The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-05 00:00:00

TRINIDAD-THE RIOTS.

I (From the Port of Spain Gazette of October 5.)
It is our painful duty to record to-day an event
wholly unparalleled in our peaceful annals. Law and
order have been for the last two days in abeyance.
The Government house has been pelted by a mob ;
(its windows broken, and stones and brickbats hurled
!at the Council whilst assembled in the discharge of its
!legislative duty. The police in exerting themselves
'to maintain order, have been stoned, cruelly beaten,
' and overpowered, so as to necessitate the calling out
of the military. The military have been also stoned,
and forced to fire in self-defence. Two deaths, and
one or two gun-shot wounds, have been the conse-
quence. The Government buildings have been con-
verted into a temporary barracks, and are at this mo-
ment occupied by the 88th, by the company of the
2,1 West India Regiment stationed here, by the Ar-
tillery detachment, and by the men of her Majesty's
sloop Scorpion, now in harbour. Upwards of 300
special constables have been sworn in, and a volun-
teer horse-patrol formed, at least seventy strong. On
the other hand, the mob finding the force in town too
strong for them, have sent off a portion of their num-
bers to the eastward, to burn and lay waste the sugar
estates in that direction. The mogass-houses of
Dinsley, Macoya, and Eldora estates have been already
fired and burned to the ground.
The immediate and ostensible object originally
brought forward as the cause of the outbreak, was
the regulations recently passed for the government of
the royal gaol of Port of Spain, which regulations,
amongst other things, provided that debtors com-
mitted under the petty Civil Courts Ordinance should
have their hair cropped close, and wear a prison
dress, and be liable to be called upon by the gaoler
to assist in any work going on in the gaol. The
regulations were originally brought forward. an
Council aboL three months since, without these
obnoxious provisos.
' The first manifestation of public feeling was a con •
stitutional one. Seeing the excitement that pre-
vailed, and hoping to lead and keep it in a prope-
channel, some gentlemen having influence with the
irritated parties, on Saturday last by advertisement
called a public meeting for Monday, to consult upon
and adopt measures respecting these regulations.
The meeting took place at eight o'clock, and soon
swelled to numbers wholly disproportionate to the
building, and ultimately adjourned to the market-
place. Although the very large multitude assembled
by this time were in some respects riotous enough, still
they loudly cheered one of the speakers who concluded
his address by entreating them to let their proceedings be
those of thoroughly loyal subjects. It was agreed that
a deputation of six should wait upon his Excellency
to request him to rescind the obnoxious provisos.
At eleven o'clock the deputation proceeded to Govern-
ment House, preceded, accompanied, and followed by
a large concourse of people of all classes and colours ;
in fact, by half-past eleven there were at least 3,000
persons about the Government buildings and in the
square opposite. At the hour just mentioned the
deputation were admitted to the presence of the
Governor, who informed them that it was already his
intention to have these clauses reconsidered and modi-
fied. The deputation immediately proceeded to make
this known to the crowd outside, and at first they all
appeared satisfied. There was some cheering, and in
accordance with the advice of the deputation many
persons retired, and there can be no doubt that from
that moment every man among the crowd of any
pretensions to respectability or loyalty, and who
really sought redress for the wrong complained of,
was satisfied, and had given up all thought of further
hostile manifestation. The Council met in the midst
of this confusion, and proceeded as well as they could
with their ordinary business for upwards of an hour ;
when one of the spectators, who had so placed himself
at a window immediately behind the Governor as to
intercept the air, after having been repeatedly
requested to move further off, was, by order of the
Governor, taken iritcr custody by a policeman. This
was apparently the signal waited Mr to commence
the riot, as immediately a rush was glade to his rescue
and the police were overpowered, whilst signs were
made to the mob outside, who also rushed in, in
spite of the policemen stationed at the doors below
(one of whom was separated from his comrades, pur-
sued, and pelted in the moat cruel manner) ; but
meeting the other party in retreat with their rescued
ptisoner, they once more rushed out of the buildings
—and the doors being closed upon them, they immedi-
ately poured in a shower of stones (of which, unfor-
tunately, there was a considerable quantity lying at
hand), first into the lower windows of the south side
of' Government house, and then into the upper win-
dows, many of which missiles fell upon the council-
table among the members. Every window on the
south side was soon shivered to atoms, as also many
on the east and west sides. Finally the parties
pelting, probably afraid of being recognised, retreated to
the square opposite, where the mob remained, throwing'
stones occasionally, until the arrival of the detachment
of the second WV. I. Regiment, which was immediately
sent for and soon arrived, being only a few hundred
yards off, and under arms, in readiness. shortly
atter arrived the 88th, and is detachment of the Royal
Artillery,, with two six-pounders belonging to
the garrison. The crowd remained in a very
riotous sta. e, collected in Brunswick square and St.
Vincent-street. The Council, which had adjourned
for a short time, resumed business, and separated
at five o'clock, the members passing quietly through
the crowd without molestation. During the latter
part of the Council's sitting, a number of persons
were sworn in as special constables, in an adjoining
room. The mob now began to congregate more to
the northern side of the building, where the
Governor's official apartments are situated, and to
which he had returned after council was over. Vari-
ous attempts were made to induce them to disperse.
Information as to what had been resolved upon by
the Council was communicated to them by several
gentleman, who volunteered to go among them for
that purpose and, at their own request, the Attor-
ney General likewise addressed them, assuring them
that the obnoxious clauses had been rescinded. After
the Attorney-General had addressed them several
stones were thrown, and the people having proceeded
to other acts of violence—such as striking the Go-
vernor's carriage, which was in attendance, with their
sticks and stones—the Riot Act was read by the
stipendiary magistrate of Port of Spain, and the
crowd were warned that if they did not disperse they
would be fired upon. Notwithstanding this, when
the troops advanced upon them they pelted them,
and on the soldiers retiring a step or two (by order
of their officer), they set up a shout of triumph;
the troops again advanced, and the pelting being
renewed, four of the soldiers, upon the order of the
stipendiary magistrate, levelled their muskets and fired,
and another musket went off whilst the soldier was
cocking it, a stone having struck the detonating cap.
The remainder of the troops also levelled their mus-
kets, and would have fired, but their commanding-
officer, Colonel Shirley, was in time to stop them,
or the loss of life would have been dreadful, as there
were several hundreds of people, including as many
spectators as rioters, within a few yards, and di-
rectly in front of the soldiers. By the discharge of
the four muskets, one woman was killed and another
wounded; one man was also wounded, who has since
died. Still the mob did not disperse, although the
throwing of• stones ceased, and cutlasses and fowling-
pieces began to appear, the former pretty plentifully.
The Governor finally resolved to remain all night
with the soldiers, that he might be at hand to give his
orders in case of further disturbances.

