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 COLONEL FULLARTON'S ANSWER 
 
 TO 
 
 COlLOJfEL PICTOJV'S F^MFMLET. 
 
REFUTATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PAMPHLET WHICH COILOMEJL PICTON 
 
 LATELY 
 
 ADDRESSED TO LORD HOBART. 
 
 [by 
 
 COLONEL FULLARTON, F. R. S. 
 
 ne cede rnaHs, sed contra, audentior ito. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY, 
 1805. 
 
 Price 2s. Qd. 
 
Bow 
 
 Printed by B. M'Millan, ? 
 tw-Street, Coyent-Cjatden. S 
 
 f 
 
C ^ -q . 
 
 J¥OTI€E. 
 
 Colonel Fullarton respe6lfully informs the Public, 
 that he directed one thousand copies of Colonel Pi6lon's Pam- 
 phlet, lately addressed to Lord Hobart, to be printed, with 
 the intention of binding and circulating them along with his 
 Refutation of their contents. He regrets to find, however, that 
 the publishing Colonel Pi6lon's production would be con- 
 sidered as an infringement on the right of literary property, 
 vested in the Author. This would not only subject the Printer 
 and Publishers to prosecution, but might impede the sale of 
 the work, by enabling Colonel Pi6loij to obtain an injundlion 
 against its circulation. 
 
 From these circumstances, Colonel Fullarton finds himself 
 under the necessity of issuing his Refutation of Colonel Pic- 
 ton's Pamphlet, without the benefit of exhibiting, at the 
 same time, the composition to which it is a reply. In order 
 to guard against any obscurity arising from this disappoint- 
 ment, it is necessary to observe, that Colonel Fullarton's 
 Answers apply to the first edition of Colonel Pifton's publi- 
 
 cation. 
 
 b 
 
 COLONEL 
 
TO 
 
 COLONEL PICTON'S PREFACE. 
 
 SOME persons, unacquainted with the affairs of Trinidad, on 
 reading Colonel Pi6lon's Pamphlet, might be induced to suppose, that 
 the subje6l of it is a matter of personal or private altercation between 
 that Officer and me. The slightest refle6lion, however, on the first 
 sentence of the Preface, is sufficient to corredl that error. 
 
 In any discussion, of a nature merely personal to myself, a fractional 
 part of the insolence conveyed in that sentence, would have, ere now, 
 procured the writer of it an opportunity, in what is called an honourable 
 way, " of reaching that bourne from which no traveller returns." 
 
 The terms of Colonel Pi6lon's Preface and Pamphlet, therefore, so 
 far as he is concerned, preclude reply. But he has unwarrantably 
 brought before the public, in a mutilated form, one of the most solemn, 
 and, hitherto, the most secret judicial investigations, which has appeared 
 on the records of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council 
 Sov several centuries. 
 
 In the course of these proceedhigs, I am fully impressed with the 
 important duties officially imposed upon me, and with the delicacy of 
 the position in which I am placed. Bound, upon the one hand, to 
 verify, as I have already done, and as I am continuing to do, a series of 
 the most extraordinary a<5ls that ever were charged against any British 
 Ruler ; and, on the other hand, to preserve inviolate, as I have invariably 
 done, through life, my adherence to the first, and highest order of 
 ; ' b 2 . sentiments. 
 
yjji PREFACE. 
 
 sentiments, that charaaerize a Gentleman ; at all times ready to sacri- 
 fice every earthly consideration, in support of my own personal honour, 
 and in maintaining the principles of public and private condua,on which 
 any estimation, worth preserving, can alone be founded. 
 
 Whatever merit I may claim from the ftiithful discharge of an in- 
 dispensable public duty, so uncongenial to my nature, as that of accusa- 
 tion, I shall ever feel the injury derived from the flagitious charader, 
 and 'outrageous violence, of Colonel Pidon, interrupting the estimation 
 which I have so long held in the world, as a person of conciliatory and 
 co-operative dispositions. 
 
 I have been obhged to deteA and expose turpitude, operating upon 
 imbecility, in so many different directions, conneaed with the transac- 
 tions of Trinidad, as will not easily be forgiven to me, by that class of 
 men, who shew themselves regardless how many abuses and atrocities 
 are committed, provided they, and those united with them, are not dis- 
 quieted or arraigned. 
 
 In performing the obligations imposed upon me, I have to contend 
 against a machinating and unprincipled defender, whose charaaer can- 
 not now be impaired, by any aa within his power to perpetrate. With 
 him is joined a band, confederated in the cause of criminality, determined, 
 if possible, per fas, aut nefas, to exonerate their leader; and, as 
 Colonel Piaon expresses it, to lay his accuser prostrate, never to rise 
 again." 
 
 Colonel Piaon has presumed to address to Lord Hobart, a rhapsody 
 of insolence and falsehood, to which it is difficult to reply in any form, 
 fit to be perused by a Minister, or other official person. Although 
 Colonel Piaon has failed in diminishing my charaaer and estimation, 
 as a faithful servant of the public, and has been still less successful in 
 clearing himself from any one charge imputed to him, he cannot fail, 
 however, to injure my reputation as an author; for, in exposing his 
 scurrilous vulgarity of diaion, he has reduced me to the dulness of 
 continual repetition, and to the monotony of incessantly contradiaing 
 his mistatements. In one respea, however, his Publication has been 
 produaive of a beneficial consequence ; for it has affi3rded the best 
 of all refutations to a deception industriously circulated, that Colonel 
 
 Piaon, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Pi(£lon, vfith his eloquence and energies, had produced a strong im- 
 pression by the defence which he is stated to have dehvered. 
 
 The Manuscript, to which the first sentence of Colonel Piclon's Pre- 
 face refers, was put into my hands in November, 1803, by a Gentleman 
 well known in "London, who had the goodness to bring it to my own 
 house, at a time when I did not know of its existence. 
 
 The moral refleclion respe6iing falsehood, as a general theorem, 
 will be admitted by all mankind. The maliciously advancing a noto- 
 rious falsehood, in the instance to which the preamble of the Preface 
 alludes, is fully and unequivocally demonstrated to have been commit- 
 ted by Colonel Pi6lon, and his Coadjutors. The subje6l of the ridicu- 
 lous fidion in question, was a Proclamation, which Mr. Gallagher, the 
 printer in Port of Spain, placarded on the 6th of January, 1803, di- 
 re61:ly contrary to my express order, officially conveyed to him ; and 
 which, in the presence of seven Gentlemen, I therefore dire6\ed him 
 to pull down, and deliver to me ; which he did accordingly. This was 
 a matter of notoriety ; and yet it has pleased Colonel Pi6lon, with the 
 aid, and in the name of Commodore Hood, to print a dire6l and incre- 
 dible untruth ; asserting, that I had stated the Proclamation in ques- 
 tion to have been pulled down by Colonel Pidlon's emissaries. It is 
 unfortunate for that Officer, if his defence must rest on such inven- 
 tions : the particulars are fully detailed in the first part of my Answer 
 to his Pamphlet, respecting Commodore Hood. 
 
 The second and third sentences in Colonel Pidlon's Preface, are 
 equally unconnedled with veracity. He states, that " He and I are 
 *' before the highest Court of Judicature in the kingdom, on the truth 
 " of one kind of charge, and that we are before the Public now upon 
 " another." Those who have read the Charges against Colonel Pidion^, 
 which have been produced before that High Court to which he alludes, 
 must know, that so far from being, as he expresses it, of one kind, 
 they are more numerous, various, and serious, than any accusations 
 which ever were substantiated against a Commandant or Governor 
 under the British Crown. Any approbation which Colonel Pi6ton may 
 have received, in consequence of favourable representations of his con- 
 duct, transmitted by himself, or by his friends, can hardly avail against 
 such charges, whether they were, or were not, known to the Com- 
 manders 
 
X 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 manders in Chief under whom he has served. Those charges, officially 
 cotnmiinicated to Administration, have become the subje6l of solemn 
 investigation, before the Lords of His Majesty's Most Honourable 
 Privy Council. Under such circumstances, the respeft which is due to 
 the Duke of York, as the Son of my Sovereign, the Brother of the Heir 
 Apparent, the Head of the British Military Establishment, and a Mem- 
 ber of His Majesty's Council, precludes me from offering comments, or 
 from giving credit, to Colonel Pi6lon's assertion, that His Royal High- 
 -7iess could have been graciously pleased to intimate his " condescen- 
 sion," as Colonel Pidlon expresses it, of putting into his hands the pre- 
 sent of a Sword, which he considers as a most invaluable pledge of the 
 high opinion in which his services were held by the Colony which , he 
 had the honour to govern. 
 
 Indeed I am satisfied, that the general impression made upon the 
 public mind, is, a perfect convi61:ion of the impossibility that His Royal 
 Highness the Duke of York could announce so distinguished an 
 Honour, to a person not only labouring under such serious accusations 
 as Colonel Pi6lon, but against whom the charges which were investi- 
 gated appear to have been considered as substantiated ; insomuch, 
 that the Lords of His Majesty '.s Council, proceeding under the Sta- 
 tute passed in the 33d year of King Henry VIIL, after hearing evi- 
 dence, in the month of November, 1803, publicly committed him to 
 the custody of a Messenger, and s.till detain him under bail to the 
 amount of 40,000l. 
 
 It should farther be understood, that some of the charges in ques- 
 tion, deeply involve the interests of that class of His Majesty's sub- 
 jedls which the Duke of York, in his capacity as Commander in Chief, 
 is peculiarly called on to prote6i; and to defend. 
 
 From these fa^ls, it is obvious that the opinion which may be formed 
 of Colonel Pidlon by his Sovereign and his Country, will not depend 
 on any thing which can come from " my tongue or from my pen." 
 Neither can it be determined by , any one sentence pronounced on any 
 one head of acciusatipn, bat on a discussion of all that stands recorded 
 against hiui, fully and fairly communicated to the world. 
 
 There is one point of view, tiowever, i^ which the insertion of the 
 Puke of York's intention to present Colone^Pi6lon with a Sword, is 
 
 expeded 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Xl 
 
 expelled to produce impressions favourable to his cause, by inducing 
 the great body of Military Officers to conceive, that the severities which 
 he committed, have obtained the highest military san6tion in the king- 
 dom, and of course, that no military person must presume to disap- 
 prove of these transactions. 
 
 A still stronger deception, among many others, has been practised in 
 Trinidad, where letters lately received from thence, described a communi- 
 cation to have been made by a leading Member of the Cabildo, or Muni- 
 cipal Tribunal, declaring that the Sword in question had adlually been 
 delivered to Colonel Piston from the hands of His Majesty, in presence 
 of the whole Court ; that Colonel Pidon's condud was universally 
 extolled, and that I had been stripped of all employment, and de- 
 graded, for accusing him ; that the Minister, as an a6t of commisera- 
 tion, had conferred on me a small office, to prevent me from starving, 
 equal to the colle6lion of some trifling duties on grog-shops in Port 
 of Spain ; and that Colonel Pi6lon would soon be restored in triumph 
 to the Colony. These fabrications are supported by reports industri- 
 ously circulated, that Colonel Pidton is to be employed on a secret 
 expedition, and that through his recommendation, appointments on 
 that service maybe obtained. Thus, the a6lion and re-a6lion, of fic- 
 tions conveyed from England, and of fallacies imported from Trinidad, 
 support the delusion in both countries. By these contrivances, the 
 British Chara6ter is tarnished and degraded in the Colonies, and over 
 all the adjacent Settlements of South America. 
 
 COLONEL, 
 
COLONEJL FUJLLAIRTON'S ANSWER. 
 
 COLONEL PICTON commences his Letter to Lord Hobart by 
 declaring that there has just fallen into his hands, a Statement 
 Letters and Documents, respeding the affairs of Trinidad ; indudin ' 
 a Rep y to Colonel Pidon's Address to the Council of that island^ 
 submitted to the consideration of the Lords of His Majesty' most* 
 Honourable Pnvy Council, by Colonel Fullarton. He a'dds^ tha " he 
 seduced the servant of no man, violated the sanflity of no seal no? 
 
 questTon!' P™^^^' P^°-- ^he book ?n 
 
 If the work to which he alludes, had, in faft, been a publication 
 
 given to the world, as asserted by Colonel Pidon, any of^he di re 
 
 putable modes of procuring the Communication, now disclaimed b. 
 
 him, would have been completely useless. s^»ciuiiea oy 
 
 The important nature of the numerous'and heaw charfrps e-yW^W.t^A 
 
 against Colonel Pi6lon many of which afFedl h1s'lif;^rfl utap^y 
 
 fhS r Tr " "^K,^ ^'u P\^f '^'^ '^'P'^ decorum due^?^ 
 the Right Honourable Tribunal before which the investigation of the e 
 charges has been conduced ; and the delicacy of my relative si"uadon 
 officially employed as First Commissioner of LverLent in TrmS' 
 to substantiate the grounds of accusation ; have imposed on me obli 
 gations of restraint and silence. ^ ' 
 
 Under these impressions I have patiently refrained from all public 
 explanation of innumerable calumnies circulated in every direS 
 although at any moment since my return from Trinidad, in autumn 
 1803, I have possessed the most full and overwhelming means of ex" 
 
 ^ posing 
 
posinf^ the disgraceful mass of machinations contrived by Colonel Pic- 
 ton and his adherents, with the view of repelling accusations against 
 him, by incredible aspersions respeding those who reprobate his 
 
 condu61:. ^ ,. r j 
 
 It can hardly be denied that some degree of credit, for reserve and 
 forbearance, is due to me in this instance, when it is considered that 
 the solemn investigation which has lasted fourteen months, and still 
 continues pending, has been condufted with so much precaution and 
 concealment on all hands, that Colonel Picon's pamphlet is the first 
 communication published to the world, and in general circulation, upon 
 the subied ; insomuch that, at this moment, any person unacquamted 
 with the affairs of Trinidad, or with the secret proceedings before the 
 Lords of Council, might be induced, on a perusal of Colonel Fidton s 
 pamphlet, to suppose that I am the person charged with the commis- 
 sion of unlawful aas, and that Colonel Piaon is the meritorious ser- 
 vant of the Crown, bringing forward acfcusations upon grounds ot in- 
 dispensable public duty. ^ , . . . . n r u 
 Although I am perfedly aware of the injurious influence of such 
 misapprehensions on the interests of the Colony, on the charader of the 
 British Government, and on the personal estimation of any mdividual 
 not P-enerally known and established in the world, I must endeavour 
 still longer to persevere in with-holding from the public the details of 
 proceedings which are pending before the Privy Council Those wha 
 Lve access to my Statements, which form the subjed of Colonel Pic- 
 ton's pamphlet, with the documents and evidence by which they are 
 vouched will iudge how far Colonel Pidon can satisfy the world by a 
 sweeping declaration, " that the falsities and misrepresentations therein 
 contained, make any seleflion superfluous, where truth is equally vio- 
 lated or distorted throughout." If he really wishes that the case should 
 be understood, let him reprint and publish my quarto Statement, un- 
 mutilated, and all the documents complete, with his own comments 
 and remarks ; in the same manner as I have now reprinted his pam- 
 phlet, with my exposition of its scandalous contents. ^ 
 
 In the meanwhile, however, although I abstain from offering 
 any thin<T like detail of proceedings before the Privy Council yet 1 
 cannot suffer the public to be deceived by a mistatement of Colonel 
 Piaon, who most erroneously asserts, that the Members of the Com- 
 mittee of that Right Honourable Board are sitting in judgment upon 
 the whole of the case before them. This declaration is so diredly 
 contrary to the fad, that the attention of the Lords in Council has 
 hitherto been employed on a part only of the cases ot a capital na- 
 turc charged against Colonel Pidon, and investigated under the st.i- 
 tute passed in the 33d year of King Henry the Eighth ; while the 
 consideration of all the numerous and heavy charges that are not 
 wUhin the scope of that ad, has hitherto been postponed. 
 
