, 1876-02-09

the surrender of the palladium of the British
subject, the right of having a direct voice In
the administration OF his country. One by
one, the old constitutions were blotted out,
and the Capitalization came, mark Mis weU,
not to extend the rights of British subjects,
but to curb them. It is simply a
retrograde movement, q return 10 the old
notions of Paterna2 interference and
protection, a re-assuming Of the swaddling
clothes of political rule, that the most bucolic
olodhopper in the Motaer Country is supposed
to have outgrown. The Representative ele-
ment must first be blotted out, and the West
Iodian Colonist made to say in effect, the OK.
pertinent has been tried for q century, and we
at least, of all the subjects of the British En-
pIre, have fairly been proved to be incapable
of selt-g0Vernment. Take us back into the
nursery end think for US and govern u.s." And
thus, one by one, the British West Indian colo.
MES composing the Leeward Federation surren.
dered the dearest rights of English subjects,
and when after all, a ruler was sent out to fur
Their consolidate the scheme, the first u~tterance
that he made was a hint Of the necessity for 8
yet greater surrender of power in the hands OF
the government, and yet men have the audaci-
ty to persist in instituting a parallel between
the two cases and unblushingly ~reiterate a self
evident lie And when the same policy has
gradually been carried out in the islands which
compose the WindWard group, are We still to
have our cOmm0n sense afr0nted with spurious
arguments ? st. Vincent has surrendered her
Representative government for a Single Cham
ber,-GrBnada has acknowledged her i~noapaci-
ty for self-government except by a chamber of
nominees Of the Queen, Barbados alone,
strong in hsg self-respect, retains her liberty,
and knows how to exercise it with Intelligence.
If our sister colonies have been found unworthy
OF liberal Institutions, it is their concern NOS
ours, but shall We give them a voice in our
concerns by consuming to any Capitalization Of
governments We want no such amalgama-
ton, aud We must religiously guard every ap-
proach to such. These remarks as local read
ers will discern, and as foreign readers will dis
cover, have been ELECTED by the proposals
which have lately been laid before the House
of Assembly by the GOVERNOR with & view to
giving effect to a policy limited at in bis opening
speech to the Legislature, when His Excellenoy
alluded to certain measures for rendering
more efficient the government of the Windward
Islands" For the benefit of foreign readers
we recapitulate the proposals embraced in HE
Excellency's message =
Ia That the Auditor of Barbados should be
appointed AUDITOR General of the Windward
Islands, his salary and clerical staff being in
creased, such additional expense to fall entirely
Oh Tue otu6f lSIdnQB.
~ That the power of transporting prison
ers from Barbados to the other islands and Of
receiving prisoners from the other islands here,
should be secured to the Governor-in- Chief
(c) That the new Lunatic Asylum here
should also be opened for the reception Of Luz
ratios from the other islands.
(d) That a similar arrangement should be
made about a common LazarettO.
() That there should be a Chief Justice of
the Windward Islands, and a remodelling OF
the Judicial system based on the necessity Of
centralising it in Barbados.
~ That there should be a Police Force for
the Windward Islands.
The concluding paragraph Of Mr.. HENNEssY's
Message is the point on which controversy
turns-and causes these proposals to be regard
ed as simply an attempt to clear the way for
the Confederation Of the Windward Islands.
He says -
i" If the House should concur in the Cover
nOr's views respecting these six points, it will
then be necessary to determine on the machin.
cry for carrying them into effect and on this
subject the Governor will be happy to cooper.
ate with the House in any way most convent
ent to the public interest, but, as these ques.
tons affect the other Islands of the Government
as we'll as Barbados. it would be necessary
that they should be taken into consideration
and that in the proposed machinery they should
be duly represented"
Whatever might be the actual drift of the
present proposal, there is but one opinion in the