533 HISTORY 



who had been elected members of this House. There was no colonial law nor 

 any regulation to prevent them from sitting in the House if elected. These 

 men had been freely elected by the suffrages of the qualified voters; they were 

 subject to the same qualification oaths as to property, etc., as the other mem- 

 bers; some of them had been in the Colony for many years and had become 

 property holders and were certainly not ill-qualified to sit in the legislature."" 

 Custom in the colonies seemed to favor allowing them to hold seats in a 

 colonial legislature. Attempts were made by the opposition to secure their 

 votes against the government, failing which it was charged that their election 

 was a wrong against the people. The opposition seized upon their presence in 

 the House as the cause of. its own defeat in the speakership contest and 

 objected to their retaining seats. It was now charged that undue influence 

 had been exerted to bring about their election.^" The Executive had already 

 begun to present the government program for the business of the session when 

 a motion was made for the unseating of the military members. The latter 

 withdrew during the consideration of this question, but there was still a ma- 

 jority of the House in favor of their retention of the seats to which they had 

 been returned.'" After this disappointing vote, the jealousy of the discon- 

 tented members was shown by their attempts to obstruct legislation and to 

 hinder the progress of business. They were unable to cause serious concern to 

 the government during this session. The opposition was now defeated. It 

 had kept up the feeling against the representative of the Crown since Sir James 

 Smyth had first broken with it in 1831, it had hindered business, had impeded 

 the changes that were being 'made in society, and had always been tenacious in 

 clinging to and claiming constitutional right and privileges which neither King, 

 Ministry, nor Parliament would recognize as belonging to the Colony. It had 

 gone so far, in many instances, that it was no longer popular with the majority 

 of the people. Several of its prominent members had emigrated, others had 

 become reconciled to the changes and had become supporters of the government. 

 A minority remained to contest with the government. From this time we 

 shall find an improvement in the character of the relations existing between 

 the government and the Assembly. Opposition did not cease, but for several 

 years the situation was within the grasp of the Governors and their leadership 



™ Cockburn to Normanby, No. 12. 



■>" hoc. cit. No. 11. 



™' Loc. cit., No. 12. The return of Lieutenant Nlcolls, sitting for Watlings and 

 Rum Cay, was found to be irregular. Writs were issued for a new election in that 

 district. 



