nal hospitality from the governors of British
colonies in many parts of the world. They are not chosen like the Roman
proconsuls from the ranks of trained statesmen who have held high
administrative offices at home. They are appointed, as I said just now,
from various motives, sometimes with a careful regard to fitness for
their post, sometimes with a regard merely to routine or convenience or
to personal influence brought to bear in their favour. I have myself
seen some for whom I should have thought other employment would have
been more suitable; but always and everywhere those that I have fallen
in with have been men of honour and integrity above reproach or
suspicion, and I have met with one or two gentlemen in these situations
whose admirable qualities it is impossible to praise too highly, who in
their complicated responsibilities--responsibilities to the colonies and
responsibilities to the authorities at home--have considered conscience
and duty to be their safest guides, have cared only to do what they
believed to be right to the best of their ability, and have left their
interests to take care of themselves.

The Governor of Barbadoes is not despotic. He controls the
administration, but there is a constitution as old as the Stuarts; an
Assembly of thirty-three members, nine of whom the Crown nominates, the
rest are elected. The friction is not so violent as when the number of
the nominated and elected members is equal, and as long as a property
qualification was required for the franchise, the system may have worked
tolerably without producing any violent mischief. There have been recent
modifications, however, pointing in the same direction as those which
have been made in Jamaica. By an ordinance from home the suffrage has
been widely extended, obviously as a step to larger intended changes.

Under such conditions and with an uncertain future a governor can do
little save lead and influence, entertain visitors, discharge the
necessary courtesies to all classes of his subjects, and keep his eyes
open. These duties at least Sir Charles Lee discharges to perfection,
the entertaining part of them on a scale so liberal that if Pere Labat
came back he would suppose that the two hundred years which have gone by
since his visit was a dream, and that Government House at least was
still as he left it. In an establishment which had so many demands upon
it, and where so many visitors of all kinds were going and coming,