With respedl to the indecent, in^proper liberties I am stated to have 
 taken with the names of General Grinfield, Commodore Hood, and 
 Baron de Montalembert, those who read what has been written con- 
 cerning them by me and by Colonel Pidlon, will be enabled to judge 
 whether they suffer most from my observations, or from the solicitude 
 ©f Colonel Pidon to vindicate the reputation of " the dead and 
 absent," 
 
 Without attempting to conje<?ttTre in what mode the absent or the 
 present may a6l, when cahimmated with an unsparing hand, I cannot 
 possibly admit the assertion of Colonel Pi61on, that he has treated 
 every observation that comes from me, " however false, however li- 
 bellous, with silent and indignant contempt." In what manner does 
 Colonel Pidon reconcile this assertion with l6o pages of folio manu- 
 script sent to the press in November 1803, besides an Appendix, of 
 still larger dimensions ? 
 
 These papers were put into my hands in my own house, by a gen- 
 tleman well known in London, without any seal upon them, without 
 my having recourse to the servant of any man, and without ray having 
 any concern with the principles of any printer on the subjed. 
 
 I afterwards received three printed proof-sheets of the same work, 
 which I presented to the Lords of His Majesty's Council, as affording 
 a stronger portrait of Colonel Picon's charader and modes of expres- 
 sion, than any thing in my power to offer. 
 
 On a subsequent occasion, a gentleman, of great reputation in the 
 literary world, found several quires of Colonel Picon's printed libel 
 on the counter of a shop, where they were used to wrap up the commo- 
 dities sold to customers, and circulated in that manner. I have long 
 ago reprinted that libel, with an exposition of its contents, in the form 
 of a Comparative Statement ; but in the stage of proceedings which 
 has hitherto occurred, I have refrained from putting it in circulation. 
 
 After quoting four pages of notes, extra£ted from my Statement, 
 Colonel Pi6ion declares upon his Honour, that there is not a single 
 letter of truth in the whole or any part of them. This wholesale 
 and retail denial of truth proves too much ; some of them are vouched 
 in a way that cannot be denied. It appears, therefore, as if Colonel 
 Pidon had undertaken, or was bound to deny fads, not merely by 
 the dozen, or the score, but by contrad, and m mass. The Colonel 
 declares upon his Honour. Shakspeare asks, " can Honour heal the 
 grief of a wound ?" I ask, can such a species and portion of honour 
 as belongs to Colonel Pidon, restore the unhappy vidims who were 
 sacrificed to his cruel and vindidive spirit ? If the numerous queries 
 of a similar description in detail, which I am entitled to put, as mat- 
 ters of proof, must be answered by Colonel Pidon in the negative, 
 we must then admit that Shakspeare possessed a prophetic spirit, when 
 he declared, that " such honour had no skill in surgery." 
 
 B2 If 
 
4 
 
 If Commodore Hood had neither communication nor correspon- 
 dence with Colonel Pi61on, and with his friends, at Barbadoes, nor for 
 nearly a month after the Commodore's arrival at Trinidad, it only adds 
 another instance of his negle6l of public duty. On so important a 
 transaction, materially afte6ling the welfare of the Colony, he was 
 bound to procure authentic information on both sides. Whether 
 Commodore Hood avoided or sought communications on the sub- 
 je£l with the Public Secretary, Mr. Woodyear, is certainly immaterial, 
 and can neither be positively asserted nor denied by me, nor by Co- 
 lonel Piclon ; for it could not be personally ascertained by either of 
 us. But, of my own knowledge, I declare, that on my visits to Com- 
 modore Hood, I saw Mr. Woodyear with him, and understood from 
 others, that their intercourse was frequent. 
 
 Here it may be necessary to observe, that the meetings between the 
 two Junior Commissioners at Colonel Pinion's house, were known 
 at the Public Secretary's office ; because the office was imme- 
 diately adjoining to Colonel Picton's house, and Commodore Hood 
 was seen going into that house before he came to the meetings of the 
 Commission or of the Council. This faS. is not asserted by me, as 
 within my own personal knowledge, but only as having been so stated 
 or reported to me. Whether it be well or ill founded, can have little 
 influence on the merits of the question respecting the serious charges 
 affeding Colonel Pi6^on. 
 
 As for the perfeCl instruction which the Commodore received from 
 ine, it consisted in shewing him the documents which had passed in 
 Council on the subjed during his absence. So far from marking any 
 thing connected with disapprobation, at least to me, the Commodore 
 was in the frequent habit of dining and visiting in my family. After 
 General Grinfield's departure on the 13th of March, I held no inter- 
 course whatever with Colonel PiCton, nor did we ever meet, except 
 in the Commission and Council room. The Minutes, previous to 
 the 24th of March, do not contain one word of disapprobation, on 
 the part of Commodore Hood, respeCling the disagreement with Co- 
 lonel PiClon ; nor on my part respecting Commodore Hood, on any 
 subject, except some observations which I stated in a letter of the 
 I'ith of March to the two Junior Commissioners, and printed with 
 the Documents submitted to the Lords of His Majesty's Council. Of 
 course, Colonel PiClon, stating that Commodore Hood had expressed 
 to me entire disapj)robation of my conduCl, has asserted that which he 
 could not possibly know to be true, having no personal means of know- 
 ledge on the subjet^h He farther knew it so far to be positively false at 
 that period, that Commodore Hood refused to concur with Colonel 
 PiCton in re-instating Mr. Woodyear as Public Secretary, who had 
 been superseded by me, for misconduCt during the absence of Com- 
 modore Hood. 
 
 On 
 
On the 17th of March, Colonel Pi6ton read in Council a Minute, 
 which I have printed, and to which I felt it incumbent on me to re- 
 ply ; because it was not only full of personal invedive, but replete 
 with misrepresentations, brought forward with the dired intention of 
 forcing me to participate prospeaively in the cruel and felonious system 
 of Colonel Pi6ton, or to overwhelm me with insolence and outrage. 
 
 The particulars are fully detailed in my printed Letter to Lord 
 Hobart m March 1804, and in my Comparative Statement, or ex- 
 position of Colonel Pidon's libellous produdion. 
 
 On Sunday the 20th of March, Commodore Hood paid me a visit, 
 and, while walking together in my gallery, I commented in severe 
 terms on the inadmissible tenor and expressions of Colonel Picon's 
 Mmute in Council on the preceding Thursday. To my great sur- 
 prize, in the hearing of several gentlemen in the adjoining room 
 Commodore Hood maintained the dodrine, that, even in a country 
 where murders, for example, had been usually committed without 
 punishment, or persons hanged without trial, a new government had 
 no right to interfere with those affairs, as they were in such cases esta- 
 blished or sanctioned by custom and pradiice. 
 
 These positions, whether as a matter of political and executive 
 ■government or of casuistry, appear, even at this moment, so novel 
 and incredible m the mouth of a British Commissioner, and so di- 
 redtly resemble the language of an Italian Sbirro, that I would hardly 
 venture now, on my own recolle6tio.n, to repeat the fad, if, on Com- 
 modore Hood's leaving me, I had not immediately mentioned the cir- 
 cumstance to some of the gentlemen conversing with me. As I never 
 afterwards had any communication with Commodore Hood in private 
 it will give me satisfadion to hear that he did not then seriously mean 
 to maintain such doctrines, or that he has since, at least, had time 
 and opportunity to learn that they are repugnant to every principle 
 that ought to direa the proceedings of a Ruler or Commander under 
 the ISritish Government. 
 
 With respea to Commodore Hood's public reprobation of my con- 
 dua in Council, it was never expressed to me till the 24th of March 
 when, ,t is perfeaiy true, that f was presiding in Council ; but no^ 
 another circumstance stated by Colonel Piaon, as having taken place 
 during that day s nrieeting, accords with, or has any resemblance to 
 the faas, as they aaually occurred. 
 
 The detail of proceedings on that occasion, is very fully explained in 
 my printed letter to Lord Hobart, dated March 1804, and in' the 
 Comparative Statement. It may be useful here, however, to place 
 a short recapitulation of particulars in opposition to the marvellous 
 aberrations which mark the narrative of Colonel Piaon, in point of 
 time, place, form, and substance. 
 
 Immediately on constituting the meeting, as President, I com- 
 menced 
 
6 
 
 menced with reading a number of motions prepared by me, which 1 
 desired might be entered on the Mmutes. They are printed m the 
 Documents annexed to my Statement, and will answer for them- 
 selves. As they were long an'i numerous, I observed the Juni.or 
 Commissioners indicate much dissatisfaaion, and express their disap- 
 probation by frequent interruptions. In order as much as in mj ^ 
 power to accommodate or alleviate their impatience, I hurried over 
 the preliminary papers, and proceeded to read tfie mam discussion, 
 which concluded with a specification of the numerous charges, h-ora 
 which it became necessary, for the honour of Colonel Piaon, _and tor 
 th.e national charaaer of England, to clear himself by public trial. 
 On my stating, that His Majesty's Ministers would judge how tar the 
 expressions in B. G. Piaon's Minute of the 17th March, were nt to 
 be used by one gentleman or received by another, the General said. 
 He conceived that would rather have been fitter for another mode 
 of reference ; or words to that efifea. To which I answered, 1 hat 
 as soon as he was deared from the imputations under which he la- 
 boured, and when he and I were relieved from the duties imposed 
 on us by the public situation in which we were involved, a meet- 
 inP- between him and me, on the footing of Officers, was a matter ot 
 indispensable necessity. I had hardly pronounced these or similar 
 words, when Commodore Hood sprung up, addressed the Council 
 and urged the Members to observe, that the First Commissioner had 
 given a challenge to his colleague, and that he should feel it to be his 
 duty to report the same to His Majesty's Ministers. Struck with the 
 insidious and unfair tendency of this misrepresentation, I proceeded 
 to declare my determination, that while B. G. Piaon and I remained 
 in our relative positions, no such occurrence should take place be- 
 tween us ; but that whenever we were relieved from the duties ot our 
 situation, that a meeting must ensue, as a matter of course. 
 
 Some time after, while I was continuing to read my Minute, Com- 
 modore Hood again interrupted me, and dec ared he coris.dered such 
 charges against my colleague as a libel on His Majesty s Ministers; 
 and addecl, that as he did not wish to aa with a person who had so 
 traduced his colleague, he would apply to be permitted to resign his 
 office as Commissioner. To this I only answered, That if such were 
 his sentiments, the sooner he resigned the better ; and that as for he 
 libd on His Majesty's Ministers, they would judge of that, wlien the 
 
 charges were made known to them *. . 
 ° JJuring 
 
 * If Commodore Hood had expressed a doubt of the possibility that the cr^^^^^ 
 cruelties alledged codd hnve be. n p^rpeua.ed by any Br.r.sh ^'^^^^.^^ 
 have done h.nTour to his heart, ^vithout att..nlu,g the c a.ms ot h.s J' f"^^ 
 to treat as libels on Ministers su. h charges, so spceifij d u. P^'^^ "j^''' 1' ^ ^^^^^^^^^^ 
 stances, and parties concerned, was the more extraordinary, as one ot the casts respe« mg 
 
During the course of my reading, the interruptions from Colonel 
 Pidton were so frequent, stormy, and insolent, that on one br more 
 occasions I had to put on my hat, lay my hand on my sword, and tell 
 the Brigadier that he must recollect that he was an officer and that I 
 was another, and that while I presided in the Council-room, no such 
 insolence could be suffered to take place. 
 
 After I had finished my Minute, and the enumeration of charges 
 against Colonel Pi6ton, and the motion with which it ended, and 
 had delivered the papers to be entered on the record, the different 
 Members proceeded to express their opinions, and to put them in 
 writing, in order that they might be entered regularly in the books of 
 the Council. Having concluded what I considered as the business of 
 the meeting, I rose from the Council-table and walked about the 
 room, as well as several other Members. Thus terminated the re- 
 gular business of the day ; during which, not one word passed that 
 had reference to any assertion expressed in the pamphlet published 
 by Colonel Pi6lon, or put by him into the mouth of Commodore 
 Hood. 
 
 Afterwards, before the Gentlemen separated, and while they were 
 standing in a desultory manner, Colonel Pi6ton made some ob- 
 servations or proposal for a renewal of the proclamation *, which, 
 on the day after my arrival in the island (6th of January ]802), had 
 been urged by Mr. Woodyear, and drawn by him and Mr. Gloster,, 
 and to which I expressed at that time no obje6lion, but declined allow- 
 ing it to be promulgated, stating that it ought at any rate to be de- 
 ferred till Commodore Hood's arrival from Barbadoes, or at least till 
 I had an opportunity of communicating with him on the subject. A 
 few days afterwards, and before I had an opportunity of writing,. 
 I received a very friendly letter from him, dated 25th January, an- 
 nouncing his intention of sailing without delay for Trinidad. Pre- 
 vious to his arrival, however, such discussions had occurred between 
 Colonel Pi6ton and me, ^as gave an unavoidable interruption to any 
 joint measure of this description. 
 
 After the stormy altercations which had taken place, it did appear 
 surprizing that Colonel Pidlon should, in the desultory and irregular 
 mode already specified, introduce a proposal for issuing a joint pro- 
 
 the outrages committed against Mrs. GrifBths and her daughters, had been verified to the 
 Comra<'dore, by unquestionable documents put into his hands soon after his arrival, by' 
 some persons of her family, in a regular address to the Commissioners, and by the Com- 
 modore laid upon the table of the Conmiission-room for Colonel Pifton's inspedion, whose 
 comments on the memorial could not fail to throw light on the subjeS, even to the obscure 
 intelletlual optics of the Commodore. 
 
