10 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT [PART I
nearly responsible government! surrendered its legislature
in 1866, a surrender which was accepted and ratified by an
Act of the Imperial Parliament, it being held that the grant
of a constitution did not include the right to destroy that
constitution. Similarly, in 1876,2 Tobago, Grenada, and
St. Vincent surrendered their independent legislatures, while
in the case of the Leeward Islands, Antigua, Dominica,
Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, and the Virgin Islands, the
process of surrender which began in the middle of the
nineteenth century, and which was accelerated by the
federation of the group in 1871,% became complete in 1898,
when the financial pressure which had been the cause of
the earlier modifications of the constitutions ended in the
surrender by Antigua and Dominica of the representative
character of their legislatures. British Honduras also in
1870 consented to a modification of its constitution under
which the legislative power was vested in a nominee Council,
though in 1853 a Legislative Assembly had been formally
constituted consisting of eighteen elective and three nomi-
nated members, and replacing the informal gathering, first
of all the people, and later of a limited number, which had
governed a Colony which had originally existed merely on
sufferance as a body of logwood cutters, but which eventu-
ally was recognized as a full Colony.
British Guiana, after long disputes with the Imperial
Government, retains in financial matters a certain amount
of independence, but the independence is strictly limited,
for not only can the Crown legislate by Order in Council in
general matters, but even in financial matters the power
which is granted to the Legislature to criticize freely the
estimates and generally to deal with financial questions, is
seriously limited by the fact that it is only granted by an
Order in Council. renewed from time to time, which renders
! House of Lords Papers, 1864, xiii. 205; Imperial Act, 29 & 30 Vict.
c. 12. 2 See the acceptance in 39 & 40 Vict. c. 47.
* 34 & 35 Vict. e. 107. Originally all the islands had bicameral
legislatures, but first they were by Act reduced to unicameral, then the
Assemblies turned themselves into Councils nominated by the Governor.
