Il6 TlMEHRI. 
the authorities of Downing Street had wisely allowed 
the people of Barbados to reform their own electorate. 
The nominated members of the Council of Jamaica, 
under Crown Government, having resigned their seats 
in a body, and the colonists having been nauseated with 
that well-meaning form of despotism, something had to 
be done to mend matters. The inhabitants of Jamaica 
petitioned the Imperial Government for some measure of 
Representative Government. Lord Derby, who was at the 
time Secretary for the Colonies, wisely decided to accede 
to their wishes. In consultation with Sir HENRY 
NORMAN, Lord Derby, who cannot be charged with 
any want of John Bullism, procured for the Islanders 
their present modified form of Representative Govern- 
ment. It takes time for colonists, whether white, 
coloured, or black, to become familiar in handling the 
ropes of a form of Government under which they have not 
been bred or brought up. Considering all things, 
the change has been for the people of Jamaica at 
least a happy one. Certainly, they would not, of their own 
free will, return to the previous blighting system. To Mr. 
FROUDE, however, it is all a mistake. Stone-blind as he 
is to political progress in all forms, nay Gladstone-blind, 
he detects in this gracious a6l on the part of the Imperial 
Government, the horns and hoofs of the Evil One. This 
is what he says of the introduction of the new form of 
constitution : — " In 1884 Mr. Gladstone's Government, 
" for reasons which I have not been able to ascertain, 
" revived suddenly the representative system ; con- 
" strutted a Council composed equally of nominated and of 
" elective members, and placed the franchise so low as to 
" include practically every negro peasant who possessed a 
