98 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



quote a section from it. After the usual preamble 

 of flattering words and fervent prayers, etc., it goes 

 on : — u by extending to your faithful and affec- 

 tionate subjects in this colony the privileges and 

 protection of the British constitution as experienced 

 by a free representation in a house of Assembly, and 

 in trial by jury : privileges which we inherit in com- 

 mon with our countrymen under your Majesty's mild 

 and benevolent government in Great Britain and its 

 numerous colonies." 



It was signed by 114 persons of position among 

 whom we find many of the names of the present day, 

 a few of which I will give : — John Sanderson, M.D., 

 Robert Mitchell, Thomas Law, Townsend Pasea, 

 Alexander Dick, Anthony Wharton, William Dick- 

 son, William Readhead, William Gray, etc. 



M 'Galium states that instead of this petition 

 being forwarded, Picton threatened some of the peti- 

 tioners and imprisoned others. But for this asser- 

 tion, he gives his bare word as an authority, and I can 

 find no other in the numerous books which I have 

 read. He continues his abuse for some pages and at 

 length comes to the real accusations against Picton, 

 giving a long list of them, but the two most import- 

 ant are the hanging of Gallagher, an artillery ser- 

 geant on a charge of rape, then a capital crime, with- 

 out trial. This was deliberately untrue ; he having 

 been tried and sentenced by court-martial, and I don't 

 think it formed one of the charges made against him 

 in England. The other was that of Luisa Calderon. 



