JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 227 



Mr. Faure desisted : the bidder being unable to pay in cash, the 

 property was adjudged to the crown for the amount of ward-rates 

 and costs altogether 60 dollars 80 cents, and Mr. Faure's claim 

 set at nought. On the 4th of September in the same year, the 

 " Bronte " estate, situate in the ward of South Naparima, was, in 

 like manner, exposed for sale by public auction, for arrears of 

 ward-rates, to the amount of 295 dollars 62 cents. Mr. J. Spiers, 

 a member of the " Legislative Council," bade for an absentee 

 mortgagee, to the amount of 4,000 dollars, as far as I am 

 informed : H. Huggins, Esq., one of the co-proprietors of 

 " Bronte," overbid a larger sum, and had the estate adjudicated 

 to him ; but as he did not pay the purchase money, the property 

 was declared forfeited to the crown for the paltry sum of 325 

 dollars, being principal and costs. The case was a hard one, and 

 Mr. Spiers very properly remonstrated against this decision, 

 offering to pay the sum for which he had bidden ; but the law 

 was conclusive. The property was, nevertheless, re-exposed for 

 sale, and so was also the Mount Annan, which realised the sum 

 of 510 dollars. These are strong precedents, undoubtedly ; but 

 the law has not been altered, and ignorant poor people remain 

 subject to what I do not hesitate to call an injustice ; and the 

 more so, that it always rests with some unprincipled character to 

 injure an enemy, by offering a sum which, in reality, he is unable 

 or unwilling to pay. 



The above remarks are not, of course, directed against the 

 officers of the Court of Intendant ; but they are made to show 

 how defective is the constitution and organisation of that court, 

 and how little protection is afforded to the tax-payers nay, what 

 indifference is manifested towards their interests and the rights of 

 property. And to the point, I may mention the following rather 

 remarkable fact, which occurred as late as the year 1855. The 

 property of one John William, together with several others, was 

 advertised for sale for the llth day of September. One of the 

 defaulters in the same ward whose name I do not, at present, 

 recollect gave to his son, bearing the name of John William, 

 the money wherewith to pay the rate, which was done ; but, 

 instead of giving his father's name, this John William gave his 

 own, and the escribano credited John William, whose property 

 was accordingly struck from the defaulters' list, whilst that of the 

 father the party who had really paid was sold, and the 



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