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192 TRINIDAD. 



shape o£ resolutions, which are transmitted to the Colonial Office 

 for consideration. The unfixed establishment is regulated every 

 year. All motions for money must come through the Governor. 

 There are regular meetings of the board on the first day of each 

 month, or on the day following, should the first be a Sunday, 

 and at any other time the Governor may think proper to call the 

 members specially together ; and the board is to sit from day to 

 day until the standing business is disposed of; the president 

 and eight members to form a quorum. In the absence of his 

 Excellency, the senior member presides. The sittings are public, 

 and the proceedings reported in the newspapers of the colony. 



It is before this board, then presided over by the chief judge, 

 or, in his absence, by the senior member of the council, that each 

 new Governor takes the oath previous to entering into office. 



The Governor is vested with extensive powers ; and, as 

 has the uncontrolled appointment of all officers who are not 

 the fixed establishment, he can suspend and dismiss them wit 

 out referring to the Colonial Office. All others he can suspend 

 from office — even the members of council — until her Majesty's 

 pleasure is made known. He may require the attendance at the 

 council-board of all the members, and exact that of the official 

 section. The chief judge being by position the only independent 

 member of this section, the Governor may be said to have the 

 command of the votes of the officials ; and he can, with a little 

 stratagem and his own casting vote, form a majority on any 

 important question he wishes to carry or oppose. He has also 

 the control of the public funds ; and the receiver-general, it 

 seems, is justified in paying out any sum of money on the 

 Governor's warrant. By royal instructions he is not authorised 

 — except in urgent cases — to order the payment of any sum of 

 money above £200, without special authority from the secretary 

 of state, and previous sanction by the board. He can also veto 

 any measure passed by the legislative council. 



General Administration. — This may be considered under 

 five different heads : Administrative, civil, judicial, ecclesiastical, 

 and financial. 



Administrative Section. — As I have already stated, Lord 

 Harris introduced in the year 1849 a new territorial division of 

 the island, which was accordingly partitioned into two grand 

 sections, the northern and the southern, each being sub-divided 



