ABSTRACT
It would have been a good thing for Governor Eyre if the appointment he so greatly coveted had been withheld. His lot was cast in evil times, for never, since the day of emancipation, had the island been in circumstances of greater peril. The house of assembly was generally felt to be a barrier in the way of all progress, and in no proper sense of the word could it be regarded as a representative body. Jamaica, with a population of upwards of half a million, was divided into twenty-three parishes or electoral districts, returning forty-seven members in all. But in 1864, the united registries showed only 1903 persons qualified to vote, and at the last general election, held that year, only 1457 persons exercised their privilege. The highest number of votes recorded for any one candidate was in Kingston, where 303 were given for Mr. Jordon. Thirty-two members who were at this time elected had less than fifty votes each, and twenty-five of these had less than thirty.1
