TRINIDAD: THEN AND NOW* 



291 



On the 15th August, 1832, another Order in 

 Council was made admitting to the discharge of the 

 duties of Assessors all free adult male inhabitants 

 who possessed certain qualifications. This continued 

 down to the 2nd September 1844, when an Ordinance 

 — 11 of 1844— was passed establishing trial by jury, 

 which continued down to March, 1848, when it was 

 amended to that which now forms the main features 

 of our present jury system. 



The other passage which I will quote from Mr. 

 Lovesy's address — speaking of unpunished (mind 

 you, not undetected) crimes, he says : — 



iC Here I must myself assume the character of 

 complainant. I protest in turn against the ' ineffi- 

 ciency ' of prosecutors who having put the law in 

 motion will not be at the trouble of subsequently ap- 

 pearing to substantiate their charges." Is this not 

 the case in the present day ? Merchants are afraid 

 that by their absence from their stores for even a 

 few hours they may lose more than the paltry 

 few shillings, or shillings' worth, which their clerks 

 or shop assistants have stolen or embezzled. Believe 

 this, that so long as you are indifferent you may also 

 find an indifferent police. The fault is yours ; the 

 remedy lies in your own hands. Many trials of 

 criminals for various offences, particularly murder, 

 have been rendered abortive through the extra timi- 

 dity or want of proper reasoning powers of our 

 jurors ; I have even heard it called by a harsher 

 name, and then the failure of detection and in- 

 crease of crime is laid at the door of the Police. To 



