490 HISTORY 



it would not consider his petition at all.^° The matter was allowed to drop. 

 A few weeks later in the session one of the members for Harbor Island resigned, 

 and Malcolm was allowed to take the seat thus vacated.^ 



Peovision foe the Coming Changes. 



This House had met for the purpose of attending to the business of the 

 Colony. It was necessary first to provide for keeping the slaves until the day 

 when they would pass into the new condition of apprentices. The Eegistry 

 Bill was reenacted on February 5,""' and other necessary matters were disposed 

 of. The important work for this session was to provide for giving effect to the 

 Abolition Act of Parliament. A copy of the Order-in-council, that had been 

 proclaimed in the Crown colonies, was sent to the House as a convenient out- 

 line for the formulation of the auxiliary act.'"'' It was designed to relieve the 

 slaveholders as much as possible in the loss of their property, and to lighten 

 the burdens of the bondsman in the same manner. But the sug- 

 gestions of the Ministry were not made in the form of demands. Slavery 

 had been given its deathblow by the home government, and now everything was 

 to be done to assist the afflicted colonies to make the best of a bad situation, 

 which was, however, almost inevitable in the annals of nineteenth century 

 progress in civilization. The apprenticeship system was recommended, as the 

 most beneficial to the negroes, and as least burdensome to the masters, but 

 the express instruction was that "neither as individuals nor as a legislature 

 were they bound to continue the state of slavery, or apprenticeship, for an 

 hour." '^ 



The House set to work at once. A committee investigated the points 

 touched upon in the Lieutenant-Governor's speech at the opening. DifEculties 

 arose, owing to the ignorance which prevailed, on the part of both House and 

 Executive, as to the share which this Colony was to have in the establishment 

 provided for by the Abolition Act."" The act was passed, and the necessary 

 provision for the introduction of the apprenticeship system on August 1, 1834. 



™Z/Oc. cit., p. 68. 



"^Loc. cit., p. 111. 



™ H. v., 1835, p. 176,- the defects of this act are pointed out here. 



* H. v., 1834, pp. 19-47. 



=" H. v., 1834, p. 5. 



="' This is especially true as to the number of the special magistrates that were 

 to be allotted to this Colony. For a description of these magistrates and their 

 powers, see next chapter. For the recommendations of the House committee, see 

 H. v., 1834, p. 169. 



