322 



TRINIDAD I THEN AND NOW. 



known as " The Carnival," and determined to be- 

 gin by suppressing this part of it. He was advised 

 that it was a violation of Section 63 of Ordinance 6 

 of 1868. 



In 1880 he took the first step to suppress it. This 

 step met with universal praise from the press ; but, 

 for reasons which it is better not to divulge, in 1881 

 the viler passions of the lower class having in the in- 

 terval been aroused against him, his efforts in the 

 same direction met with organised opposition and 

 subsequent abuse from those who previously praised 

 him. 



Year by year just before the Carnival — particu- 

 larly the Carnival of 1881 — broken stones were 

 spread out on what were, and I believe still are, 

 called " the French Streets," that is, all the streets 

 lying east of Henry Street. The police of those 

 days were wicked enough to say this was done 

 for the purpose of affording the various bands who 

 made these streets their " happy hunting ground 99 

 ready material for assaulting them when they, as a 

 Borough Councillor put it to an over credulous gover- 

 nor the day after the 4 ' Cannes Brulee ' 9 riot * ' brutally 

 interfered with the people's innocent amusements.' 7 

 Such incidents in the history of Trinidad have hap- 

 pily passed away — never to occur again. The influ- 

 ential and educated people who were at the back of 

 the ignorant demagogues who were responsible for it, 

 have also passed away — let us be charitable and hope 

 to a better place. 



