376 
ings in the indictment had been read 
by the junior counsel in the usual 
form, 
Mr. Garrow~thus related the cir- 
cumstances of the case : 
‘¢ The island of Trinidad surren- 
dered ‘to that illustrious character, 
sir Ralph Abercrombie, whose name 
will ever incite gratitude and admi- 
ration, in the year 1797 ; and he en- 
tered into a stipulation, by which 
he conceded to the inhabitants the 
continuance of their laws, and ap- 
pointed a new governor, until his 
majesty’s pleasure should be known, 
or, in other words, until the king of 
England, in his paternal character, 
should extend to this new acquisi- 
tion to his empire all the sacred pri- 
vileges of the Jaws of England. I 
have the authority of the defendant 
himself for stating, that the system 
of jurisprudence adopted under the 
‘Spanish monarch, for his colonial 
establishments, was benignant, and 
adapted to the protection of the sub- 
ject, previous to the surrender of 
this island to the British arms. 
‘¢ In December, 1801, when this 
crime was perpetrated, Louisa Cal- 
deron was of the tender age of ten 
or eleven years. ~ At that early 
period, she had been induced to live 
with a person of the name of Pedro 
Ruiz, as his mistress, and although 
it appears to us very singular, that 
she should sustain such a situation 
at that time of life, yet it is a fact, 
that, in this climate, women often be- 
come mothers at twelve years old, 
and are ina state of concubinage, 
if, from their condition, they can- 
not form amore honourable con- 
nection. While she lived with Ruiz, 
she was engaged in an intrigue with 
Carlos Gonzalez, the pretended 
friend of the former, who robbed 
him of a quantity of dollars. Gon- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
zalez was apprehended, and she also, 
as some suspicions fell upon her in 
consequence of the affair. She was 
taken before the justice, as we, in 
our language, should denominate 
him, and in his presence she denied 
having any concern in the business, 
The magistrate felt that his powers 
were at an end, and whether the 
object of her denial” were to protect 
herself or her friend, is not material 
to the question before you. The 
extent of his authority being thus 
limited, this officer of: justice re- 
sorted to general Picton ; and I have 
to produce, in the hand-writing of 
the defendant, this bloody sentence : 
—Inflict the torture upon Louisa 
Calderon.—You will believe there 
was no delay in proceeding to its 
execution. The girl was informed, 
in the gaol, that if she did not con. 
fess, she would be subjected to the 
torture; that under this process 
she might probably lose her limbs or 
her life, but the calamity would be 
on Her own head, for, if she would 
confess, she would not be required 
to endure it. While her mind was 
in the state of agitation this notice 
produced, her fears were aggravated 
by the introduction of two or three 
negresses into her prison, who were 
to suffer under the same experiment, 
for witchcraft, and as a means of 
extorting confession. In this situa- 
tion of alarm and horror, the young 
woman persisted in her innocence, 
the punishment was inflicted, im- 
properly called picketing, which is 
a military punishment, perfectly 
distinct. Thisis not picketing, but 
the torture. It is true, that the 
soldier, exposed to this, does stand 
with his foot on a picket, or sharp 
piece of wood, but, in mercy to 
him, a means of reposing is afforded 
on the rotundus major, or interior ve 
the 
