434 TRINIDAD. 



position by purchasing the lands they occupied. An Ordinance was 

 passed in October, 1868, "for facilitating' the plantation and 

 settlement of crown lands/' making it lawful for the Governor 

 to constitute districts and appoint commissioners, such districts 

 to be surveyed and settled under the direction of the commis- 

 sioner. Persons desirous of petitioning for the ungranted lands 

 they occupied were allowed six months for doing so from the 

 appointment of the commissioner ; those not petitioning remaine 

 liable to prosecution. The district of Montserrat was inhabite 

 by a large number of squatters, mostly Spanish peons, anxious 

 to retain their holdings. Mr. Robert Mitchell was appoint 

 commissioner, and at once set to work visiting every corner o 

 his district, and almost every squatter in it. Petitions soo 

 poured in, and the district became settled in a very short time 

 Governor Gordon, by opening the crown lands for competition 

 and declaring an upset price for the same, cut short all pretex 

 for complaints, and, by forming districts and appointing commis 

 sioners, did, in my opinion, hit upon the best plan for checkin 

 squatting. The appointment of commissioners was especially 

 felicitous expedient. 



Many amendments which successive experience had point 

 out had been made to the first Immigration Ordinance; every 

 Governor, in succession, had his share in improving the Act. 

 Sir Arthur Gordon, however, may claim the honour of having 

 consolidated in one Ordinance, June, 1870, the different Ordi- 

 nances enacted up to that date. As consolidated by Governor 

 Gordon, the Ordinance of June, 1870, is the law in force. 



An important Act was enacted for rendering certain offenc 

 punishable on summary conviction. 



An Ordinance was passed for enabling aliens to obtain the 

 privileges of British-born subjects in the island — an Ordinance of 

 some importance in a colony like Trinidad, which requires popu- 

 lation and immigrants. 



Governor Gordon established a house of refuge for the 

 reception and relief of destitute persons residing in the rural 

 districts. The destitute residing in Port-of-Spain were already 

 provided for by the Municipality. 



A most important measure had been introduced by Sir Arthur 

 Gordon ; this was the Ordinance " for the declaration of titles to 

 land, and to facilitate its transfer."" It was based on Mr. Torrens' 



es 

 be 



