The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-17 00:00:00

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_hem
01
of understanding the questions put to $
by the Commissioners, or of giving answers, that lin
can be comprehended in their turn.
So great is the press of business thatto
the
courts
missioners have been obliged to form two
the prosecution of the inquiries. Of course, it
would have been more satisfactory if the three.
Commissioners could have sat together, but such an
arrangement was found to be impracticable, and
therefore it must be hoped that the ends of justice:
will be aswell attained, as they will certainly be more
speedily answered. Meanwhile we may notice as a.
step in support of the Colonial authorities respect-
ing the nature of the outbreak, that all the " poll.
tical prisoners" who have been tried before the ;
Special Commission have been found guilty, and
have received sentences of imprisonment from
twenty days to twelve months. The proprietor of
the County Union, Mr. LEIVER, has been sentenced
to a twelvemonths' imprisonment for libellous arti.
des against the Government.
The evidence which the authorities will produce
is very considerable, for Mr. WALCORT has handei.
in a list of witnesses amounting to more than 100,
and until these are heard it is impossible to
arrive at a definite opinion of the nature of the
result. Another important thing to bear in mind is
that these witnesses will in all probability be reliable
ones, and therefore the Commissioners will be able
to arrive at a more corect notion of the
circumstances to which they refer than they
possibly can by the contradictory statements and
exaggerated accounts they are now listening too.
Much of what is now adduced before them will go
for nothing when it is sifted, and so the comments
of those who jump at conclusions when they peruse
the various items of negro evidence, are not worth
much notice. One thing that seems to be pretty
certain is that GORDON RAMSAY, the late Provost
Marshal, was guilty of great excesses in the prosecu-
tion of his work, and it is not surprising that he
should have been arrested. He is charged with
murder, but it is thought that the Act of Indemnity
will shield him from penalty. At the same
time nothingican possibly excuse his cruelties, which
were more most revolting. Still it must be borne
in mind that nowhere is it shown that the autho-
rities gave any countenance to his conduct, the
enormities of which were committed without their
knowledge. In some cases the bystanders interfered
and appealed to higher powers, and they were always
supported in their humane efforts by those whose
aid they invoked. It is quite impossible that such
a state of things could exist as that which has lately
appeared, without great injuries, and, to some extent,
injustice,resulting in isolated cases; but it is one thing
for a man like RAMSAY to exceed his instructions
and violate his trust, and another for it to be proved
that any sanction and encouragement was accorded
to him. We may conclude, indeed, that this in-
stance of the Provost-Marshal is the only definite
case proved in which cruelties were practised, for
the exaggerations and contradictions in the other
alleged cases of wrong are so considerable that it is
idle to suppose they can weigh with the Commission.
Captain ASTWOOD'S statement differs considerably
from those of other witnesses relative to the proceed-
ings of one of the flying columns that went through
the disturbed district. As the troops went by they
saw the smoke issuing from the huts burnt at Stony
Gut, and the prisoners called out, " This was the
place where all this was got up that brought us to
this." Captain AsTwooD also declared that he was
a member of a court-martial at Morant Bay that
tried some of the prisoners. Perfectly regular were
the proceedings of the Court. The form of oath ad-
ministered was that prescribed by the Military Act,
and the members of the Court and the witnesses
were sworn. No attention was paid to any state-
ments of the prisoners unless they were corrobo-
rated, and none were sentenced to death unless it was
found that they were concerned in riots at which
life was lost, or otherwise implicated in murderous
attacks.

The evidence of Mr. LAKE is not worth much,
for he seems to be all things to all men, according
as it meets the pressure of events. lie was at first,
when writing to the Colonial Standard, entirely on
the side of the colonial authorities, but his evidence
before the Commissioners seems to be quite on the
other side. No possible reliance can be placed on
the judgment of a man who thus falsified his own
expressions. Any one may keep silence for a time
for prudential reasons, but it is quite another thing
to write down accounts that are afterwards contra-
dicted by himself. On the whole, we may consider
that much additional light has been thrown on the
transactions of the outbreak, excepting- that the
falsity of negro evidence has been more completely
established. But the next intelligence will, no
doubt, contain much more important accounts ;
and it is very satisfactory to think that the Com-
missioners are using so much discretion in the pro-
secution of their task.