 * -The objc6t of the proclamation was, to continue all matters of administration in the 
 island on the former footing. 
 
 clamation. 
 
clamation. My answer, In a cursory manner, and without renewing 
 any regular form of proceeding, was, that I still entertained the sen- 
 timents respecting the unobjeCl ion able nature of the proclamation in 
 its fair and unperverted acceptation. Being apprehensive, however, 
 that some undue advantage was intended by the introdu61ion of that 
 proposal at such a moment, I wrote next morning the following 
 letter to Mr. Adderley, adling Secretary to the Commission. 
 
 March 25, 1803, seven in the morning. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 It does not appear to me that I ought to allow my name, in the 
 present circumstances, to be joined in any public a6l with that of 
 General Pii5ton, From the conversation of yesterday in Council, I 
 supposed it was intended to publish the proclamation formerly pro- 
 posed. To the proclamation I did not offer any obje6lion ; on the 
 contrary, I expressed my approbation, which is the case, in its fair 
 and simple meaning : but if it is to be used to communicate impres- 
 sions unfavourable to the interests and wishes of the Mercantile Body 
 and the British Inhabitants, or to afford any colour or pretence for 
 continuing or approving the abuses of the former Government, then 
 it becomes a dangerous and obje6lionable document. Under these 
 impressions I trouble you with this letter, that in order, if you think, 
 right, to prevent my name from appearing to the intended publica- 
 tion, the necessary steps may be taken without delay, as I presume 
 the other two Commissioners had urgent reasons for proposing such a 
 measure in such stormy moments as those of yesterday's discussioiio 
 Believe me always, with true regard, most sincerely yours, 
 
 (Signed) W. Fullarton. 
 
 To George Augustus Adderley, Esq. 
 Secretary to the Commission. 
 
 From the 10th to the 1 4th page, as published in his first edition, 
 Colonel Pi6\on's pamphlet contains one regular conneCted series of 
 fiibrications, so incredible, and so expressed, that no one but a Poli- 
 con could have contrived them, and no one but an imbecile can be- 
 lieve them. They fall short, however, of the original composition 
 which appears in Colonel Pi6\on's folio libel. After stating the ele- 
 gant oration which he has put into Commodore Flood's mouth, and 
 which the reader must excuse me for believing was not pronounced 
 with all the rotundity of intonation so requisite for the delivery of 
 such a speech, and so little pra61ised by the Commodore, Colonel 
 Pi61on proceeds to describe the petrifying influence produced by this 
 oration on all my faculties and organs : — " Mr. FuUarton was so con- 
 founded by these truths, urged with manly and forcible eloquence, 
 
 with 
 
wttli which a noble imind is naturally transported on the discovery of 
 falsehood and treachery, that he could not utter a syllable in reply." ' 
 ■1« answer to these disgraceful fidions, I have only to transcribe a 
 passage from the 55th page of my exposition of the same libel - 
 c/u '^u^^'^^'^'^ Btated by Mr. Mon to have been so manfully urged 
 by the Commodore, happen to be no less defeaive in veracity than in 
 ^'^ other pomts of composition. In one respeA, however, this speech 
 so happily mvented by the Brigadier, resembles those which a truly 
 classical composer, the late Alderman Wilkes, used to manufafture 
 for his friend Alderman Bull. They were sometimes by inadvertence 
 printed and published before they were pronounced ; but even if this 
 harangue had been uttered in my presence, with all the forcible and 
 ' manly eloquence so ingeniously discovered in the enunciations of the 
 Commodore it would be the first instance, that any sort of eloquence 
 trom the bellowing of a boatswain, to the superior emanations of the 
 most distinguished orators, had ever silenced or confounded me " 
 As the circumstance of the Proclamation of the 6th of January 
 i^^^^J?:"''/ i^t'nguished feature in the oration fabricated by Co! 
 lonel Piaon for Commodore Hood, in order that this may be fully ex ' 
 plained, I here msert an extrad from my Statement, addressed to Lord 
 irlobart : 
 
 On the eth of January, Mr. Gloster and Mr. Woodyear uro-ed me 
 to concur ,n a Proclamation, declaring that all laws, usages and em- 
 " ployments should continue in full force. 
 
 As the objea stated, was to quiet the minds of the inhabitants by re 
 movmg any apprehensions of innovations and supersessions, I did not 
 objea to he measure, which they seemed to have very eagerly at heart 
 The Proclamation was prepared, and ordered to be printed 
 - After .t was in the Printer's hands, however, it occurred'to me, that 
 there would be a marked impropriety in hastily promulgating such a 
 public aa without previously communicating its content? to Commo- 
 dore Hood who was then absent at Barbadoes. Under this impres- 
 f ° V ?^"ir u ^^^"^^ Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Burke 
 to Mr. Gallagher* next morning at six o'clock, to desire that he 
 would not on any account issue the Proclamation, but brinp- me the 
 proof-sheet as soon as it was ready. He returned for answer, that he 
 would wait on me w.th the proof-sheet at eight o'clock. Instead of 
 rrTl?' P^""?'''' ^^PP°'"^ed, I waf much surprized to learn 
 
 that the Proclamation was placarded all over the town. Mr Gallagher 
 was immechately reprimanded for disobeyu.g a positive order, ancl for 
 P""^'"g/ff - P"bl.c document, without shewing me the proof-sheet 
 
 and!" drefth'em t^^tr ''''' " P-lamat.ot; 
 
 ^ "Thi 
 
 is, 
 
10 
 
 " This he faithfully performed, and apologized for having disobeyed 
 " my instru61ions respecting the proof-sheet, by assuring me that 
 " Mr. Woodyear had given him a counter-order, and had diredted 
 
 him to publish the Proclamation at all events ; adding, that he u'as 
 " Public Secretary, to whom Mr. Gallagher and all others must apply 
 " for instructions and for payment. In order to prevent a repetition of 
 " such counteraction on the' part of Mr. Woodyear, I stated to h\m at 
 " full length the fatal consequence of such proceedings, and the exulta- 
 *' tion which would thereby be occasioned, among those who had an 
 " obvious intererest in wishing that the operations of the Commissioners 
 " should not prove more popular and successful than those of the pre- 
 " ceding Government. This conversation took place in the presence of 
 " Mr. Adderley, Colonel Rutherford, Major Williamson, Mr. Burke, 
 " and Mr. Mackenzie ; all of whom will bear testimony to the truth 
 " of these assertions. These Gentlemen were passengers along witk 
 " me in the Ulysses. They have all held official and confidential situa- 
 " tions connected with the Commission, and they can certify the injuri- 
 *' ous mistatements entered on the Minutes of Council by Mr. Wood- 
 " year, Mr. Black, General PiCton, and Mr. Gloster. 
 
 "As soon as the copies of the Proclamation were pulled down*, 
 " Mr. Gloster was apprized of my intention to defer the publication, 
 " until I could have some communication on the subjeCl with Commo- 
 " dore Hood. Before an opportunity of writing, however, occurred, I 
 " received a letter from the Commodore, expressing his warmest estima- 
 " tion and regards, and assuring me of his intention very soon to sail for 
 
 " Trinidad. , • , , 
 
 " This circumstance, and the extreme eagerness with which the publi- 
 " cation in question had been urged by Mr. Woodyear, Mr. Gloster, 
 " and their Printer, Mr. Gallagher, induced me to postpone any fur- 
 " ther proceeding on the business till the arrival of the Commodore. 
 " The subsequent events have fully proved that the suggestion of a 
 " Proclamation was not intended merely to remove apprehensions of 
 " alterations and innovations, but to betray me into an unintentional 
 " declaration, which if it had taken place, would have been perverted 
 " into a retrospective approbation and confirmation of all the aCts and 
 " praaices of the preceding Government. My sentiments on the 
 " subject are fully expressed in a letter to Mr. Adderley, dated 25th 
 
 "March." . . , , 
 
 Colonel Piaon not only asserts, that there is not a single letter 
 of truth in my Statement,-^or in the passages which he has quoled from 
 
 * The uncommon de-rce of eagerness marked by Mr. Gloster and other friends of 
 Genera) Pifton, certainly'induced sus| icions of there being some latent oaose, u,:knmvn to 
 Colonel I<^ullarton, for the extreme anxiety about publishing this prochmation as his hrst 
 public aa, which add- d strength to the idea that it ought to be delayed till the Commo- 
 
 dore should be consulted. 
 
 it : 
 
11 
 
 it : but he declares upon his honour, as an Officer 'and a Gentleman, 
 three things to be positive matter of fa6l, which he could not possibly 
 know to be true, because they referred to Communications, Corres- 
 pondence, and Conversations, of which he had no personal knowledge. 
 On such occasions it would be more becoming in him. to use the inde- 
 finite expression " stated," to which, in a note on the 5th page of 
 his pamphlet, he describes me to be very much attached : for by Co- 
 lonel Pi61on's unqualified mode of expression in these instances, he, 
 has, according to his own phrase, suffered himself " to be caught in 
 the strong trap of palpable assertion of untruths." This, indeed, 
 may appear to him of little moment, considering the swarm of fidiions 
 with which his pamphlet, his folio libel, and the minutes which he 
 entered on the records of the Trinidad Council, teem in every page. 
 The Father of Fallacies in Pandemonium, could hardly have contrived 
 a more perfect specimen of deception, unmingled with any ingredient 
 of veracity, than Colonel Pidon has exhibited in the first edition of 
 his pamphlet, from the 10th to the 14th page. 
 
 In order completely to mislead the reader, he marks off with dots 
 or commas, proceedings supposed to have taken place on the 24th of 
 March, and speeches framed for me and for Commodore Hood, as if 
 •they had adually been spoken, minuted at the time, and extra61ed 
 verbatim from the records of that day's transadlions. 
 
 Although Commodore Hood has uttered many improper and inad- 
 missible expressions, yet so far was he from a6lually pronouncing the 
 speech composed and printed for him by Colonel Pi6ton, that I may 
 venture any reasonable bet, he is incapable of getting it by heart, or 
 of speaking it, even now that it is printed in his name. 
 
 With respe6l to the discourse fabricated for me, it violates the com- 
 mon rules of probability, without which even falsehood ceases to deceive. 
 
 The Proclamation m question was pulled down by the Printer, Mr. 
 Gallagher, by my own order, communicated to him in person, as a 
 matter of notoriety, in presence of various Gentlemen, because he 
 had posted it up dire6lly contrary to my instrudions. 
 
 It is perfectly true, for reasons already stated, that the Commodore 
 did not receive any communications from me respecting the Proclama- 
 tion while he remained at Barbadoes ; but the idea of my mentioning at 
 any period, the Proclamation having been pulled down by Mr. Pidon's 
 emissaries, is too preposterous to admit of a reply. If any of Mr, 
 Pidon's adherents were foolish enough to make so incredible an asser- 
 tion to Commodore Hood, it only affords an additional proof of the 
 violation of all honour, honesty and truth, with which these few unfor- 
 tunate individuals, implicated in the crimes, and Interested in the suc- 
 cess of Mr. Pidon, enveloped and distorted every fad, and fabricated 
 expressions, which no man shall ever dare to apply to me with impunity. 
 
 c 2 It 
 
12 
 
 It is necessary to inform the reader, that in "the meeting which is 
 stated as the scene of this extraordinary display of philippic oratory, 
 I was in uniform with a sword. If tlie Commodore, captivated with 
 the ready-manufadured eloquence held forth for him, should be 
 pleased to adopt as his own the speech provided for him by Colonel 
 Piclon, then, I presume, two things will appear, first, that if Com- 
 modore Hood, sitting as His Majesty's Commissioner in Council, could 
 possibly express himself in such terms as are fabricated for him, he 
 not only proved himself unworthy of a seat at any Board, but unfit 
 to be admitted into the company of any gentleman. In the second 
 place, I trust that, on the supposition of his choosing to admit the 
 utterance, or the wish to utter such words, even if the faculty of 
 utterance were deficient, I may claim some credit at least for modera- 
 tion, in abstaining from personal extremities, which, however inde- 
 corous in a Council-room, his subsequent conduit undoubtedly proves, 
 that in other instances he has completely deserved. 
 
 There is another point, to which, although of little moment, I 
 must give an explicit contradidion. Colonel Pidon states, that Com- 
 modore Hood had officially written, requesting that his resignation 
 might be accepted of, without giving him any information of such 
 determination. This assertion is dire6lly contrary to the fa6t ; inso- 
 much, that Commodore Hood informed Colonel Pi6lon and the whole 
 Council, in my hearing, as can be attested by Mr. Adderley, a Mem- 
 ber of Council, now in England, that he wished not to a6t longer 
 with the First Commissioner, who had so traduced his colleague, 
 and that he meant to apply for leave to resign his office as Commis- 
 sioner. To which my answer was, If such are your sentiments, the 
 sooner you apply the better. 
 
 As for the " disagreements" which were Currently and generally re- 
 ported to have occurred between the Junior Commissioners during n)y 
 absence from Port of Spain, after the 29th of March, 1803, I have 
 already stated, that.it is impossible for me to have any personal know- 
 ledge of the fadfs. Their agreements, however, unfortunately for the 
 Colony, and for Commodore Hood's character, are of absolute no- 
 toriety, and upon record. T[ie enumeration of them affords a me- 
 lancholy instance of the pernicious influence of Vesprit fort, sur resprit 
 foible. It might be tedious and improper, in this place to enlarge on 
 the abuse of power which the Commodore's name was used to screen 
 and shelter, as an indication to the Colony that the same system 
 of severity was to be continued, which had dismayed the inhabitants 
 during the domination of Governor Pi6lon. 
 
 On the subjed of General Grinfield, Colonel Pi6lon states, " That 
 the dead arc not free from my calumnies ; and that I have summoned 
 
 that 
 
13 
 
 that great chara(?ler from the peaceful mansions of the dead, to bear 
 faise witness to my calumnies," 
 
 As Colonel Picton has transcribed from my Statement, the passn^-e 
 in a note to which his observations refer, any one who reads the para- 
 ' graph in question, may judge how far there exists any portion of calumny 
 as applicable on my part, to that zealous and experienced Officer. Ou 
 the other hand, those who read General Grinfield's letter to Lord 
 Hobart, of the 13th of August, 1803, and to Colonel Clinton, of the 
 nth of August, 1803, now published by Colonel Piston, together 
 with General Grinfield's letter to him of the 12th of June, 1803, re- 
 moving him from the military command of Trinidad, will hardly 
 avoid observing, that few communications could have a more direft 
 tendency to convey impressions injurious to the memory of General 
 Grin field *. The respect which I have always felt for the military qua- 
 lities of that Commander, renders m,e extremely reludtant to animad- 
 vert upon his errors, when he deviated into transadions not within 
 the scope of his professional duty, and hazarded opinions on subjects 
 which he has proved either that he would not, or could not under- 
 stand : in short, which were not within his means of knowledge. 
 
