BRITISH WEST INDIES. 51 



for -without his consent no bill passes into a law ; — 

 and he may from time to time, as he alone shall 

 judge needfulj adjourn, prorogue, or dissolve all 

 such General Assemblies. He has the disposal of all 

 such civil employments as the Crown does not dis- 

 pose of; and with respect to such offices as are 

 usually filled up by the British Government, if 

 vacancies happen, the Governor appoints pro tempore, 

 and the persons so appointed are entitled to all the 

 emoluments, until they are superseded from home, and 

 until the persons nominated to supersede them arrive 

 in the colony. The Governor claims the privilege 

 also, in extraordinary cases, and has been known 

 frequently to exercise it, of suspending even such 

 civil officers as act immediately under her Majesty's 

 authority, or by commission from the Board of 

 Treasury or Admiralty, in high and lucrative 

 employments, such as the Attorney and Advocate 

 General, the Collectors of the Customs, &c., and of 

 nominating other persons to act in their room, until 

 the Queen's pleasure shall be known therein. He 

 is also empowered to extend the Queen's gracious 

 pardon to aU criminals, except only in cases of 

 murder and high treason ; and in these cases, the 

 Governor is allowed to reprieve, until the signifi- 

 cation of the royal pleasure. 



4—2 



