The New York herald., 1868-05-22
The West India Negro RebeIlion-Ex.GOvernOr
Eyre Held for Trial.

Mr.. Edward John Eyre, late Governor Of Jamaica,
has been held for trial for acts done on the island
He is charged with a high crime and misdemeanor,
on motion made in the Court of Queens Bench,
under the Colonial Governors act, eleventh and
twelfth Of William III. and the forty-second of
George iii. The former act provided that If
any English Colonial Governor should be
guilty of Expressing any of his Majestys subjects
be guilty of any other crime or offence beyond seas,
such oppression crime or offence should be inquired
into, heard and determined in the Court of Kings
Bench and punished as II committed in England; and
the statute Of George III. enacted that any person
employed in the service of the crown in a civil or
military capacity abroad should be guilty Of any
crime misdemeanor or offence in the execution or
exercise under color Of his ONCE, every such
crime or offence should be prosecuted, heard and
determined in the Court of Kings Bench either upon
information exhibited by the Attorney General or
upon indictment found in Middlesex, upon which
the offender should be punished II the offence had
been committed in England.
In Mr.. Eyres the aflidavits set forth that on
the 18th Of October, 1865, Edward John Eyre, VINO
was then Captain General and Governor-in-Chef OF
Jamaica, caused to be issued proclamation of
martial law (which was set out in terms and pur-
ported to declare that martial law should prevail,
and that the military forces should have the power Of
exercising all rights Of beligerents against those of
Cne lnnaDluduJS WnOu tucy HllxHI COlSueT OppObeu
to the government and that Immediately after issu-
ing the proclamation he violently oppressivey and
illegally put stop to the ordinary course Of justice
and suspended and superseded the ordinary courts
OF law at MOrant Bay and other places within the
island, ana handed over the district to the military
forces then under his command to be dealt with
enemy's country; and that o large number OF her
Maesty's subjects residing In the island were tried
military officers for various alleged offences against
the laws Of the country, and were punished by such
tribunals in a cruel, unusual and oppressive manner
Then the afildavits charge him with having issued
an illegal and oppressive proclamation; for divers
arbitrary and oppressive done under 1t with his
concurrence and sanctions for arrestng one Sidney
Levens at Morteg0 Bay, $50 miles from the district
over which the proclamation Of martial law ex-
tended for keeping him imprisoned many weeks after
the proclamation had ceased to be in force until he
liberatM by hlbeas corpus, no charge having been
preferred against him. for Illegally arresting out OF
the district over which the proclamation extended
one Benjamin Norris ana causing him to be impri-
sOned and noggsd without any charge having been
preferred against him. for illegal arrest and imprlson
ment of one Bruce; for illegal arrest and impris0n-
ment Of one Vilen and for arrest ana Imprisonment
of one George William Gordon and divers other per-
sons, and so birth, ending with the execution of
Gordon.