224 LETTER IX. 



his Office devolves upon the Governor, (or in cafe 

 of his Death, the Prefident) and Council of Ne- 

 visy till the King fends a new one : This Gover- 

 nour, as Ordinary, has the cognizance of Wills^ 

 and granting Adminiftrations, and Marriage Li- 

 cences. Sometimes (perhaps once in twenty years) 

 all thefe four Councils, and the four Affemblies 

 too, meet together. The Council is nominated 

 by our Governor^General, and reprefents an £;/- 

 gUp Houfe of Lords : And the Affembly ferves 

 for a Houfe of Commons, being chofen by the 

 Free-holders of our five Parifhes, that is to fay^ 

 Two Members for each Parifli, are annually 

 elected, according to the laudible old Cuftom of 

 England. In my time, the Nevijians were a Peo- 

 ple tenacious of their Liberties -y and I charitably 

 hope, that they ftill perfevere in the fame Heroic 

 Difpofition : In fliort, fhould any Member have 

 mentioned a Septennial AiTembly, he would have 

 been thought no Friend to their Conftitution. It 

 was currently reported, that our then Governor- 

 General, gave for his Commiffion (which lafts but 

 for three years) Six thoufand Englijh Pounds, to a 

 favourite Courtier ^ but I hope it was a falfe Story ; 

 for when he bafely tried to perfuade the Govern- 

 ipent here, to take away the Motherfliip from 

 JSfevis, and fettle it upon Jiztigua^ as being the 

 more confiderable Ifland, they abfolutely refufed to 

 hearken to fuch a difhonourable infinuation, and 



forbid 