 It is impossible for me, however, to pass over the Letters now pub- 
 lished, without remark. ~ 
 ; The following is a sketch of proceedings, as far as they have any 
 reference to General Grinfield. On the 2 1 st of December, 1802, I ar- 
 rived from England at Bridgetown, in Barbadoes, with my family, and 
 different Gentlemen conneded with the Commission of Government 
 in Trinidad, on board of His Majesty's ship Ulysses, commanded by 
 Captain Columbine. 
 
 During our stay at Barbadoes, we received the most gratifying at 
 tentions from General Grinfield and his family. Commodore Hood 
 was frequently of the party, and nothing could be more cordial and 
 6atisfa6tory than the intercourse and communications on all hands. 
 
 * Geneml Orders, respeBing the removal of Brigadier- General Fi&oa, and appointment 
 
 of Brigadier- Genera I Makland. 
 
 - ^ GENERAL ORDERS. 
 
 Head- Quarters, Barbadoes, Jane 11, 1803. 
 Brigadier- General Maltland is to relieve Brigadier-Genera! Fidon iu the command of 
 the Troops in the Island of Trinidad. 
 
 Brigadier-General Maitland is to proceed to Trinidad with as little delay as possible and 
 Brigadier-General Pifton, on his being relieved, has the leave of the Comniande- of the 
 Forces to remain any time he thinks necessary at Trinidad to settle hjs affairs and he vnav 
 then proceed to Barbadoes or to Europe, as he pleases, specifying his intention as soon 
 as possible to the Commander of the Forces. 
 
 (Signed) Geo. B- Mordjsn, Lieut.-CoL 
 
 Deputy AdjuUiU-Geuei-al, 
 
 Alex. Pitman, Brig. Maj, 
 
14 
 
 As I was at that time entirely unacquainted with Colonel Pi(^on, 
 his chara6ter, and modes of government, I invariably abstained from 
 any conversation on these points. On all other subje6ts conne6led 
 with West Indian affairs, I was incessant in my observations and in- 
 quiries. 
 
 General Grinfield was so obliging as to shew me, and indeed to 
 give me, copies now in my possession, of proposals and arrangements 
 for improving and augmenting the militia force, which had passed be- 
 tween him and the Governor, Lord Seaforth=^. The plan -and observa- 
 tions appeared to do great honour both to the Governor and to the 
 Commander of the Forces. I had farther the satisfadion of attend- 
 ing General Grinfield on some of his military inspedlions and on the 
 parade, and could not avoid expressing very high admiration of the 
 excellent discipline and arrangement of the troops, which he had so 
 speedily efFeded in Barbadoes. On these subje6ts I took every oppor- 
 tunity of profiting by his valuable instru£tions and opinions ; for few 
 Officers in any service better understood, or more diligently enforced 
 the duties of officers and soldiers, on the parade, in barracks, and in 
 hospitals -jf. 
 
 During my residence at that time in Barbadoes, from the 21st to 
 the 31st of December, 1802, I never had any conference long or 
 short, public or private, with General Grinfield on any subje6t con- 
 neded with Colonel Pidon. I did indeed hear General Grinfield 
 once, declare, publicly at his own table after dinner, that he had ap- 
 plied, or meant to , apply, to have his friend Major-General Cle- 
 phane Douglas, appointed to supersede B. G. Pidon in the_ mili- 
 tary command of Trinidad, and that he did not suppose this ap- 
 plication, from the Commander of the West Indian Forces, would be 
 refused. 
 
 If any conversation or conference on the subje6l of Colonel Pi6lon 
 . had occurred, such as Major Draper has presumed to suppose I had 
 purposely forgotten to have taken place on my arrival at Barbadoes 
 I'rom England, the inference drawn by him would be erroneous. So 
 far from its he\ng 7iatural to infer, that arguments had not been want- 
 ing on my p;u-t to prepossess General Grinfield with an unfavourable 
 opinion of Colonel Piston's condu6t and a(?tions, it is demonstrable 
 that I was either entirely ignorant of his conduct and actions, or else 
 if I had really known them, I must plead guilty to the charge of direct 
 insanity ; for nothing short of absolute mental derangement could 
 have accounted for my conneding myself knowingly as a colleague 
 with such turpitude. On the other hand, General Grinfield had pos- 
 
 * See General Grinfield's and Lord Seaforlh's plan for the Militia, 
 f Although it is to be regretted, tliat on those occasions he did not usually convey his 
 animadversions in the most conciliatory or polished terms. 
 
 sessed 
 
15 
 
 sessed innumerable opportunities of information respe(5\ing Colonel 
 Piston's modes of government, so far at least as general impressions 
 in the neighbouring islands was concerned. These circumstances, 
 and General Grinfield's long acquaintance with me, rendered it ex- 
 tremely natural for him to express his apprehensions of disagreement 
 between two persons, whose principles and modes of thinking he knew 
 to be so perfectly dissimilar. 
 
 The declaration, however, imputed to General Grinfield by Major 
 Draper, " That he would take care to steer clear of all disputes not 
 military ;" either was not made at all by him, or w^as only made to be 
 violated. This appears by his busy interference, and by the ex parte 
 judgment which l>e pronounced on " the extraordinary condu6l of 
 Colonel Fullarton " in his civil capacity. It is to be observed, that 
 this rash decision, on a question assuredly not within the military 
 jurisdi6lion, was communicated to Colonel Clinton for the informa- 
 tion of the Duke of York, while the General's letter to Lord Hobart 
 was confined to simple expressions of approbation respe6ling Colonel 
 Pidlon, with the unqualified declaration, " That his fame will rise the 
 higher for the unmerited persecution under which he now labours." 
 
 "in every point of view, it must appear, that any arguments to 
 prepossess with unfavourable opinions of Colonel Piflon, might 
 have issued from General Grinfield, but could not by any means at 
 that time originate with me. I presume, therefore, it will distindly 
 appear, that Major Draper has purposely and intentionally mistated 
 a material fa6l. The long private conference to which he alludes, did 
 not take place on my arrival at Barbadoes from England in December 
 
 1802, but on my return to Barbadoes from Trinidad the end of May 
 
 1803, in the Start schooner, when I immediately sent on shore a 
 letter from me to General Grinfield, dated the 23d of May, 1 803, re- 
 probating in the most unqualified terms, the illegal acts and out- 
 rages, committed by Colonel Pi6ton. 
 
 To this letter I received the following answer : 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, King s-House, Tuesday, Mut/, 31, 1S03. 
 
 I shall delay, till I have the pleasure to see you, to say any thing 
 on the subje6t of your Letter of the 23d. 
 
 I am truly concerned I have not an apartment to offer you and the 
 Gentlemen with you, but in every other respect I liope you will look 
 on the King's-House as your own. We breakfast at eight, and dine 
 at three. I flatter myself I may expedt you and the Gentlemen at 
 three this day. 
 
 Mrs. Grinfield's best Compliments. 
 
 Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 - Your's very truly, 
 
 W. GRINFiELD. 
 
 After 
 
i6 
 
 After reading this letter, and that from General Grinfleld to me on 
 his embarkation from Port of Spain, dated 14th of March, 1803, let 
 Colonel PifSlon prove the assertion, that General Grinfield frequently 
 declared, he left my house because it was impossible for him to bear 
 my indecent condti6l any longer *, 
 
 Next day and the following morning, I held two private con- 
 ferences with General" Grinfield, for the specific purpose of stating 
 to him, in the strongest terms, the numerous a6ls of outrage and ag- 
 gression committed by Colonel Pi6ion. These conferences did take 
 place ; but if Major Draper has sworn to what passed at any con- 
 ference between General Grinfield and, me, he must have sworn that 
 which he could not possibly know to be true. For in my life I never 
 had any communications concerning Colonel Pi61:on with Major 
 Draper, nor with any person in his presence. 
 
 With respect to what passed during the period of General Grin- 
 field's visit to Trinidad : he arrived at Port of Spain, accompanied by 
 the Officers of his Staffs, along with Commodore Hood, on the 22d 
 of February, and they were received with public honours. 
 
 General Grinfield did me the favour of accepting such accom- 
 modation as my house afforded. In order that he might be com- 
 fortably lodged, I gave him up my own apartment, and my writing- 
 room or library was appropriated to Major Draper for his correspon- 
 dence. 
 
 That this circumstance, and frequent interruptions to official busi- 
 ness, might induce the General to take up his abode at the inn, is in- 
 disputably true, for he told me that the number of people constantly 
 waiting upon him and upon me, rendered it extremely difficult to carry 
 on so much civil and military business in so small a house ; but that he 
 removed from any disposition on my part to enter argumentatively 
 or otherwise with him, into the progress and circumstances of what 
 Major Draper denominates a quarrel between me and Colonel Piston, 
 is positively false. Major Draper will not venture in my presence to 
 assert, that he ever in his life heard me hold any conversation with 
 General Grinfield on any circumstance of that quarrel ; and if he 
 swears that to have happened, which he never heard nor saw, he then 
 swears to a negative perjury, which in the eye of law, religion,, 
 morality and honour, is tantamount to perjury dire61. On the other 
 hand, all the numerous Gentlemen conne61:ed with General Grinfield's 
 
 * Page 25th of Colonel Pidon's pamphlet, the words are, " That the General quitted 
 Mr. Fnllarton's house at Trinidad, and retired to a public hotel, wearied out with the 
 constant anil indecent attempts of Mr. Fullarton and family to calumniate Colonel Pi6ton, 
 by every species of indefensible means." If General Grinfield bad been capable of mak- 
 ing such assertions, as tiiose imputed to him by Colonel Pitton, then his memory would. be 
 for ever tarnished, and he would stand recorded as a monument of falsehood and dupli- 
 city, which certainly are charaderistics that had no connexion with his reputation in the 
 world. 
 
 N StafF, 
 
17 
 
 Staff, or with my family, will undoubtedly, if e.illed on, unequivocally 
 declare, that they never heard a single instance in which I entered 
 argumentatively or otherwise with General Grinfield into the quarrel 
 between me and Colonel Pi6ion, during the whole period of General 
 Grinfield's residence in Trinidad. 
 
 After the first week, General Grinfield slept at tlie hotel ; but he 
 and his Staff dined habitually with me, unless when particularly en- 
 gaged ; and the General continued to pass the evenings playing chess, 
 at my house till the day of his departure. 
 
 Major Draper specifies the time when I presented papers to General 
 Grinfield, containing the discussion between me and Colonel Pi6fon, 
 The fa6l however is, that Major Draper knew nothing of the matter. 
 I put them into General Grinfield's own hand at the end of the wharf, 
 at the moment of his embarkation. Major Draper was not present, 
 as I afterwards met him on the Mole with Mr. Woodyear, for whom 
 he seems to have been a fit companion, if I may judge from the ac- 
 count given by Colonel Pi6lon of his evidence before the Privy Council 
 
 Next morning General Grinfield returned the papers i'rom on board 
 the Centaur, with the following Note, sufficiently indicating the 
 sense he entertained of the attention he received from me and from 
 my family. 
 
 ]Sfote from Lieutenant-General Grinfield to Colonel Fullarton. 
 
 " Centaur, Monday morning, March 14, 1803. 
 Lieutenant-General Grinfield has the honour to return to Colonel 
 Fullarton the papers he yesterday received from him, and is very much 
 indebted to him for tlie perusal. 
 
 " Lieutenant-General Grinfield cannot sufficiently express his sense 
 of the kind attention of Colonel Fullarton to him while at Trinidad : 
 he requests his best respects and wishes may be conveyed to the 
 Ladies." 
 
 The friendly sentiments of Lieutenant-General Grinfield tov^'ards 
 Colonel Fullarton's family, are firther evinced by the following Note 
 from him to Mrs. Fullarton, which she received by the same con- 
 veyance which carried to Trinidad the orders of General Grinfield, re- 
 moving B. G. Pi6ion from ttie military command of that island. 
 
 Note from Lieutenant-General Grinfield to the Hon. Mrs. Fullarton.- 
 
 *' Lieutenant-General Grinfield had the honour this day to receive 
 Mrs. Fullarton's note of the 3d, with Colonel Grant's to Colonel Ful- 
 
 * See the pnrt'culars of Mr. Woodyear's recantations, and contradi(Slions of his own 
 declarations upon oath, and the exposition of his assertions, on the Minutes of the Trini- 
 dad Council, July 1803, and in my Statement to the Lords of Council, pages 41, 42, 43, 
 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 ; also, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, and pages 13.5, 154, 155, 156', 157, i58, 
 159, 160, 161. 
 
 - - D larton 
 
18 
 
 Inrfon of tlie same date, which, as Colonel Fullarton has left Barha- 
 tlocs, is returned to her. 
 
 " Mrs. Grinfield has some time since met with an unfortunate ac- 
 cident, in breaking tlie small bone of her left leg, but she is now 
 almost recovered from the accident. Miss Lyte is and has been in 
 good health, and the Ladies as well as myself, were weU pleased to 
 see Colonel Fullarton look so well after his sea expeditions. They 
 join in compliments and best wishes to you, Miss Mackay and Colonel 
 Fullarton." 
 
 On my visit to General Grinfield at Barbadoes, in the end of May, 
 1803, his letter of the 31st of May, already quoted, proves his 
 cordial disposition towards tne at that period, even after he had read 
 my denunciation of Colonel Pi6lon's aggressions, in my letter dated 
 the 23d of May, 1803. 
 
 The charges against Colonel Pi6ton were referred to in that letter : 
 ^they involved a mass of criminality such as had never been brought 
 against any British Ruler. If they were unfounded in point of fa6l, 
 then the fabricator of them would have deserved to be consigned to 
 everlasting infamy and to condign punishment. But if they loere true, 
 and founded in point of fa6t, it was a strange declaration for General 
 Grinfield to make to Lord Hobart, and to Colonel Clinton for the 
 Duke of York, " That as far as he could possibly judge. Colonel 
 Pidton was not only a diligent and attentive Officer, but a most excel- 
 lent man." He proceeds to state, " That Colonel Pi6lon's condu<5l 
 was such as to merit his esteem and highest approbation. That his 
 general condu6l has been such as will convince the world of hi» 
 merit, and his fame will rise the higher for the unmerited persecution 
 under which he now labours." 
 
 In his letter to Colonel Clinton, he adds, " The disagreeable sftu- 
 ation in which he has unfortunately, unintentionally, and disagreeably 
 been placed, through the extraordinary candu6i of Colonel Fullarton, 
 requires him to desire Colonel Clinton would particularly express his 
 entire satisfadlion of B. G. Pi6ton, both as a soldier and a gentle- 
 man." 
 
