378 GREAT BRITAIN, COLONIAL POSSESSIONS AND DEPENDENCIES OF. 



The form of government is stated after tbe 

 definition given in the " Colonial Office List," 

 under which the colonies are divided into three 

 classes, viz. : 1. Crown colonies, in which the 

 crown has the entire control of legislation, 

 while the administration, is carried on hy offi- 

 cers under the direction of the home govern- 

 ment ; 2. Colonies possessing Representative 

 Institutions, in which the crown has hut a veto 

 on legislation, hut the home government re- 

 tains the control of puhlic officers ; 3. Colonies 

 possessing Responsible Government, in which 



the crown has only a veto on legislation, and the 

 home government has no control over any pub- 

 lic officer except its own representative. The 

 cost of the colonial possessions to Great Brit- 

 ain has heen gradually declining for a number 

 of years, and does not now amount to more 

 than $8,750,000 per annum, of which two- 

 thirds is paid on account of nine of the pos- 

 sessions classed as general military and naval 

 stations, viz., Gibraltar, Malta, Cape of Good 

 Hope, the Mauritius, Bermuda, St. Helena, He- 

 ligoland, the Falkland Islands, and Hong-Kong. 



