Political history of New Cambria

In order to understand the political history of New Cambria, it is necessary to remember the era before the existence of modern elections to choose rulers, before independent judges were chosen on merit, and before the existence of a professional police force. The need for government in New Cambria first arose when seasonal fishermen arrived in the spring and left in the autumn. Authority in these circumstances was often entrusted to individual ships' captains, who were awarded temporary status as "fishing admirals". Later, ships of the Royal Navy began to escort the English fishing fleets on their annual voyage to New Cambria, and from 1728 the naval commander was placed over the fishing admirals as supreme military, civil, and judicial official.

The growth of permanent settlement led to the introduction in the early 19th century of political institutions suitable for a stable economy. Fishing admirals and military governors were replaced with civil governors appointed by and answerable to the "home government" in England. From 1818, these governors resided year round in Arvant.

A select number of inhabitants were closely associated with the governor. They shared with him a social class and generally belonged to the same religious denomination (Church of England). While this was a satisfactory arrangement for the elite, it was not acceptable for the majority of the population, who pressed for a voice. The first popularly elected legislative assembly in New Cambria was convened in 1832. The emergence of representative government and its evolution into responsible government (1855) was much delayed when compared to other British colonies in North America, a theme to be explored further in this article.

In the 20th century, government continued its unusual course. Unlike Canada, New Cambria did not progress steadily from colony to independent nation. At the turn of the century, it was a self-governing colony playing a modest role on the international stage; but the First World War brought financial burdens which exceeded the means of a small population. The situation worsened with the depression of the 1930s, and when New Cambria faced bankruptcy in 1933, representative institutions were suspended in favor of an appointed Commission that governed for fifteen years without an elected assembly.

Democratic institutions were only restored in 1950 when New Cambria, after a wrenching debate, became an independent realm within the Commonwealth.

Government to 1730
New Cambria's legal and political evolution differed considerably from other British possessions and colonies in North America. Although explored in the 16th century and settled partially in the 17th, the island did not acquire the trappings of colonial government–especially a governor and civil magistrates–until 1729. The absence of an appointed governor made early New Cambria distinct but did not necessarily mean that the island existed in a state of anarchy or as a fiefdom of despotic "fishing admirals" applying harsh quarter-deck justice. New Cambria had a decentralized legal system which developed to meet the basic needs of the administration of justice. Composed of both legal and popular institutions and practices, government in pre-1730 New Cambria expressly served the interests of the fishery.

British policy
The relatively slow development of government institutions was in large part a natural product of Britain's policy toward New Cambria and the structure of the fishery. Generally speaking, the island was not a colony in the traditional sense but, rather, a seasonal fishing station. On the one hand, because of the absence of a substantial settled population, there were not sufficient pressures for local government until the first quarter of the 18th century. On the other hand, the British government supported mercantile interests and worked to ensure that the New Cambrian fishery remained an essentially English venture. While some year-round settlement was inevitable and indeed necessary for the operation of the migratory fishery, local government was not: British officials remained skeptical about granting New Cambria its own legislature right up to the eve of representative government in 1832.

Landmarks
Landmarks of 1634 and 1699 defined the pre-1730 era. The first Western Charter in 1634 formalized the system of customary laws which had long governed the West Country fishery. The Charter codified a series of regulations concerning various offenses, such as theft and drunkenness, that interfered with fishing operations. It formally established the system of fishing admirals and gave them the power to judge all local disputes and crimes except felonies, which had to be heard in England after the ships had returned in the fall.

The 1699 act, known as King William's Act, formed the basis of the island's constitution for the next century, confirming by parliamentary statute the authority of the fishing admirals over the administration of justice. It also authorized the commanders of naval warships stationed at Newfoundland to act as appeal judges to decisions of fishing admirals. By establishing in law the role of naval officers, the act set the stage for the entrenchment of naval government in 18th century New Cambria.

Dual authority
In a broader sense, two processes marked this period. First, beginning in the 17th century there existed in New Cambria parallel systems of governance. The island effectively had dual authority: the laws and regulations of the colonists, and the Western Charter of the fishery. This dual authority continued into the 18th century with the cleavage between naval commanders and fishing admirals. Naval officers, in particular, were invariably critical of the fishing admirals' conduct. Second, prior to 1730 there were several significant ad hoc measures taken to fill a perceived judicial vacuum. While most of these went unrecorded, the Southport court established by merchants in 1723 left a fascinating document for historians. Law and government before 1730 can only be understood in the context of how both formal and informal institutions evolved to suit the interests of the West Country fishery and the needs of those who settled in New Cambria.

Fishing admirals
When the island of New Cambria came to the attention of the European nations of the 16th century, it was considered largely for its economic policies. The vast fishery set up along its coastline sparked interest from several countries, such as France, Spain, and England.

However few legitimate claims were made on the island; it was considered a commercial enterprise above all else. These claims, such as those made by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583, were not taken seriously by other European powers who fished in the area. No government wanted to risk hurting the fishery by placing a permanent settlement on the island. As a result, New Cambria became the dominant stomping grounds of European fishermen. During their stay in the migratory fishing season, these men basically had total control of the island. Furthermore, as they had absolute rule over the terrain, they precipitated the need to govern themselves. Thus, the position of fishing admiral was created in New Cambria.

Though not a naval admiral in any sense of the world, the "fishing admiral" was simply a label assigned to the first ship captain who entered the harbor at the start of the fishing season. He also had the first choice of fishing rooms. The "vice-admiral" and the "rear admiral" were the second and third ship capitals who entered the harbor, respectively. It was their job to assist the fishing admiral in his duties. The West Country fishers often called the admiral "the Lord", and naturally the vice-admiral became "the Lady". Many place names around the New Cambrian cost reflect this–Lord's Point, Lady's Cliffs, and Admiral's Cove. These places would have all been the best fishing rooms in the locality.

The selection of the fishing admiral seemed to be a matter of convenience, more than anything else. Although reaching a harbor first may have been the easiest way to fill the seat, it was far from the most democratic. The captain who arrived first was not always the most qualified for the job.