 It is to be observed, that these letters are dated the 1 1th and 13th 
 of August, 1803. On the lllh of the preceding June, General Grin- 
 field had superseded B. G. Pi6ton for violating the King's orders, 
 which on the 31st of May I had prognosticated in person to General 
 Grinfield, that in my opinion B. G. Pi6ton would attempt — at that 
 time General Grinfield declared to me it was an unsupposable case, 
 and that the bad opinion I entertained of B. G. Pidon led me to 
 form such a supposition*. 
 
 * This occurred at the time when I communicated to General Grinfield the King's 
 ders trapsmitted by Lord Hobar,tj dated the 23d of Apiil, 1,603. 
 
 These 
 
ID 
 
 These letters of panegyric from General Grinfield respe<^ling Colonel 
 Pi61on, are obviously intended to justify the inconsistency of employ- 
 ^ ing him at St. Lu(;ia and Tobago, after having withdrawn Colonel 
 Pidon from the military command of Trinidad, in consequence of his 
 having violated the King's authority, in a manner, which General 
 Gnnfield on the 31st of May informed me in person, " It would be 
 a libel to suppose any Officer in His Majesty's service capable of com- 
 mitting." I am far from attempting to exculpate my former friend. 
 General Grinfield, for his improper deviation from principles of mili- 
 tary duty on this occasion ; but I conceive myself offering the only- 
 explanation that can be stated in apology, when I avow the belief 
 that he was induced to employ Colonel Pi^on at St. Lucia and To- 
 bago, by a strong desire to conciliate Commodore Hood, with whom 
 the General informed me at Barbadoes, it was most essential for the 
 public service, that he should continue to a6t on terms of cordiality 
 and co-operation, which, it is perfectly evident, could not have been * 
 the case had General Grinfield refused to gratify the Commodore ia 
 prote<5fing Colonel Pi6lon. 
 
 I am aware of the strong and systematic measures in agitation 
 for annulling or reducing to a shadow the King's Civil Govern- 
 ment in the Colonies, and for vesting an absolute, arbitrarv, and 
 uncontrolable military domination in the Commander of the Forces 
 as a sort of Captain-General, with paramount and unrestrained au- 
 thority. 
 
 I did conceive myself to possess a considerable share of General 
 Grinfield's estimation and regard ; but he well knew, from my character 
 and modes of ading, that with all my partialities to military service, 
 he would find in me a strenuous opposer of this pernicious system. 
 
 In the years 1782-3 and 4, I had seen the dangerous encroach- 
 ments of military power nearly annihilate the British Empire in the 
 East : in the moment of war, when the Carnatic was over-run with 
 enemies, and SufFrein's squadron in force upon the coast, the English 
 Military Commander proposed to attack the British capital of Fort St. 
 George or Madras with a British army. 
 
 The great and distinguished Governor, Lord Macartney, who for- 
 tunately at that time was entrusted with the safety of our territories 
 on the Coast of Coromandel, shut the gates, prepared the garrison 
 for resistance, and, in the course of the contest, put two Commanders 
 of the Forces under arrest, and restored the safety of the country. 
 
 With such examples before our eyes, nothing short of absolute in- 
 fatuation could induce the British Government to permit such inroads 
 on the Civil Power as have been attempted in the West Indian Colonies, 
 to the overthrow of confidence, stability, personal security, and public 
 credit. 
 
 Without entering at present into this discussion, by no means fo- 
 
 ^ 2i *"eigii 
 
20 
 
 reign from the matter under consideration, it is sufficient to remark, 
 that the principles, if such they am be called, which are displayed in 
 General Grinfield's letters to Lord Hobart and to Colonel Clinton, are 
 such as might be expeded from a Satrap or Bashaw, who has taken 
 under his protedion a culprit Beglerbeg or Seraski(?r, whom, at the 
 same time, he describes as an officer he hardly knew by name before 
 assuming the command in the West Indies*. 
 
 To General Grinfield, I have before mentioned, I had officially 
 transmitted a letter, dated 23d May, 1803, referring to charges against 
 B. G.Pidon, read to him in Council at Trinidad, on the 24th March, 
 containing numerous cases of atrocity committed by order of Governor 
 Pidon. 
 
 With these charges staring him in the face, confirmed by authentic 
 Vouchers, Documents, and Declarations upon oath. General Grin- 
 field pronounces the unqualified merits of B. G. Thomas Pi61on, and 
 • the extraordinary condud of Colonel Fullarton, who had brought 
 ithese merits into a questionable state.' — Another great Commander, 
 Commodore Hood, who was still more officially bound to inform him- 
 self respeding these charges, declares, that " the upright and just mea- 
 sures adopted by the late Governor saved the Island ; and that his 
 charader cannot be spoken of too highly, nor traduced by the artful 
 measures of an old intriguing Politician." While the illustrious Ca- 
 bildo, under the influence of Messrs. Black, Begorrat and St. Pe, 
 implicated in his crimes, and depending on hjs acquittal for their public 
 safety and existence, hold him up as a second Daniel, and a counterpart 
 of Aristides ; in the same proportion, some of them aflfed to consider 
 me as the most wicked and malignant of the human species, because 
 I have presumed to doubt his virtues, and to arraign both him and them. 
 
 The matter is now brought to a specific issue : numerous and heavy 
 charges, instead of being disproved, are attempted to be done away 
 by what is called a white- washing Declaration from the West Indian 
 Commander of the Forces to Colonel Clinton, at the Horse Guards ; 
 by Letters from the Naval Commander to the Admiralty, and to Earl 
 Camden ; and by a fabrication of insolence and falsehood with which 
 the Members of Cabildo, charged as accomplices in Colonel Pidon's 
 criminality, have had the temerity to approach the King. 
 
 To these are added the justifying and complimentary declarations 
 of diffi3rent persons, in the charader of compurgators, bearing testi- 
 mony to Colonel Pidon's qualifications and merits, although they 
 Avere not in Trihidad during the period when the ads charged against 
 him were committed. 
 
 * This short acquaintance with Colonel Pidon's merits, cannot be gratifying to one who 
 atatc'i himself to have sei vecl in a military capacity for 33 years, and to have filled the 
 njost important situations, as an Officer, without spot or stain. 
 
21 
 
 If Colonel Piclon hopes to be acquitted from the heavy accusations 
 on account of which lie has been under custody, bail, and investiga- 
 tion, since November 1803, by virtue of the Ad pas'ied in the 33d 
 year of King Henry VITI., he must of necessity disprove the fadts 
 which have been already established. If he cannot disprove those 
 fadts, it will be of slight avail to produce the applause of Generals 
 or Commodores, who may disgrace their own chara6ters by such 
 violations of their public duty, but never can do away the effect 
 of such deep and serious charges so established. It would be a waste 
 of time and of words, to shew the futility of resting a defence against 
 specific and substantiated charges, on the panegyrical display of Com- 
 manders by sea or land, or on the praise of Cabildo men, parti- 
 cipators in "his guilt, and implicated in those very charges. If this 
 doctrine were established, there would be a complete revolution in the 
 principles and practice of criminal and judicial proceedings of all kinds 
 in the distant possessions of the Crown, strongly indicating a diseased 
 and corrupted action of the head and heart nearer the seat of government.'^ 
 It is a wise remark, that revolutions are commonly half over, or at least 
 far advanced, before their progress is suspedfed. In this instance the 
 public may have a criterion to determine the progress of any such 
 judicial revolution, by observing how far the influence of this excul- 
 patory military and naval panegyrical system operates against recorded 
 proofs of atrocious criminality. If that system were confirmed, there 
 would be an end of all stability and honour connected with the British 
 Colonial Government. Before I conclude my observations on that 
 part of Colonel Pinion's pamphlet which refers to General Grinfield, 
 I must request attention for a few moments to Major Draper's letter, 
 dated 13th of November, 1804. 
 
 Colonel Pi6ton's prelude to this letter introduces it in a double and 
 questionable form. It seems we are not merely to consider this ^s a 
 letter to Colonel Pi6ton, but as containing the substance of a declara- 
 tion stated to have been delivered as evidence before the Privy Council 
 in December 1803. 
 
 This is delicate ground, and may lead Colonel Pifton farther than 
 he intends. Although it is well known to Lord Hobart, and to Co- 
 lonel Pi6lon, yet it has not been explained to the world in general, 
 that, since November 1803, the Lords of His Majesty's Most Ho- 
 nourable Privy Council have been occupied with an investigation of 
 capital charges against Colonel Pi6lon ; that on the 11th November, 
 1803, their Lordships proceeded to hear evidence on such of the 
 charges as come under the statute passed in the 33d year of King 
 Henry VIII. 
 
 In consequence of the evidence, delivered upon oath, respecting a part 
 of the-cases in question, according to the terms of the A6t, the Lords di- 
 rected Colonel PiClon to be ta,ken into custody. He was then permitted to 
 ' enter 
 
enter upon his defence, to hear the evidence against him, and to cross- 
 examine the witnesses ; after which, Colonel Piaon brought forward a 
 number of persons in his vindication, the greatest proportion of whom 
 had not been present in Trinidad, when the acls charged against him 
 were committed : of course, when I learned that such persons had been 
 examined, I could not consider their declarations as having any con- 
 nexion with evidence, because they had no personal grounds of know- 
 ledge on the subje6l. 
 
 I therefore considered them in the light of compurgators in the old 
 trials during the feudal times, whose business it was to bear testimony 
 to the charader and services of the accused. Among these I under- 
 stood that Major Draper was one, and Captain Shelton another. As 
 I have not hitherto been permitted to hear any part of the declarations 
 brought forward on behalf of Colonel Pi6lon, nor the defence which 
 he is stated to have delivered to the Lords of Council, nor been allowed 
 opportunity of cross-examining his witnesses, I remained, of ne- 
 cessity, either ignorant, or at least very imperfedly informed by vague 
 report, as to what objed these examinations could tend, where the 
 persons so called as evidences were totally unacquainted with the fads 
 in question : the pamphlet published by Colonel Pidon has unveiled 
 the mystery. 
 
 Although I am too well acquainted with his inventive faculties, to 
 think of attaching unqualified belief to all Colonel Pidon's assertions, 
 yet it would mark a ridiculous degree of incredulity, to doubt that 
 Major Draper and Captain Shelton have been examined in the Privy 
 Council : farther, that no evidence in their power to offer, could 
 possibly operate in exculpation of the ads charged against Colonel 
 Pidon ; and that the sole motive of their declarations in his favour, 
 was to disparage me, whose indispensable duty it had been, officially 
 to state the cruel abuse of power imputed to Colonel Pidon, while 
 Governor of Trinidad. 
 
 It must still be recolleded, that the only charges under investigation 
 before the Privy Council, were those which come under the Ad passed 
 in the 33d year of King Henry VIII. That the Lords of Council de- 
 ferred consideration of all the other ads charged against Colonel 
 Pidon until those under the statute of the 33d of King Henry VIII. 
 should be disposed of. In the next place, with regard to me, it is 
 obvious, that I was not before the Right Honourable Board under 
 trial or accusation of any kind — had I been placed in the situation of 
 alternate accuser and accused, this, though an unprecedented predica- 
 ment, must unquestionably have allowed me the same advantages con- 
 ferred on Colonel Pidon, who, under the latter description, had per- 
 mission to hear the evidence adduced against him, with unlimited 
 power to cross-examine every witness who aj-'peared on the part of the 
 prosecution. In the present case, it is to be presumed that I must 
 
 conceive 
 
23 
 
 -rconceive myself not an accused person, but merely one attempted 
 to be defamed — as a mode of vindication adopted by Colonel Pifton, 
 which, however ingenious in the conception, must, it is obvious' 
 prove unavaihng in the end. At the same time I must dispute the 
 credit. taken for Colonel Pifton by his friends, who state, that he 
 avoided mihfranhiess and gallantry, to press close upon the'witnesses 
 respeaing the fads charged against liim, when, by so doing, he might 
 have brought to light circumstances of an extenuating nature The- 
 dn-ea reverse of this is the truth : Colonel Pi^on found it a more 
 safe and easy method of communicating his defence, by turning the 
 current of his questions into a channel calculated to draw forth invec- 
 tive against me, rather than venture beyond his depth, on the dan^ 
 gerous ground of investigating deeply or specifically into the charges 
 adduced against himself. ° 
 
 Feeling myself published to the world, as a person against whom 
 examinations have adually been taken in the Privy Council I could 
 hardly have said less on this subjea, and to have said more vvould not 
 only have been improper in this stage of the proceedings, but would 
 anticipate the explanations which, under the circumstances of the 
 case, I may with confidence expe^ the Lords of His Majesty's Council 
 Board ^" opportunity to bring before their Right Honourable 
 
 Before I conclude my remarks on this part of the misrepresen- 
 tations brought forward by Colonel Pidon, I must add some animad. 
 versions on the Declarations of Major Draper, and on the position 
 which he has had the insolence to assert, " That I have not only mis- 
 represented fads, but that such ill-grounded assertions are adduced as 
 must subjea the writer to the heavy charge of a breach of veracitv " 
 In ordinary cases, the only answer to such remarks would be, to make 
 the Major eat up his words, or else to cram them down his throat with 
 the point of my sword. 
 
 But it seems that he stands in the predicament of a witness for 
 Colonel P.aon, and against me: under these circumstances any per- 
 sonal extremities on my part are inadmissible. In the first phce I 
 must i-equest permission to put questions to Major Draper before the 
 Privy Council : I shall then bring indisputable evidence^to prove not 
 only the vociferations of the Commander of the Forces, Genera 
 Gnnfield but in confirmation of every - assertion" which I have 
 Mlwn '"i' '° ^'^'y declaration which 
 
 Sthe"^''- '1'''''^'° ^^^P^^^"S- farther in.: 
 
 s lua the Major how ignorant he appears,, of affairs conneaed with 
 Irmidad, when he states the discussions between Colonel Pfaon and 
 rne as in the nature of a quarrel. Those who read the cZllf 
 Cases, and Statements I have brought forward, will perceive that fny 
 ,th.ing of ciuarrel on personal grounds was entirely olt of the qZtlol 
 
 I must 
 
-24 
 
 I must again repeat, that Colonel Pi6ton went to war with me becaus* 
 •I would not sandVion and adopt a system of government in Trinidad, 
 which, on his part, exhibits a more extended course of power abased, 
 of good talents applied to evil purposes, and of more numerous atro- 
 cities by one person, than can be equalled in all the folio volumes 
 of the State Trials, which I have carefully searched on this occasion. 
 
 These matters may appear of little moment in the eyes of Major 
 Draper, and of other worthies, who, regardless of death, depredation, 
 and delapidation, dealt out with an unsparing hand, conceive the me- 
 rits or demerits of a government to depend upon the fa6t, whether 
 a black corps, in receiving General Grinfield, wheeled by se6tions or 
 divisions. 
 
