THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 523 



The Assembly met again in December, 1835. Thus far the government 

 had been able to counteract any opposition that had arisen in the popular body. 

 Tranquillity continued to prevail in all parts of the Colony according to 

 reports that came to the capital. The intelligence of this acted favorably on the 

 people. It was not without effect within the halls of the legislature. But little 

 of it supported the contention of the opposition as to the success of the appren- 

 ticeship system. x\t-the opening of the session, the Executive refrained from 

 making reference to anything that might distract the members from attention 

 to the public interests. Nothing was done to arouse the opposition. But the 

 discontented could not act with equanimity of mind from the very beginning of 

 the session.''" Things without and within disturbed them. Soon after the 

 meetings had begun, an American brigantine, whose masters were charged 

 with piracy, was brought into port.*'' As the Vice-Admiralty Court could not 

 meet for trial of the prisoners until February, 1836, a bill was passed in the 

 legislature to permit them to be tried at once without incurring the expense 

 of supporting them for almost two months.'" The judicial proceedings were 

 followed with interest by the people. The members of the Assembly were no 

 less stirred up than the rest of the community. Troops had to be employed to 

 guard the prisoners."^ A proposal to repeal the clause in the militia act, which 

 forbade the enrolment of the blacks in the service, was rejected by the House 

 after an animated discussion.'" A bill for improvements in the administration 

 of justice was thrown out on the second reading.''^ A very popular education 



^''^ Colebrooke to Glenelg, No. 10 (1836). 



*^Loc. cit., No. 120 (1835). 



"° Colebrooke to Glenelg, No. 4 (1836). There were 176 persons under the 

 charge of piracy. It did not seem unwise to dispose of their case as soon as 

 possible. 



^'^ Loc. cit., No. 13. 



^~ H. v., 1835-6, 53, resolutions passed on this occasion. Located as the 

 Africans were in the Colony in settlements almost entirely removed from the other 

 inhabitants and at a distance from any power to control them, this together with 

 the probability that more of them would arrive at any time from Africa caused the 

 majority in the House to think that " an act to prevent the enrolment of them in 

 the Colonial militia," was desirable. There lay in the removal of it too much 

 danger to the public peace. The House professed to be willing to facilitate the 

 enrolment of the militia, but not in this manner. 



*=* Regarding this action of the House, the Lieutenant-Governor wrote: "That 

 the bill for the administration of justice was not allowed to go into committee 

 may be ascribed to the clauses it contained for preserving the jury trial and the 

 constitutional objection I maintained to any abridgment of the right of the subject 

 to trial by jury which the House has shown a disposition to abridge since the recent 

 changes in society." Colebrooke to Glenelg, No. 10 (1836). 



