the insurrection been nipped in the bud.

Barbados is unique in several respects, and as may be supposed there is
something remarkable even about her riots. The patriotism of the
inhabitants, both black and white, is proverbial all over the West
Indies. There is no place in the world to equal Barbados--no colony but
what has been conquered by the enemy at some time or other. "Little
England" was said to have offered an asylum to King George the Third
when Buonaparte intended to invade England, and no doubt if such an
offer was ever made it was done in all sincerity. Barbadians are proud
of their constitution, and jealous of its infringement in the slightest
degree. This feeling led to a disturbance in 1876, which was the
nearest approach to an insurrection on that island in late years.

It has often been suggested that a confederation of the British West
Indies would be advantageous in many ways, and in 1876 the Secretary of
State was of opinion that a closer union of Barbados and the other
Windward Islands was desirable. The Governor of all the islands was then
Mr. Pope Hennessy, who had lately been appointed, and who had been
directed to obtain the consent of Barbados to a partial union. The
measures proposed were of little importance, consisting only of the
amalgamation of the prisons, lunatic asylums, and lazarettos, and the
extension of the powers of the Chief Justice, Auditor-General, and the
police force to cover the whole of the islands.

An outsider would suppose that there was nothing offensive in these
changes, but that, on the contrary, they would be beneficial in many
ways, but most of the Barbadians opposed them strongly. Barbados, they
said, was solvent, while some of the islands were on the verge of
bankruptcy--their island should not be taxed to support paupers. They
held meetings at which six points were agreed to, and on which the
leaders harangued crowds throughout the island. These were, first, that
their Court of Appeal would be abolished; second, that all the mad
people from other islands would have to be supported by them; third,
that all the lepers would come there; fourth, that the officials of
other islands would live on them; fifth, that the power would be taken
from the people and given to the Governor; and sixth, that as the House
of Assembly had always been faithful they resented any interference with
it.

The Governor was desirous of carrying his project, and possibly went
farther th