 ' I should offer many apologies, for wasting time and words on a per- 
 son so parenthetically introduced in this discussion as Major Draper : 
 there are expressions, however, in his letter, which could not be 
 passed in silence by any Officer or Gentleman of my description. I 
 take this opportunity likewise of stating, that while it shall continue 
 to be my public and private duty to elucidate the crimes of Colonel 
 Piaon, i shall not be deterred by any insolence from Major Draper, 
 nor from any of the confederated band, leagued and colleagued to 
 support the turpitudes of that cruel and vindidive Governor. 
 
 Situated as I am respe6ting these transa6tions, and fettered as I may 
 be under present circumstances, it is hardly necessary to add, that I 
 shall at all times take care to ad as becomes my own honour, and as 
 occurrences may require. 
 
 With regard to Colonel Grant, I can only remark, that my mind 
 had received impressions of respe^ and estimation for his charafter, 
 from the accounts given me by my old and valuable friend, and his near 
 connexion, Captain Schank, of the Navy. Did I suppose it possible 
 for Colonel Grant to have conceived and expressed such sentunents as 
 Colonel Piaon has thought proper to put into his mouth, I should 
 certainly be entitled to say, that this must appear a strange deviation 
 from the reputation which Colonel Grant had formerly established. 
 
 It is difficult to conjeaure with what " species of seduaion" I had 
 it in my power " to assail" a man of his charaaer and situation. This 
 point, however, will best be ascertained by reference to Colonel Grant 
 himself; the aid of whose opinions, advice, and co-operation for the 
 public service, I was at all times anxious to Obtain. _ _ 
 
 Colonel Grant was Commanding Officer of the European Mihtia m 
 Port of Spain. In that capacity, I called at his house, on my returri 
 from Mr Black's, on the evening of the 28th March, 1803. 1 then 
 informed Colonel Grant, that the two Junior Commissioners, Pic^on 
 and Hood, had tliat day held a meeting of the Commission in Council, 
 ^vithout any intimation to me, the Senior^ Commissioner, although on 
 
15 
 
 the spot ; and, of course, their proceedings were illegal and invalid j 
 that they had ordered Don Francisco De Castro, a Senior Kegidor, 
 Member of Cabildo, and Keeper of the Records, to be suspended 
 Frotp his pffice, and that he vvas a6tually imprisoned under the custody 
 of Mr. Black, Temporary Judge, or Alcalde of the First Election, 
 who being a Member of Council, could not be ignorant of the ille- 
 gality of the a<Si by which Don Francisco De Castro was suspended 
 and imprisoned. 
 
 ^ I farther stated to Colonel Grant, that on receiving information of 
 what had occurred, I conceived it proper to proceed immediately to 
 the house of Mr. Black, and there in person interrogate Don Fran- 
 cisco De Castro ; which I did in presence of five Gentlemen otficially 
 employed, who accompanied me. Upon hearing particularly from 
 him the situation in which he had been placed by the Junior Com- 
 missioners, I expressed, in strong tenns of reprobation, my sense 
 of the outrage committed by the Junior Commissioners and Council 
 against a respectable official person, for no other offence than 
 having perforn;ied his duty, by affording npe a perusal of the Criminal 
 Processes, which at all times Governor P'ldion and every Member of 
 Council had cdnsfant and unrestrained access to examine, as a matter 
 of right and of established usage in the Colony. I urged in conver- 
 sation, with Colonel Grant, my firm belief, that Colonel Pidon and 
 his adherents were determined to force matters to the most desperate 
 extremities ; that the obje6t seemed to be, by menaces, imprisonment, 
 and every species of outrage and severity, to intimidate the Spaniards, 
 and other individuals inimical to the conduct, or capable of bearing tes-. 
 timony, as several of them had already done, to the crimes and corrupt 
 government of B. G. Pi Aon. I expressed my conviaion, that adling 
 oh this principle, so strongly evidenced by the proceedings against De 
 Castro, there was reason to apprehend that disturbances would pur- 
 posely be excited in town; and that such of the inhabitants as were 
 under B. G. Pi6ton's displeasure, would be exposed to irnprisonment, 
 banishment, or death. 
 
 Conceiving it to be my indispensable duty to prote6t His Majesty's 
 subjects to the utmost of my power, and to provide for their security 
 in case of illegal violence being used against them, I wished to know 
 from Colonel Grant, whether, in the event of such disturbance taking 
 place, or such violence being used, he could have his battalion ready 
 to a6t for the defence of those who might be exposed to outrage. 
 
 I understood Colonel Grant to express great objedions to anv ope- 
 ration on the part of the Militia. This, I presume to have originated, 
 in the first place, from his not considering the battalion of white Mi- 
 litia, newly formed, as in a fit state of discipline for being employed. 
 Another consideration, probably, had great weight with Colonel Grant : 
 
 E the 
 
26 
 
 the separate powers of the Commissioners had not then been specified, 
 as afterwards, by Lord Hobart's Letter, 23d April, 1803 ; and at the 
 period of" which I am speaking, it was a doubt in the Colony, whether 
 there was authority vested in me, as First Commissioner, to call out 
 the Militia, or give the Commanding Officers orders, without the con- 
 cnrrence of the other Commissioners. Colonel Grant, of course, 
 would not feel inclined to state this in the conference with me ; and 
 therefore declined a6f ing, upon other grounds, respe6fing the coloured 
 Militia, &c. as mentioned in his Letter, dated 18th July, 1803, the 
 day on which B. G. Hislop arrived, to a6t as Lieutenant-Governor of 
 Trinidad, in absence of the Commissioners. 
 
 On the evening of the 28th March, I likewise saw Colonel Clarke, 
 Commandant of the battalion of coloured Militia, and conversed with 
 him on the same subjedl ; he assured me that his corps would be ready 
 to turn out on the shortest notice, in the event of any disturbance in 
 the town. 
 
 With respedf: to the observations made by Colonel Pi6fon on Colonel 
 Grant's Letter to me, and " the honest indignation " it is stated to 
 have expressed, they are the unfounded productions of Colonel 
 Picton's distempered fancy, as will best be proved by the document 
 itself, inserted in the Appendix, No. IL, following aLetter addressed 
 by me to Colonel Grant, of 17th July 1803 (vide Appendix, No. L), 
 which Colonel Pidlon is pleased to say, is of an insidious nature, and to 
 which Colonel Grant's Letter is an answer. 
 
 The day after my conferences with Colonels Grant and Clarke, I 
 rmbarked on board the Start schooner, to proceed on the business of 
 the survey of the island, and other matters conne6led with my Official 
 Report. After various occurrences, unnecessary to be detailed in this 
 place, on the 31st of May I received at Barbadoes Lord Hobart's in- 
 Htruftions, dated 23d April, 1803, signifying the removal of Colonel 
 Picton from his situation as a Member of the Trinidad Commission, 
 by the acceptance of his proffi?red resignation. This dispatch likewise 
 specified distinctly, the powers vested in me as First Commissioner of 
 Government. 
 
 I intimated the contents of this public Letter to Colonel Hope, of 
 the 37th Regiment, and to Colonel Grant, as the senior Officers of 
 the King's Troops and European Militia in Trinidad ; and informed 
 them that I had transmitted the original dispatch to B. G. PiCton. 
 
 Colonel Grant's answer to my communication dated June 3d, 1803, 
 is given in the Appendix, No. III. to prove, that in it he evinces no 
 disposition to resign the command of his Corps, for if this had really 
 been the case, as Colonel Pidlon states, Colonel Grant must have been 
 aware, that any offer of this nature could alone be made to me, Co - 
 lonel Pidlon,. by the instructions from Lord Hobart, having no power 
 whatever where Militia Ofiiers were concerned. Whether we are to 
 
 believe 
 
27 
 
 believe that Colonel Grant, as narrated by Colonel Pi£lon, was pre- 
 vailed upon by his persuasive eloquence, or by any other influence, to 
 retain the command of his battalion of Militia, it was a fortunate cir- 
 cumstance, as no person could have been more safely entrusted with, 
 or could have more efficiently discharged the duties of this situation, 
 in which he afterwards continued daring the period of my remaining 
 in the Colony. 
 
 The next point is announced with all the pomp and circumstance of 
 solemn accusation. I am charged with surreptitiously carrying off the 
 Public Criminal Records, or, properly speaking. Processes, in open de- 
 fiance of the Commission, of the laws of the country, and of the gth 
 article of the Capitulation granted to the island. So far from carrying 
 them off surreptitiously, they were not carried off at all ; they were 
 merely in my possession for perusal. Don Francisco De Castro, Keeper 
 of the Archives, declared, he had been in the constant pradlice, as a 
 matter of right and established usage, of delivering similar papers to 
 Governor Pidlon, and to all the Members of Council, as has already 
 been detailed in my conversation with Colonel Grant. As a proof of 
 this fa6l, these processes, to the amount of thirty-six in number, were 
 in my hands on the 28th of March, when Mr. Begorrat applied for 
 one of these criminal cases, respeding Louisa Calderon, a girl under 
 fourteen years of age, who suffered torture, to extort confession con- 
 cerning a robbery said to have been committed against an agent of 
 Colonel Pi6ton's. It is to be remarked, that this was the only one 
 out of the thirty-six criminal processes, which had reference to any 
 of the imputations charged against Colonel Pi61on in my Minute, 
 which I read to him in Council on the 24th of March. It is farther 
 obvious, that the application of Mr. Begorrat for that process, esta- 
 blishes, beyond a doubt, that the Members of Council had habitual 
 access to peruse the. criminal records. 
 
 On the occasion in question, Mr. Begorrat in person, had directed 
 the application of torture by order of Governor Piclon. This fa6f is 
 fully verified, not only by various witnesses, but by Mr. Begorrat's 
 own confession, as appears on the Minutes of the Trinidad Council 
 dated the 6th of April, 1803. Mr. Begorrat, learning from De 
 Castro, that I was examining the criminal processes, immediately re- 
 ported the circumstance to Colonel Pi£lon, upon which, as before 
 stated, an illegal meeting of the Junior Commissioners, in Council, 
 was summoned, and Don Francisco De Castro was publicly proceeded 
 against, by the resolutions quoted in Colonel Pi6ton's pamphlet. 
 
 De Castro was suspended, upon the motion of Mr. Glos.ter, Attorney- 
 General, who, as a Crown Lawyer, was bound to know the illegality 
 of this meeting, together with the nullity, as well as criminality of the 
 proceeding against De Castro, who could not have refused me access 
 to the criminal records without a serious breach of public duty. 
 
 E 2 With 
 
With regard to any *^ pretext" on my part, that was out of the 
 question. If any such had been required, it would have been suffi- 
 cient to quote the King's Instru6lions, deUvered by Lord Hobart, d,i- 
 re6i:ing me to inquire into and report on the judicial affairs of the 
 Colony. But on this subjeA it would have been proper for Colonel 
 Piclon to insert the full paragraph of my letter to Lord Hobart, of; 
 which he has only exhibited a few mutilated sentences. With such 
 instru6lions from His Majesty, to authorize and dire6l my inquiries 
 into the state of judicial proceedings in the island, the charge of any 
 minor reason or " pretext," must appear ridiculous in the extreme. 
 
 The cause or immediate motive for my wishing to inspe6l the cri.- 
 minal processes, was stated by me to Lord Hpbart, exadlly as the fa<$^ 
 occurred. On the 17th of March, Colonel Pj^lon moved in Council, 
 
 That the Alcaldes in Ordinary be called upon to produce all the' 
 
 criminal proceedings that have been carried^ on in their respedjve, 
 "Offices, since the 1st day of March, 1797,' and that they be re- 
 V mitted by the Clerk of the Council to the Office of His Majesty's. 
 
 3ecretary of State, the Right Hon. Lord Hobart." ^ 
 
 I immediately afterwards moved to have a copy of B» G. Pidon'a 
 motion, as soon as possible. Mr. Unwiq, Clerk of Council, accord- 
 ingly transmitted to me a certified copy, which being in my possession, 
 puts it fully in my power to prove how much " the honesty " of Co- 
 lonel Pidon is to be " appreciated" in this instance. 
 
 In the original motion made by B. G. Pi6lon, at which I was pre- 
 sent, there was no mention whatever of taking or preserving copfw ; 
 of course, I felt myself well warranted in supposing that the intention 
 was to send off these Documents, and to contrive that they should 
 be lost, and leave no trace upon record ; which would have placed the 
 whole judicial proceedings under the government of Colonel Pi6ton. 
 in a state of mystery and confusion, calculated to carry on his pro- 
 je£is for evading every investigation on this subje6l. 
 
 So much for the " honesty" of the pretext imputed tome. It 
 will be somewhat more difficult to explain " the honesty" of the 
 insertion, which now appears in Colonel Pi6lon's printed edition 
 of his motion, where, instead of " The Alcaldes in ordinary being 
 called upon to produce all the criminal proceedings," they are 
 stated to have been direded to produce " Copies'' of these records. 
 My certijied copy of the original motion, signed by Mr. Unwin, Clerk 
 of Council, bears dirc^ly the reverse, and makes no mention of 
 copies. Colonel Picton's moral refleaion, addressed to the " Profli- 
 gate," I have no doubt, has been feelingly experienced by himself, as,, 
 probably, had he been aware of the difficulty of justifying wicked 
 measures, even Colonel Pidon might have become, at least in out-, 
 ward appearance, " honest from calculation." 
 
 The. 
 
m 
 
 The next instance of " Mr. Fullarton's genius for misrepresenta- 
 tion," is stated by Colonel Pic'^lon, to appear in my Correspondence 
 ys/\th Baron de Montalembert. In refutation' of a ridiculoas story 
 intended as a calumny, respe6ling my having placed a dark mulatto 
 man at table alongside of the Baron de Montalembert, I inserted the 
 best of all contradi£tions, a positive denial of the fatSt by the Baron him- 
 self. Colonel Pi<5lon reprints that letter, and adds several others from; 
 his friend Dr, O'Flanagan, and from the Baron all of which con- 
 firm that the original; Conte Ridicule," was fabricated to serve the 
 purpose of framing a paragraph, which Colonel Pidlon entered as a 
 fa6l on the Minutes, of Council, dated the 14th of April, 1803, and 
 transmitted to His Majesty's Ministers; 
 
 When such disgraceful falsities, even on trivial subjects, are to be 
 found upon, record in the public offices, the remarks made, as has 
 been stated, by some distinguished chara£lers, on the " Trash" laid 
 before the Council, respe(51ing the affairs of Trinidad, are too just 
 and, appropriate to be wondered at. To prove a falsehood or fabrica- 
 tion more or less, framed and circulated by Colonel Pi6ton, would be 
 qf little consequence, were I at liberty to bring before the world the 
 heavy mass of turpitude charged against him. A day, however, 
 assuredly will come, for elucidating the fa6is of this case, when I shall 
 receive ample justice from a candid public, for having fulfilled my du- 
 ties towards them ; though, in so doing, I have been subje6f ed for- 
 a time, to every impropriety and annoyance that the meanest and most 
 unworthy mind could invent, in order to degrade my character, from; 
 a vain hope, as Colonel Pi<9:on will find, of rendering me an autho- 
 rity of less weight against himself. 
 
