insubordinate. Stubbs offered to employ 

 his own vessel, equipped and manned by himself, on condition that the inhabitants 

 would certify that the vessel was needed to preserve the peace. Thirty-seven per- 

 sons, five of whom were magistrates, agreed to certify to his claim. Stubbs fitted 

 out and manned his vessel and did guard duty from April 11, 1832, until March 

 6, 1834. 



"^Colebrooke to Aberdeen, No. 26. 



*°^ Colebrooke to Aberdeen, No. 64. 



