By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 31, 2024
Part II
The Council meeting began shortly after noon on October 1, 1849. Charles Warner, the attorney general, moved that the Board go into committee to give further consideration to the Gaol Regulations. He also informed the Council members that Governor Harris had received a delegation of citizens prior to the meeting and he assured them that he would alter the offending clause to which they objected.
William Hardin Burnley, the biggest capitalist in the island, protested against any alterations being made in the regulations. He reasoned: “If we make any alterations today who would say we are not influenced by the noise and intimidation that is taking place outdoors.”
William Rennie, another member of the Council, protested what he termed a reactionary and vengeful piece of legislation. He said: “The new Regulations were much disapproved of by the public, particularly when applied to debtors of this description.” He was particularly against the rule that called for the shaving of the prisoner’s hair.
Although the stucco-walled structure of Government House was designed to provide a cool interior environment, the number of people in the Council Room had made it unbearably hot. Lord Harris said: “The room became so insufferably hot that the people were required to leave the window behind my chair clear so that I could get come fresh air but they as often filled the space up again.”
A lone visitor, sitting behind the governor’s chair made him uncomfortable. The governor instructed Sub-Inspector Thomas: “Remove that man out and don’t let him come in again.” Thomas then called upon Charles Edward Barnes to remove the man from the chambers. When Barnes tried to arrest Lewis Peter Gordes, the man who was standing behind the governor’s chair, a scuffle broke out between Barnes and the crowd inside the room.
The crowd freed Lewis. The governor wrote about this incident later: “At that precise moment, another man within the room waved his hand to the mob below and an attack with stones immediately commenced on the windows of the public building.” Some of the stones even passed over the governor’s head. As the meeting continued, the stones continued to pulverise the building. The people brandished their sticks and cutlasses. They were ready for action.”
After the meeting, the attorney general sought to mollify the crowd. He addressed them for about 20 minutes: “I am going to speak with you about the Queen’s law. I would appreciate if you can take off your hats and keep silent… I can assure you that the offending part of the legislation is deleted. There will be no more shaving of heads at the Royal Gaol.”
The noise of the crowd drowned out much of what Warner said. Those who caught his remarks responded with a vociferous “No”. Thomas Neilson, one of the leaders of the protest, was not appeased. With a stick in his hand, he bellowed: “No! No! That won’t do. I don’t want the AG. The governor himself must come out and speak with us. He made the law and he must come out and explain it. I will not be satisfied until this government is overthrown.”
There were only 91 policemen in the island, 38 of whom were located in Port of Spain.
A majority of them were French and German immigrants since Trinidadians refused to join the Police Force. Most of the high-ranking police officers were recruited from the Irish constabulary. When the revolt broke out, the policemen resembled an alien force. They could not prevail against such a large crowd who saw them as foreigners.
Outside help was needed. The governor summoned the military. Later that afternoon, Cadiz, Warner’s father-in-law, read the Riot Act, asking the people to disperse. The crowd ignored him. They continued to pelt the soldiers with stones. The soldiers began to load their guns. Intimidated by the aggressiveness of crowd, the soldiers fired into the crowd, with devastating results. Two women and a child were killed that day.
The people’s anger did not end there. Later that evening, they stoned Cadiz’s residence and then moved to the Royal Gaol to inflict damage on Mr Hart’s house. Mr Hart was the Keeper of the Gaol. Even though they could not understand the Latin motto of the Gaol (Pro Rege et lege—for King and the Law) above the gates, they showered his residence with stones while others pounded on the gate with their sticks.
On December 14, at the trial of those who revolted, the attorney general testified: “I regret this, clear and decided as the necessity was for firing, because the necessity cannot altogether do away with our grief at the shedding of civil blood.”
We should always remember this shedding of blood that was enacted for our freedom.