 To return to the busines of Baron De Montalembert — it affords a 
 singular proof of the manners attempted to be introduced by some in- 
 dividuals into the Colony of Trinidad, that the First Commissioner of 
 Government receiving an introductory visit from a number of persons 
 arriving from other Islands, and officially presented to him by the 
 Harbour Master, Major Jacobs, must not desire these persons to sit 
 down as they enter, because one of them happens to be a free man 
 of colour. Commander of a trading vessel, and because the Baron de 
 Montalembert was by accident in the apartment. If the only con- 
 dition on which I , could be honoured with the visit of a Baron, re- 
 quired, that while this noble visitor remained, all inferior persons 
 should retire, or humbly stand, until the exadt shade of their colour 
 and complexion was ascertained, I .would rather enounce the honour of 
 acquaintance with the whole race of Barons, from Candide's Baron de 
 
 * In one of these letters the Baron states, that he took refuge on the opposite side of 
 the room, with Mrs. Fullarton, in order, we may presume, to shake ofi a part of the 
 contaminating efFe£l:s. of a Mulatto's vicinity to the person of a Noble Baron, by the coun- 
 teracting influence of a Baron's Daughter. 
 
 Toonder- 
 
30 
 
 l oondertentronck, to the Bas Briton Baron, in the Reveil dTpeminide 
 who denounced vengeance against the Gens de Lettres ; iov, says the 
 ti'M-ou, these dangerous subjeds would abolish all useful institu- 
 tions— -they would abolish " Jusques a la torturer 
 
 W,t!) respea to the Baron de Montalembert, his manners and con- 
 versation together with the recommendation of valuable and distin- 
 guished friends, had prepossessed me strongly in his favour, and I took 
 every opportunity of marking towards him my attentions and regards 
 A circumstance, however, had occurred, which possibly excited some 
 dissatisfaction in the Baron's mind concerning me. On my first visit 
 to the Jail, some weeks after my arrival, I found five of his slaves* 
 chained on hard boards, without light or air, in noxious cells, with- 
 their feet mortized in fixed fetters, in positions of prolonged suffering 
 although the proceedings had not extended farther than to the preli- 
 minary information, or proces verbal. 
 
 I exclaimed to the Alcaldes Black and Saint Pe, and to Mons. Be- 
 gorrat, who accompanied me, " You have passed sentence on those 
 prisoners ?" Mr. Begorrat answered, " No, we are only at the preli- 
 minary stage." I insisted on it that they must have passed sentence, 
 for otherwise it was impossible that any judges could have infiifted the 
 severest punishment that could befall a human creature. 
 
 I was far from knowing at that moment, that Col. PiAon had aftu- 
 ally directed the application of torture to those very slaves, by means- 
 of Mr. Begorrat, whom he had appointed President of an unlawful 
 Commission, composed entirely of Frenchmen, for the trial of them. 
 
 In the Commission signed by Colonel Pidon, a clause was inserted 
 authorizing the infliction of tortures, if necessary. The words iri 
 Spanish are — " Dando tormentos, se fuere necessarior 
 
 When I visited the jail, and beheld the sufferings of Baron de 
 Montalembert's slaves, I knew nothing of the unlawful order for in- 
 fiiding torture granted by Colonel Pidon, and, of course, was asto-' 
 nished when I found Mr. Begorrat justifying the application of the 
 questioji-f-. 
 
 It was afterwards ascertained, that subsequent to my a6fing as First 
 Commissioner, Colonel Pidon had the audacity to continue the in- 
 fliction of torture on those very slaves. Thus involving me, while 
 placed at the head of the Government, as an unconscious participator- 
 in the guilt of such transactions. 
 
 After a tedious investigation, Mr. Begorrat, as President, and Mr. 
 Sargent, as Greffier of the unlawful Commission appointed for the 
 trial of the five slaves of Baron de Montalembert, already mentioned 
 laid the evidence and proceedings before me. Notwithstanding the 
 
 r 
 
 •* Benf)it, Pynime, Petit George, Ser|)ent, and Elizabeth, 
 
 + By declaring that there was not any other mode of extorting truth from such villains. 
 
 cruel 
 
31 
 
 cruel and irregular modes in which the trial was condufled, Mr. Be- 
 gorrat and Mr. Sargent were obliged to admit, that they had not 
 been able to obtain any evidence sufficient to convi6l any one of the 
 slaves who had suffered such ynv.'arranlable severities. 
 
 With respe6l to the ^'fidelity'' of my correspondence with B. G. Mait- 
 land, it was by no means necessary to publish all the communications 
 that passed between me and that Officer while he remained in the mi- 
 litary command of Trinidad. I took several opportunities of consult- 
 ing him, along with the Members in Council, on the defensive ar- 
 rangements which, in his opinion, were best adapted for the safety of 
 the Island. He was pleased to write a letter, expressing to me his sa- 
 tisfa(5iion at the manner in which we had received his opinions, and 
 complied with all his requisitions. 
 
 The talents and experience of B. G. Maitland, as an Officer, are 
 very generally recognized. It is not easy to see, what there can be of 
 an " insidious" nature in my alluding to B. G. Maitland as the friend 
 of Colonel Pidon, because B. G. Maitland has so stated himself on 
 all occasions, and in particular to myself. I cannot conjecture what 
 material letters from him to me on this subjedl have been suppressed. 
 I have always understood that B. G. F. Maitland decidedly espoused 
 the cause of Colonel Pi6ion, so far as to write in his favour to the 
 Right Honourable Thomas Maitland, and to other persons of con- 
 sideration. 
 
 Long habits of intimacy, as brother-officers, and other circum- 
 stances, may have occasioned, or may account for, the partiality he 
 has discovered towards Col. Pidon. It is also by no means improbable 
 that he may have direded his Agent, Mr. Adam, of Crutched-friars, to 
 place his " pecuniary means" at the disposal of Colonel Pidon, either 
 from transadions with which I am unacquainted, or, perhaps, on account 
 of the allotment of land on the River Caroni, in Trinidad, of which 
 it is understood, that he obtained, or expeded to obtain, the occupancy 
 by the aid of Colonel Pidlon. I believe it is marked No. '33, in Mal- 
 let's Map of Trinidad, and nearly adjoining one of Colonel Piston's 
 estates, situated between St. Juan and the Caroni, 
 
 There are two assertions, however, on the part of Colonel Pidon, 
 which, even if they issued from a man of unimpeached veracity, could 
 not obtain credit, where a person of B. G. Maitland's knowledge of 
 
 .affairs is concerned. 
 
 In the first .place, it is utterly inconsistent with his charader for un- 
 derstanding to suppose, that he could commit himself, by remitting 
 money for the purpose of resisting a regular investigation in the Privy 
 Council, or before a Court of Justice, by " pecuniary means." The 
 
 jdeas suggested by such a proceeding are unfit to be consigned to 
 ■ . paper ; , 
 
 \ 
 
paper; especially when it is known, that in alisi rttld Valilat'ion of estates 
 belonging to different individuals in Trinidad, Colonel Pidon's landed 
 property in that island, acquired daring his command and governrtierit 
 there, since March 1797, is estimated at one hundred thousand poititds. 
 Any additional fund, therefore, for enabling him to resist " a scan- 
 dalous conspiracy" before the Privy Council, " by pecuniary means," 
 would appear a work of supererogation, or indicate that his case re- 
 quires more desperate resources' than his supporters have hitherto 
 confessed. 
 
 In the next place, the whole Correspondence of B. G. F, Maitland 
 with me, and with the Council of Trinidad, proves, that during the 
 period when we continued in the relative official situations of First 
 Commissioner and Military Commandant, he never stated a single ob- 
 servation or obje61ion, as far as I had means of knowing, hostile to a?2j/ 
 part of my condu(?l, when he had ample opportunities of observing 
 my modes of a(51:ing, and carrying on the government of the Colony. 
 
 If B. G. Maitland considers any circumstance connected with the 
 charges or proceedings brought forward by me, as in any respedt ob- 
 jedionable ; still more, if he conceives that any thing has occurred 
 which, by the remotest construdlion, can be considered as " a scan- 
 dalous conspiracy against His Majesty's service," B. G. Maitland is 
 bound by his allegiance to the King-, and to the national honour, to 
 come forward and specify particulars. He may be perfectly assured, thaf, 
 as far as I am concerned, he will receive explicit answers. On the 
 other hand, I am confident thatB. G. Maitland w\]\ not lightly hazard 
 his reputation by any such assertions. He will first inform himself 
 carefully of fa6ts and proceedings as they have occurred, and not as 
 they are twisted and perverted to promote the desperate purposes of 
 Colonel Piclon. He will, ere long, I trust, have an opportunity of 
 reading the Criminal Charges against Colonel Pidten, and the evidence 
 by which they are estabHshed. After he has fairly made himself master 
 of the subje(Sf, I shall not be apprehensive of his animadversions*. 
 Whatever his partialities for Colonel Pidon may have been, he must, 
 on account of what is due to his own character, express himself 
 hke an Officer, like a Gentleman, and like an efficient Man of Bu^ 
 siness. 
 
 On this point I shall only offer another observation : — His letter 
 to Colonel Pi6lon, dated the 14th of August 1804, does not iriark 
 him in any respect ambitious of the honour of having recommended 
 Colonel Piston to Sir Ralph Abercromby for the command of Trini- 
 dad ; on the contrary, he rather seems to wish that measure to be 
 considered as an a<St entirely originating with Sir Ralph. In my opi- 
 nion, however, the nomination can do no discredit to either of those 
 Officers. 
 
 It is perfedly known and admitted, that Colonel Pidton possesses 
 
 , great 
 
33 
 
 great natural sagacity, considerable activity and talents, which, if they 
 had been properly diredled, might have rendered him a valuable mem- 
 ber of society. 
 
 It was impossible for the honourable mind of Sir Ralph Abercromby, 
 by anticipation, to dete6l the deep, cruel, corrupt, and ungovernable 
 spirit, which entitles Colonel Pi61on, like Danton, to be denominated 
 un homme antique oi sceleratesse ; for excepting Danton, and some of 
 his coadjutors, under Robespierre, there are no instances in modern 
 times of similar atrocity. 
 
 Colonel Pi61on next describes me " as pathetically lamenting that 
 my diplomatic commission (as he terms it) to Sir James Bontein had 
 exposed him to such calumny." 
 
 My " lamentations" were by no means necessary on Sir James 
 Bontein's account, who I conceive perfectly competent to clear himself 
 from any slander to which he may have been subjected by Colonel 
 Pidlon. I did certainly express regret at having been the occasion of 
 Sir James Bontein's receiving annoyance from the a61ive invention and 
 vindi6live spirit of Colonel Pidlon, called forth because Sir James had 
 taken charge of a dispatch from me to Lord Hobart, containing, as 
 Colonel Pi61on might naturally suppose, fa6ls and observations unfa- 
 vourable to the merits which he invariably states himself to possess- 
 
 Upon my arrival in Trinidad, I found Sir James Bontein in high fa- 
 vour with Colonel Pidon, who deputed him as one of his Aid-de- 
 Camps, to wait on me the moment of my arrival in the Gulf of Paria. 
 To prove, farther, the estimation in which Sir James was held by Co- 
 lonel Pi61on, his name appears at the head of a list transmitted to 
 Lord Hobart, March ]80'2, as the most proper man in Trinidad to be 
 first recommended for a seat in the Council of that island. From these 
 circumstances it is obvious, that the adls of Sir James Bontein, in the 
 opinion of Colonel Pi6ton, must all have assumed their objectionable 
 colour subsequent to the event of my arrival. 
 
 I cannot conclude this subject, in justice to Sir James, without 
 mentioning, that he has served His Majesty for many years in military 
 and civil capacities, with the recorded approbation of his Superior Of- 
 ficers. He formerly was Colledlor of Customs at Martinique ; and on 
 my visit to that island, the French inhabitants, of all descriptions, at 
 St. Pierre's, expressed, in unqualified terms, their approbation of, and 
 attachment to, Sir James Bontein, while employed in that office. 
 
 In answer to the note respecting Sir James, in the Jirst edition of 
 Colonel Piflon's pamphlet, I have to observe, that whatever imperti- 
 nencies Colonel Pi6lon may choose to vent against Sir James Bontein 
 in his absence, he ought by this time to know me sufficiently, to be 
 assured that I will not spare remarks on Colonel Piston's observ^ations ; 
 that I will at all times be ready to draw forth his " commentaries and 
 his texts," and to expose them all, in mass and in detail. 
 
3/i 
 
 With respc6l to the next point in the Pamphlet — Unless Colonel 
 Pi6lon is at length convinced, that to specify any one as being his tViend, 
 is a libellous observation, it will be difficult to discover in my State- 
 ment to the Privy Council, or in any other statement ever made by me, 
 a single word of animadversion, either on General Grinfield, or on 
 B. G. F. Maitland. Colonel Pinion, however, has warily retained, 
 under the shelter of a back-ground, others, whom he states " to be 
 equally obje£ls of his regard and respe6t, and who have been exposed 
 to my wanton and atrocious calumnies." 
 
 I certainly, however, concur with him, in declaring that the Gen- 
 tlemen to whom he alludes, are under great achnowledgments to their 
 country, if indeed any portion of credit has been given to them for 
 a(£lions, the principles of which he justly observes, that the public 
 Gould not, and he should have added, would not, from their nature, 
 thoroughly understand. It must, indeed, be difficult to make the 
 community at large comprehend or tolerate the practices of Messrs. 
 Black, Begorrat, St. Pe, and Gloster, on whom I presume the " ac- 
 knovyledgments" in question are bestowed^ 
 
 With respe6l " to the names of Hood, Grinfield, and Maitland, they 
 are undoubtedly familiar to the public mind," for important naval and 
 military services on which they have been employed. It is unfortunate 
 for the two former of those chara6lers that they have suffered their 
 well-earned reputations to be tarnished by a man, whose superior 
 sagacity and artifice, aided by the machinations of numerous adherents 
 implicated with him, acquired an ascendancy over their inferior pene- 
 tratioh. 
 
 We are told that death has already canonized one of them. No 
 man more sincerely laments the time and circumstances of the death 
 X)( the distinguished Officer in question than I do. It is impossible, 
 however, to hear him stated as a Saint already canonized, without 
 feeling with concern, that Colonel Pi6ton seems too efficiently to have 
 marred the claim, by assuming a part which is never omitted in the 
 Church of Rome. On such occasions, an advocate always comes for- 
 ward for the evil spirit, to arraign the proceedings, and to shew cause, 
 on behalf of the Devil, against the pretensions of the candidate for ca- 
 nonization. 
 
