Payment by Results in British Guiana. 133 



opulent, most intelligent and most thoughtful of the in- 

 habitants of the colony ; therefore the charge of sordid 

 considerations or want of foresioht could not be suc- 

 cessfully brought against them. Nor was it indifference 

 or lack of interest in the well-being of the colony, for 

 judging by their public utterances and condu6t, the 

 determined stand they now and then make on behalf of 

 education, and the energy they display in bringing 

 abuses to the notice of the Government, one cannot but 

 come to the conclusion that the education of the masses 

 occupies a very prominent position in their thoughts. 

 What circumstances, then, were responsible for the in- 

 consistencies to be found in every code promulgated 

 since 1862? As the legislators were wise, intelligent, 

 opulent, above petty influences or ignoble considerations, 

 thoughtful as well as fully alive to the interests of the 

 colony, they were clearly not responsible for this re- 

 grettable state of things which existed and still exists. 

 Further, they were, and are still evidently powerless to 

 prevent or amend them. Apparently, Educational 

 Regulations, good and bad, successful and unsuc- 

 cessful, ancient and modern, are all written on slips 

 of paper, and together with several blanks, thrown 

 into a bag. When it is desirable to have a New Educa- 

 tional System, the bag is taken from its peg, shaken, 

 and a hand thrust in at a venture to draw out the re- 

 quired number of regulations. This process is repeated 

 until the number of clauses is obtained. Sometimes 

 blanks are drawn, as the clause in the " Additional 

 Regulations of 1892" which provides for the punishment 

 of parents (or teachers?) for the non-payment of school 

 tees ; sometimes those which were highly beneficial to 



