THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 493 



slave institution. The slaye was now to be given equal rights with his late 

 master in every way that the law could define those rights. " The great cardi- 

 nal principle of the law for the abolition of slavery," wrote Lord Glenelg in 

 1837, " is that the apprenticeship of the emancipated slaves is to be immediately 

 followed by personal freedom " in the same way as it applied to the other sub- 

 jects of the British Crown."" The old order in which the slave had rendered 

 " implicit obedience " in return for the " maintenance of his life and health " 

 was to be supplanted by one in which the negro could command himself just 

 as the white man was doing. 



The apprenticeship system was not forced upon the colonies by the great 

 emancipation act. It was left to the Colony either to accept the labor force 

 according to such a system, under regulations imposed by Parliament, or to set 

 the slaves entirely free, if that were preferred.™ It was wisest for the industrial 

 interests of the Colony as well as more profitable for the owners of the slaves to 

 accept the apprenticeship system. The status of the apprentices was defined in 

 outline by Parliament. The colonial legislatures were allowed to enact such 

 supplementary legislation, not repugnant to the abolition act, as was necessary 

 for complete regulation of the laborers."'" The plan of the home government was 

 to secure eventual freedom for the entire laboring classes, which state a few in 

 the colonies were already enjoying. Before emerging into full freedom, how- 

 ever, these ex-slaves were to pass through a term of semi-dependence on their 

 late masters during which they were to exercise certain rights of freemen, 

 their interests were to be carefully attended to by a corps of special officials 

 ■for the purpose, and the whole period was to be a true apprenticeship to serve 

 as a preparation for the responsibilities of freemen, which they were to assume 

 at its close. As an additional compensation for the loss of their slaves it was 

 arranged that they should serve their former masters to the end of this term.'*" 



Classes of Apprentices. 



With the exception of children of a certain age, there were two classes 

 of the apprentices, distinguished according to previous occupation, (1) prae- 



"'Ds., S. St., 1837, Circ. of Nov. 6. 



"' H. v., 1834, p. 5. Address of Lieutenant-Governor Balfour to the Assembly. 



™ Imp. Stats., 3 and 4 William IV, 73, sec. 16. Any Improvements the legisla- 

 tures might make on the regulations of the imperial statute were to become bind- 

 ing on confirmation by the King-in-council. For the colonial act, see 4 Wil- 

 liam IV, 21. 



"^ Imp. Stats., 3 and 4 William IV, 73, sec. 16. 



