TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



167 



boldly asserted. There was, however, no one who 

 had the courage " to bell the cat." Better times for- 

 tunately arrived and these things are only memories 

 of the past. 



It may, perhaps, be asserted that what I hint at 

 about the house rates is a gross exaggeration. Is it ? 

 I could if I desired make it more plain. But that I 

 am borne out in my assertion can be easily ascer- 

 tained from a passage in Sir William des Voeux's 

 work (two vols.)* In writing of an incident which 

 came to his notice, while acting as governor of Trini- 

 dad during the year 1877, he relates that a high 

 official who had to do with forming the boundaries of 

 the town, had omitted his own residence, and thus 

 escaped paying the ordinary Borough rates for 

 many years. However, as I have said, these and 

 other equally disgraceful matters are memories of 

 the past, and so let them remain. 



The first extension of Port-of-Spain began in the 

 early eighties. This was the laying out of the Tran- 

 quillity lands (then the property of the government) 

 into streets and lots, and putting each lot up for auc- 

 tion to the highest bidder at leases for 199 years at a 

 pepper corn rent, with certain restrictions in the lease. 

 The streets were laid out by the government, the 

 Public Works being in charge. For the first time 

 the people of Trinidad saw roads laid out with proper 

 foundations and, as usual, there was a lot of adverse 

 criticism, but to this day it shows the wisdom of lay- 

 ing proper foundations to streets and roads because 



* " My Colonial Service," page 311. 



