“He would ask any man in the house, nay, in the country, whether the house had any discretion left to them in the steps they were about to take?  Could it be denied, that they were driven to the present alternative?  Could they any longer say they were an independent legislature?  It would be preposterous—­absolutely absurd to entertain any such idea.  The apprenticeship had been forced upon the country as a part and parcel of the planters’ compensation—­it had been working well, and would insensibly have slided into a state of absolute freedom, had the masters been left alone to themselves.  It is now utterly impracticable to continue it.  A most obnoxious measure had been passed by the British parliament, and sent out to this country to be promulgated by the Governor as the law of the land.  The functions of the legislature were put in abeyance, and a British act crammed down their throats.  It could not be denied that they were now under a military Government. He was only sorry that the thing had not been more honestly done; in his opinion, it would have been better for all classes, for then the government would have taken all the responsibilities which might attend the sudden change they had driven the house to make, and find the means of conducting the affairs of the country into a peaceable and successful state. Let any person look to the excitement which at present prevailed throughout the country, couple that with the speech which had been delivered by the Governor, and say if it was any longer practicable to carry one the system of apprenticeship.  With respect to the doctrine which had been broached, that the apprenticeship was not a part and parcel of the compact between the government and the planters; that they (the planters) did not possess an absolute but an incidental right to the services of their apprentices, he confessed he was at a loss to understand it, he was incapable of drawing so nice a distinction.  He repeated, the government and nation had made the apprenticeship a part of the consideration of the abolition of slavery, and having placed us in a situation to render its continuance impracticable they were bound in honor and common honesty to compensate us for the two years.”

Once more, and we have done.  Mr. Berry said,

“He did not think that because the Governor said they were not entitled to compensation, that therefore they should give up the claim which they unquestionably had upon the British nation for further compensation.  He would contend also, that the apprenticeship was one part of the consideration for the abolition of slavery.  He had heard it remarked that the apprenticeship must cease, but it ought to be added that they were compelled—­they were driven to put an end to it by the Government, though they were convinced that neither party was at this moment prepared for immediate abandonment.  The Governor, in his opening speech, had told the