74
COLONEL
PARKE RECALLED.
and Mr. Gary were using their best endeavours to get a favourable answer to their complaints from the home government. At length, after many delays, Mr. Nevin returned to Antigua, bringing with him the queen's letter, directing that witnesses should be examined to prove the several articles of impeachment sent home against the governor, as well as his excellency's answers to the same. " The depositions and answers were sworn before Edward Byam, Esq , one of the council, and Nathaniel Crump, Esq., speaker of the house of assembly, and were ordered to be sealed with the broad seal of the island, and forwarded immediately to England." The governor, however, refusing to seal the affidavits of the complainants, upon the plea that his own answers were not ready, from the delays of the justices before whom they were sworn, his opponents were obliged to use another seal, and then despatch them, under the care of Mr. Nevin, to England. During the year 1709, Queen Anne recalled Colonel Parke from his government, to the great joy of the Antiguans. To this command the infatuated man, however, would pay no attention ; and, exasperated by the triumphant looks of his accusers, which they could not, or would not, conceal, he proceeded to measures which could be only deemed those of a maddened despot. The year 1710 was ushered in with no better feeling between the governor and thé members of the legislature. One of their first causes of complaint alleged against his excellency arose from the following circumstance :— It had ever been the privilege of the house of assembly to choose their own " clerk;" but during this despotic administration, the governor overlooked this, and wished to appoint to that office a friend of his own—a Mr. Hinton.* * The following is an authentic copy of Mr. Hinton's commission and warrant, as drawn out in Colonel Parke's own handwriting:— " By his Excellency Daniel Parke, Esq., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over all her Majesty's Leeward, Caribbee Islands in Antigua. " I do hereby authorize and appoint you, Gabriel Hinton, of the said island aforesaid, to be clerk to the assembly of this island, and which