lands under the sun were so blest, in the way of government, as were
the colonies with which he had been acquainted; and, as a natural
consequence, their devotion and loyalty to the mother country were
quite a passion with them. Now the Major had been long of a mind that
one or two colonies had better simply be given up to other nations,
which were more fully able to look after them than was England, and
that three or four more should be allowed to go clear,--costing
England nothing, and owing England nothing. But the well-chosen
Governor who had now been before the Committee, had rather staggered
the Major,--and things altogether were supposed to be looking up for
the Colonial Office.

And now had come the day of Sir Marmaduke's martyrdom. He was first
requested, with most urbane politeness, to explain the exact nature
of the government which he exercised in the Mandarins. Now it
certainly was the case that the manner in which the legislative and
executive authorities were intermingled in the affairs of these
islands, did create a complication which it was difficult for any man
to understand, and very difficult indeed for any man to explain to
others. There was a Court of Chancery, so called, which Sir Marmaduke
described as a little parliament. When he was asked whether the court
exercised legislative or executive functions, he said at first that
it exercised both, and then that it exercised neither. He knew that
it consisted of nine men, of whom five were appointed by the colony
and four by the Crown. Yet he declared that the Crown had the control
of the court;--which, in fact, was true enough no doubt, as the five
open members were not perhaps, all of them, immaculate patriots; but
on this matter poor Sir Marmaduke was very obscure. When asked who
exercised the patronage of the Crown in nominating the four members,
he declared that the four members exercised it themselves. Did he
appoint them? No; he never appointed anybody himself. He consulted
the Court of Chancery for everything. At last it came out that the
chief justice of the islands, and three other officers, always sat in
the court;--but whether it was required by the constitution of the
islands that this should be so, Sir Marmaduke did not know. It had
worked well; that was to say, everybody had complained of it, but
he, Sir Marmaduke, would not recommend any change. What he thought
best was that the Colonial Secretary should send out his orders, and
tha