TEINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



329 



After the " Cannes Brulee " emeute, referred to 

 Mr. afterwards (Sir Robert) Hamilton, Mr. Glad- 

 stone's Private Secretary, afterwards Governor of 

 one of the Australian colonies, was sent from Eng- 

 land to enquire into it. On his recommendation a 

 stringent ordinance, " The Peace Preservation Or- 

 dinance " 11 of 1883 amended by 2 of 1884 — unfortu- 

 nately instead of being kept separate has been embo- 

 died in No. 5 of Revised Laws — was passed which gave 

 the police great powers over the riotous bands of the 

 colony. I have used the word ' 6 unfortunately ' ' be- 

 cause I am satisfied that since it has been embodied 

 in No. 5 it has not been properly understood by the 

 police ; if it had been kept separate its purport would 

 have been understood and enforced, as it was inten- 

 ded to be, it would by this time have rendered this 

 indecent Carnival a thing of the past. 



I will, however, quote one important paragraph 

 from Mr. Hamilton's report, it is as follows : — 



M As regards the police, I think it is absolutely 

 necessary in the maintenance of law and order, that 

 they should be fully supported in the execution of 

 their duties. Unless this is done a much larger force 

 will be necessary, and peace and order will not be so 

 well maintained. What gives a policeman power in 

 a, mob is the feeling on his part that he represents 

 authority, and will be supported by the ruling 

 powers. Deprive him of this he only becomes him- 

 self a unit in the mob, with no more power to preserve 

 order than is derived from his own personal strength 

 and courage." Pregnant and powerful words these, 