At nightfall various other gentlemen were sworn
in as special constables, but, unfortunately, too few
had yet presented themselves to make the measure
effective ; only four or five could be mustered
for each beat, and in the course of the night various
casualties occurred. The houses of the Attorney-
General and the stipendiary magistrate of the town
were both attacked by the mob; the windows of
the former building were broken and other damage
committed—whilst the inmates of the latter building
were forced to leave it and fly for security to a neigh-
bour's premises. The residence of the keeper of the
gaol was also attacked. Several of the special con-
stables were severely hurt in the protection of life and
property. The number of rioters, however, gradually
fell off during the night, many of them retiring to
their homes, and a portion proceeding to the country
districts for the purpose of firing the estates and
procuring reinforcements. In the latter point they
but very partially succeeded—the people who came
in this morning from the country seeming to be
actuated more by curiosity than any other motive.
In the former design, however, they were unfortu-
nately more successful, for the mogass•houses of the
Dinsley, Alacoya, and El Dorado estates were all set
fire to, and burned to the ground ; several cane-pieces
were also fired, but few would burn at this early
season. It rained plentifully this afternoon, which
helped to disperse the remaining part of the mob;
and this evening upwards of 300 constables were
sworn in, and a large troop of volunteer horse patrol
formed, so that the town will be fully guarded against
any attempt at incendiarism or other violence. In the
meantime his Excellency (at twelve to-day) sent off
a vessel to Barbadoes to request a reinforcement from
the Commander- in- C hief.

Too much cannot be said of the temper and bravery
shown by the police throughout the whole of this
unfortunAte affair. Cowardly and brutally beaten,
and borne down at times by superior numbers, they