THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 537 



and the elections to fill the vacancies had resulted in favor of the opposition. 

 The then recent amendment to the imperial abolition act,"' granting rights to 

 the praedials and additional powers to the governors of the colonies, was un- 

 popular among the employers of praedial labor. It was repugnant to them to 

 be subjected to additional regulations from home.™ Some of the members of 

 the House were doubtless influenced by these new regulations to vote for the 

 release of the praedials, when the matter was presented to that body. The f rieii ds 

 of the government were active to strike objectionable provisions out of the 

 original bill, and to make it as favorable as possible to the emancipated classes. 

 Finally on July 3 the Executive was notified that the bill had been passed. On 

 the 3rd of July the two houses were called into the presence of the Lieutenant- 

 Govei-nor, who was there to sign the bills to which he would give his assent. A 

 very irregular proceeding occurred. The Speaker of the House, with the con- 

 currence of his colleagues, arose and in a confused manner read a long address, 

 calling in question the right of the imperial Parliament to legislate for the 

 colonies, and arraigning the representative of the Queen for his conduct in 

 dealing with the apprenticeship question.™ This was a last expression of the 

 long-confined feelings of the late slave owners, perhaps intended for a revenge 

 against the prerogative for fancied wrongs against the rights of the people. 

 As soon as opportunity was allowed, the astounded Executive signed the bills 

 and dismissed the assemblage. The business of the session was allowed to 

 proceed without interruption by the government. The House tendered its 

 presiding officer a vote of thanks for his compliance with its wishes, and 

 hastened to strike from its journals a minute stating that his conduct was not 

 concurred in by its members. The Lieutenant-Governor was urged to dissolve 

 the House at once, as a mark of disapprobation of irregular conduct. Cockburn 

 preferred to await an authorization from the Colonial Department at London 



that led to the dissolution by Colebrooke. In 1837 he took active part in the meas- 

 ures that led to the dissolution by President Hunter. His career in the Colony had 

 been begun in the commissariat, from which Sir James Smyth had dismissed him for 

 his conduct in the treatment of a gang of slaves while acting in the capacity of 

 agent for an absent proprietor. From that probably arose the opposition which 

 he so actively followed against the government. He had been quiet on the coming 

 of Cockburn, but it was not long before his unbecoming conduct brought his col- 

 leagues into difficulty. Cockburn to Glenelg, No. 86. Meadows was appointed to 

 the Legislative Council after the separation of the Councils. 



"' Imp. Stats., 1 Vic, 19. 



""Cockburn to Glenelg, No. 86. 



"'Cockburn to Glenelg, No. 86. This speech also contained some remarks 

 about the abolition act of Parliament. 



