CO885-(1-2) — Page 125

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference

• 885

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to the intentions of the negroes to rise upon the whites, from apprehensions occasioned amongst them by the unjustifiable language of the latter as to transferring their allegiance to America; and it is mainly due to the judgment and firmness of Sir C. Grey that the passions of both parties were re- strained without a collision, which might casily have led to an exterminating war of colour.

Hence as regards the Chartered Colonies, it is manifest absurdity to attribute the difficulties to which they are exposed to the Government, unless by that expression it is intended to describe not the Executive Government but Parliament, which by reducing the duties on foreign produce, is supposed to have occasioned the distress which is so loudly complained of.

In what are called the Crown Colonies it is true the Government does possess a larger share of power; but a comparison between the legislative and financial arrangements of these and the Chartered Colonies may safely be challenged as not disadvan- tageous to the former, and undoubtedly their pre- sent condition and future prospects are also far from being more unfavourable.

To these remarks upon our tropical colonies generally, it may be as well to add a few words upon one or two of them individually,

With regard to Guiana much clamour has been raised against the alleged arbitary refusal to allow the local Legislature to reduce the expenditure of the colony.

The facts are as follows:-Over about six- sevenths of the expenditure of the colony no attempt has been made to dispute the right of the body by which the taxes are voted (called the Combined Court) to exercise a con- troul; but the remaining seventh, constituting what is called the Civil List, having been granted for a given number of years, of which about three remain unexpired, the Governor was instructed not to permit this arrangement, which had been freely sanctioned by the Combined Court, to be departed from. No other course could be taken, as the faith of the Crown was considered to be pledged to the judges and other public servants

1 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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whose salaries are charged upon the Civil List, that they should continue to enjoy their present emoluments during the term for which the ar- rangements had been made. But while the Com-

bined Court was informed that upon this ground its right to revise the Civil List must be resisted, it was at the same time intimated to it that if any of the offices charged upon that List should become vacant, any reasons which might be ad- duced for reducing the emoluments before an appointment was made, should be fully considered. Professing to avail itself of this declaration, the Combined Court, on the relinquishment of the Government by Sir H. Light, proposed a reduction in the salary of the office of Governor; but instead of applying to the Crown to consent to the pro- posed reduction, the Court proceeded at once strike off the amount from the estimate; and upon the Lieutenant-Governor declining to accede to this measure, refused to sanction a renewal of the annual taxes by which the ways and means

for meeting the expenditure are provided.

to

It was in vain pointed out to the Combined Court that if the annual Supply Bill were passed in the usual form, it might then, by an address to the Queen, apply for a reduction of the Governor's salary; and if sufficient reasons should be shown for the measure, there would be no indisposition on the part of the Servants of the Crown to advise Her Majesty to consent to it but that it was impossible to allow the reduction to be carried in manner which involved an exercise by the Court of the power of setting aside the whole arrangement to which only a few years ago it had deliberately hound itself for a definite time.

To have allowed the reduction to have been carried in the manner proposed would obviously have been to surrender all security for any portion of the Civil List beyond the good pleasure of the Court, and to permit an usurpation as palpably contrary to all law and reason, as it would be if the House of Commons were to insist upon repeal-- ing the Civil List or any grant permanently charged by Act of Parliament on the Consolidated Fund without the assent of Her Majesty or the