WEST INDIES. 
179 
CHAP. I.] 
in a more disagreeable predicament than even those 
who have none ; for they may be compelled to vote 
as a governor shall dictate, in support possibly of 
measures ruinous to the community in which all 
their concerns are centered, or be exposed to the 
affront of public degradation ; to the consequent 
malignant misconstructions of the vulgar ; and per¬ 
haps to the contempt of their own minds, in having 
accepted a station which subjects them to censure, 
for honestly discharging the duties of it. 
I do not indeed know that many great evils have 
actually been felt by the colonists at large, from the 
inefficiency and instability of this body. However, 
as it is the excellency of the British government, 
not merely to correct existing abuses, but also to 
obviate and prevent (as far as human foresight will 
permit) such as may possibly or probably happen ; 
many intelligent persons have been led to contro¬ 
vert the claim of the council altogether to a parti¬ 
cipation in the legislature. They deny that this 
claim derives any just support either from analogy 
to the constitution of the parent state, from the 
royal delegation, or from any law of sufficient com¬ 
prehension and efficacy, to warrant such a preten¬ 
sion in a body so constituted. 
The principal arguments which have been advan¬ 
ced in support of this opinion, are to this effect. 
The peers of Great Britain are hereditary mem¬ 
bers of the legislature, and sit in parliament for the 
