THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 485 



The first matter disposed of by the House was the extension of privileges 

 to the free black population. The provisions of the resulting statute vfill show 

 how willing the people were to grant rights to this class. The act passed was 

 entitled, "An act for Relieving His Majesty's free Colored and Black Subjects 

 from all Civil Disabilities." "' It contained first a declaration that this class 

 should have the same privileges as if they were descended from white parents, 

 and that they would be entitled to give testimony in the courts, after having 

 enjoyed the state of freedom for a period of two years. But, as if this were 

 granting too much at one time, this broad declaration was qualified. Native 

 Africans brought in and manumitted were not to be allowed to give testimony 

 until after six years residence in the Colony, and then only on presentation of 

 a certificate from a justice of the peace, or from a clergyman of the established 

 church, that they were qualified to testify.^' This statute was allowed to re- 

 main in force for two or three years. It was then disallowed by the King. 



Stedggle over Executive Functions. 



The Lieutenant-Governor now laid before the House the abolition act of 

 the imperial Parliament, together with the instruction as to the auxiliary act, 

 which the legislature was to pass, in order to give effect to the provisions of 

 the imperial act. Some of the members of the House seemed to have desired 

 to put on the records of the House a protest against the interference of 

 Parliament in the affairs of the Colony. They were warned by the Lieutenant- 

 Governor that it would not be advisable to do so.'*' The Lieutenant-Governor 

 formed a plan for an auxiliary act, different from that which had been advised 

 in the instructions from the home government, as he thought that that plan 

 would not succeed in operation in this Colony, owing to geographical condi- 

 tions.'"" But his hopes for cooperation from this Assembly were doomed to 

 disappointment through the intrusion of an old and contested question. The 

 House of Assembly held an indirect control over some of the most important 

 executive functions of the colonial government. Through some means, per- 

 haps, as Lieutenant-Governor Balfour said, by the negligence of his predecessors 

 in the executive government, the House directly appointed the commissioners, 

 who were regularly entrusted with the management of public interests, thus 



'-'' 4 William IV, Chap. 1. 



^4 "William IV, 1; H. V., 1833, p. 32. A clause, regarding the giving of 

 testimony in the act of 1829, was repealed by this act. 

 ■^'H. v., 1833, pp. 245-6. 

 «» Balfour to Stanley, No. 52. 



