504 HISTORY 



relations into which they had entered. Over these they were given exclusive 

 jurisdiction.'" The individuals hearing these commissions were not, however, 

 forbidden to bear commissions as general justices of the peace,"' in which 

 capacity the governors availed of the services of some of them as long as they 

 were in the Colony.™ The duties of these justices were narrowed down to 

 the regulations of the relations between the employers and employees, and 

 were kept distinct from the duties of general justices of the peace. In some 

 petty offenses there was concurrent jurisdiction of special and general justices, 

 but only a special justice could take cognizance of offenses of employer against 

 employee, and vice versa.°°' Outside of this the general justices could act, 

 under ordinary circumstances, in suppressing disorder and misconduct that 

 had a tendency to breach of the peace.'"'' 



For purposes of administration the Colony was divided into seven dis- 

 tricts.^ In each of these districts one or more special justices was to reside 

 and make periodical visits to all the settlements within its limits."" Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor Balfour located the three English justices, who came at first, 

 in places from which they could visit all parts of the Colony. One was placed 

 at New Providence, another at Eleuthera and a third at the Turks Islands."" 

 The local justices, as distinguished from the English justices, were generally 

 resident proprietors or overseers in the islands over which they had juris- 

 diction.""' This arrangement was destined to continue in full force only until 

 March of 1835, the time of the coming of William Colebrooke, the suc- 

 cessor of Balfour in the Bahama government. Under this first arrangement 

 nothing of importance was accomplished in adapting the apprenticeship system 

 to the requirements of the Bahama Islands. The reasons for this and the 

 reforms which were finally introduced will be discussed in the following section. 



'"Imp. stats., 3 and 4 William IV, 73 (18-19). 



'^"Loc. cit., sec. 11. 



"o See e. g., Sess. P., 1836, 49, p. 512, Instructions of the Secretary of State. 



'"■Loc. cit., p. 519, also p. 517, circular instructions to the magistrates. 



"^'Loc. cit. 



»«4 William IV, 42. This statute gives the districting of the Colony as 

 follows: 1. Turks and Caicos Islands, Iflagua and Mayaguana; 2. Crooked and 

 Acklin Islands and Cays; 3. Rum Cay, Watlings Island and San Salvador; 4. 

 Eleuthera and Harbor Island and Cays; 5. Exuma and Cays, Long Island, Ragged 

 Island and Cays; 6. Abaco, Grand Bahama and Cays; 7. New Providence, Andros, 

 the Berry Islands and Cays. 



""l/oc. cit. 



"■" Colebrooke to Aberdeen, No. 9. 



^'Loc. cit. 