 In the present instance, a more potent advocate than Colonel Pi6lon, 
 against the claims and pretensions of General Grinfield, could hardly 
 have been produced. 
 
 Colonel Pidon next exhibits himself " as journeying to that place in 
 the world's-eye, at which they already have arrived." 
 
 Before he reaches the bourne, however, and aspires to the last dis- 
 tinction to which his zeal is stimulated, " by such examples of public 
 honour and private virtue calling out the energies of his nature," I 
 iuay be permitted to suggest to him the inconvenience that might 
 
 arise 
 
 1 
 
35 
 
 arise to a person in his predicament from attempting to mingle in the 
 same mausoleum with such paragons of public honour and of private 
 virtue. 
 
 _ Let him recoiled, that the first judicial cause I was called on to de- 
 cide in Trinidad, referred to a charge of defamation against the me- 
 mory of his virtuous associate, Don Christoval de Roblez, who died, 
 and vyas interred in the public church -yard in Port of Spain. This ac^ 
 cusation arose from a supposed declaration of the curate of Port of 
 Spain, that the corpse was no sooner deposited, than an old Castilian 
 Serjeant, who had been buried for many years, sprung from his cofiin. 
 and swore he would not rest in the same cymetery with such a picaro^ 
 or scoundrel, as Don Christoval de Roblez. 
 
 Colonel Pi6ton next adverts to another subject. From the manner 
 in which he states himself to have " grappled with me in the arena of 
 law, before the highest judicature of his country," meaning the Privy 
 Council, a reader, uninformed of dates and circumstances, might 
 conceive that I am the person charged with heavy crimes and misde- 
 meanours, and that he is the accuser. It might farther be supposed 
 that I am not only accused, but condemned and sentenced, and that 
 Colonel Pidon means to recommend some novel and unprecedented 
 mode of punishment, as the inventive faculty, in that line, of the 
 late Governor of Trinidad, is acknowledged to stand unrivalled. He 
 plainly, however, infers, that I am to receive the infliction in a pro- 
 strate form. 
 
 Colonel Pidon, by his own account, has had access to the Minutes 
 of Evidence taken in the Privy Council against him, and, it seems, 
 against me ; extrads of which he has conveyed to Major Draper : in 
 the next place, he has been permitted, in proper form, to examine 
 and cross-examine all the witnesses. On the other hand, I have not 
 hitherto been allowed, either to cross-examine the witnesses, to hear 
 Colonel PiAon's defence of himself, and accusations against me, or 
 to have access to any part of the Minutes. 
 
 The declaration therefore, on the part of Colonel Pidon, undoubt- 
 edly will add new force to my solicitations, to be permitted by the 
 Lords of Council to know the evidence on all sides, and to cross- 
 examine all the witnesses, before I be laid " prostrate, never to rise 
 again." 
 
 The next sentence is by no means so intelligible. He expresses 
 his confidence that " Lord Plobart will concur with him in thinking 
 be would commit a wanton aCt of suicide upon his reputation, by at- 
 tempting to refute any one of the numerous, impudent, and wicked 
 falsehoods," which he states me to have uttered against himself. 
 
 Ho%v an attempt to answer or refute wicked falsehoods, could ope- 
 rate as an ad of suicide on Colonel Pidon's reputation, except by a 
 failure in the attempt, is to me inexplicable. 
 
 F2 The 
 
36 
 
 The accomplishment of Colonel Pi6lon's wish to see my book im- 
 mediately advertised for publication *, is only deferred in consequence 
 of my attentions to the propriety of relative situations in the present 
 stage of proceedings before the Privy Council, However much his 
 conduct may tend to relieve me from any feelings of delicacy regard- 
 ing him, yet I will neither forget the respedt and duty which I owe 
 to the Right Honourable Persons before M'hom the investigation is still 
 pending, nor the attentions due to my own chara6ler. These consi- 
 derations require me to be right in every item, not only respeding the 
 grounds and fads supporting the accusations, but in all points con- 
 nected with the principles, and with the forms, by which the pro- 
 ceedings on my part are conduced. 
 
 In all my observations concerning those who are present, and 
 those who are absent, my pretensions to credibility rest on the un- 
 alterable basis recommended by Sir William Jones. In conformity to 
 the rule established by that great, moral, and judicial character, I have 
 imposed on myself the obligation of submitting every assertion which 
 I make, to the test of proof, by authentic vouchers, documents, and 
 indisputable evidence. Unless Colonel Pidon can give " the kind of 
 reply" capable of being verified in the same form, his attempting to 
 answer or refute any of the numerous charges, which, as a matter of 
 public and official duty, I was bound to bring forward and substantiate 
 against him, would indeed, to use his own words, " Be nothing 
 better than committing a wanton a6t of suicide upon a reputation," 
 which he states himself to have " preserved unspotted during thirty- 
 live vears service." 
 
 It'is impossible, however, to admit that he has given any species of 
 convittion whether " damning" or otherwise, of any one particular 
 in which my condu6t and assertions have not alike manifested a rigid 
 adherence and regard to truth and decency. On the other hand, it 
 would be marvellous indeed, if the shapeless mass of unmeaning fa- 
 brications contained in Colonel Pidon's pamphlet, could entitle the 
 vc'orld, or any individual in it, to form a just opinion or any opinion, at 
 all, of matters and discussions to which, in his pamphlet, he never 
 once alludes. It remains for him to explain in what maimer the inso- 
 knt harangue composed for Commodore Hood, the wheelings of a 
 black battaUon by Major Draper, or the canonization of General, 
 Grinfield, can enable Lord Hobart or any other person, to form a just 
 opinion of my Statement of proceedings and transadions in Trinidad. 
 
 Thus far, my animadversions have been diredcd to expose the 
 perversions and mistatements, liuddled, in a desultory and disre- 
 speitful manner, into the letter which Colonel Pidton has, with such 
 
 * I presume he means my Statement printed for the Lords of IJis Majesty's Most Ho- 
 nourabJe Privy Council, 
 
 violation 
 
37 
 
 violation of official form, addressed to. Lord Flobart. I now proceed- 
 to analyze the remaining part of the pamphlet. 
 
 The Motions, Documents, and Resolutions, printed by Colonel 
 Pidon, from the 73d to the 87th pages of his pamphlet, form but 
 shreds and patches of the web and tissue of deception, which he ma- 
 nufa£lured in the Council and Cabildo, from the 17th of March till 
 the day of his departure, or rather the night of his flight from Port 
 of Spain, on the 14th of June, when he embarked in the dark on 
 board the Nelly armed schooner, for Barbadoes, not daring, as it 
 appeared, to face an injured and exasperated people, after he was di- 
 vested of the support arising from the Civil and Military Power with 
 which he had formerly been invested. 
 
 It forms a degrading pi61:ure, but it is a necessary task, to unveil the 
 machinations which were artfully and ably contrived, in order to en- 
 velope and conceal a mass of criminality, and to defeat the cause of 
 truth and justice. 
 
 In order to efFe6l a complete exposition of these machinations and 
 delinquencies, it would be requisite to condense in one short compen- 
 dium, or connedled series, the various ads by which this objedl was 
 attempted. 
 
 But upon the most material points conneded with this task, at 
 this moment I abstain from explanation, because they bear upon the 
 cases still pending before the Privy Cowncil, under the statute passed 
 in the 33d year of King Henry VIII. 
 
 The fertile and valuable Island of Trinidad had been neglected by 
 the Spanish Government during several centuries, from the period of 
 its discovery by Columbus. 
 
 About twenty-five years ago the distinguished Minister, Galvez, ex- 
 tended his po-werful and protedive influence over this Colony ; royal 
 eedulas and other beneficial edi6ls were promulgated, conferring great 
 favours, indulgence and immunities for the encouragement of settlers, 
 without restridion of country or language, provided these settlers 
 were of the Roman Catholic faith. 
 
 About the year 1785, Don Joseph Chacone, a Spanish NaVal Ofli- 
 cer, of excellent talents, charader and disposition, was appointed 
 Governor. 
 
 Under his benign diredion the Colony increased in population and 
 prosperity. From a despicable fishing village, with a few huts. Port 
 of Spain became a populous place, containing 6000 or 700O inhabir 
 tants. 
 
 . _ During his government, which lasted till March 1797, the island, 
 did not experience any species of severity. In the whole period, it 
 has been proved in evidence, that there were only three persons exe- 
 cuted, and that no instrument of torture had ever been extant, or 
 applied in the Settlement. Many excellent rules for the treatment 
 
 of 
 
38 
 
 of sloves, for the regulation of police, the formation of roads across 
 the Comitry, for instru6lions to the Commandants of Quarters, and 
 for the topographical and nautical survey of the coasts around the 
 island, prove the merits of Governor Chacone, in these important 
 branches of administration. 
 
 The deficiency of military force and preparation, however, obliged 
 the Colony to surrender to his Britannic Majesty's arms under the 
 command of Sir Ralph Abercromby, in February 1797. 
 
 There is, perhaps, no part of the distinguished career of Sir Ralph 
 Abercromby, as a public chara6ler, which more distinctly marked his 
 wise and honourable principles, than his conduct and proceedings for 
 the security and regulation of this valuable conquest. 
 
 During the short period of his remaining after the surrender, the 
 Capitulation signed by him, and afterwards sandioned by the King, 
 sufficiently proves the rights and privileges which Sir Ralph judged 
 expedient, in the most solemn manner, to confirm in favour of the 
 different classes of inhabitants. 
 
 On the departure of Sir Ralph Abercromby, in March 1797, Co- 
 lonel Pi6ton remained as Commandant. Several circumstances, as 
 before mentioned, concurred to qualify him for the appointment ; 
 great natural sagacity, address, activity, and acquaintance with the 
 French and Spanish languages, without which it is impossible for any 
 one to be an efficient ruler of Trinidad. 
 
 At that time, the ungovernable violence, and the systematic tyranny 
 of Colonel Pidlon, were probably restrained by the respedted chara6ier 
 and virtues of Sir Ralph Abercromby, from displaying any thing like 
 the vigour and extent which they afterwards exhibited, and which he 
 now describes as the " energies of his nature." 
 
 From the first month subsequent to Sir Ralph Abercromby's de- 
 parture. Colonel Pi6lon, in his capacity as Commandant, and after- 
 wards Governor of Trinidad, commenced a career marked with atro- 
 cities which, though I am precluded at present from detailing, must 
 in some form or other come before the world, and, at all events, I am 
 warranted in asserting, must be registered in the records of Eternal 
 Justice. 
 
 Many of the particulars, however, are specified in my printed Let- 
 ter and Documents, prepared for the Lords of His Majesty's Coun- 
 cil, and in my Comparative Statement, or Answer to Colonel Pi6ton's 
 libel. 
 
 The unjust, retrospe6iive, inquisitorial proceedings which he insti- 
 tuted against Governor Chacone, are mentioned in my Letter to Com- 
 modore Hood, dated May 24th, 1803, and will more fully appear 
 from the pa[)ers rcspe6ling the Commission, appointed in the nature 
 of a residencia, to arraign the condudl of his amiable and enlightened 
 predecessor. 
 
 Colonel Pidton contrived very soon to outrage and expell the As- 
 sessor 
 
39 
 
 sessor for the Spanish Laws, Don Jurado, and almost every SpanU^i 
 and English Lawyer from the Settlement, stating in a letter to a con- 
 fidential correspondent, " that Lawyers were like carrion crows who 
 flocked around carcasses and corruption." ' 
 
 Colonel Picon's imprisonment and banishment of Russel Minchin 
 Esq. an English Lawyer who meant to pradise in Trinidad will ap- 
 pear from Mr. Minchin's case, already laid before the Privy Council 
 His offence was nothing more than being suspefted of having com- 
 posed the following placard, which was anonymously posted up at the 
 f."^nu punishments corrupt mankind. 
 
 Ihe effea of cruel spedacles on the minds of the populace is the 
 destrudion of all tender emotions. It is more calculated to excite 
 " disgust than terror : it creates indifference, rather than dread • it 
 " operates on the lower orders of society as an incentive to practices 
 of torture ; and for the purposes of revenge, whenever they have 
 " the power, of exercising the cruelties they have long been instrudied 
 " '"^ they will. (Signed) Humanitas." 
 
 The Placard now quoted is supposed to have called forth the fol- 
 lowing Proclamation : 
 
 Proclamation by His Excellency Thomas Pidlon, against certain loelU 
 known seditious Charaders, dated Feb. 5, 1802*. 
 
 By His Excellency Thomas Pidon, Esq. Brigadier-General of His 
 Majesty's Forces, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Island 
 of Tnnidad and its Dependencies, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 The Commanders of Quarters, and Alcaldes of Barrios, are called 
 upon to pay stnd attention to the condud of certain well-known se- 
 ditious charaaers ; who, disappointed in their endeavours to impose 
 upon the good sense of the British inhabitants, are now employina: 
 every incendiary means to infuse a spirit of insubordination amonffst 
 the ^egroes and People of Colour, by infamously representino- the 
 wholesome severity of the Law, exercised against fatal and pernfcious 
 
 * This Proclamation is inserted, to prove from Governor Piaon's own authority the 
 sanguinary charaaer given of h.s government by some part of the colony, previous to Co- 
 lond Fu larton's amvai at Trinidad. It is well known^hat the seditious charafter here 
 alluded to, obtamed this appellation simply from having signed a most loyal address co^! 
 gratulat.ng His Majesty on the Pe ace, and hoping that fhe colony of Trinidad would ^oon 
 e>yoy tne blessmgs of British jurisprudence. The Address of" these Gentlemen to the 
 King will best answer for itself, how far it seemed calculated to draw down the wholl 
 some severity of the law, as exercised by Governor Pifton. It is somewhat curiour that 
 the same charge was afterwards- leveled at Colonel Fullarton, which is here SoS 
 against these we 1-known seditious charafters," viz. " infusing a spirit of insubord na- 
 tion amongst the Negroes and People of Golour/' who, fortunately, however, by no le 
 aa, justified this assertion, neither in the one case nor in the other ^ 
 
 crimes^ 
 
/ 
 
 crimes, wliich threatened the very existence of the Colony, as the 
 emanations of a sanp^uinary, vindictive disposition, unnecessarily pro- 
 digal of human blood. 
 
 As no refleding person can be ignorant of the wicked, intentions of 
 these nefarious conspirators, His Excellency calls not only upon the 
 Constituted Authorities, but upon every respedlable individual who 
 knows how to value the safety of his person and property, to use his 
 utmost endeavours to bring them forward ; and he pledges himselt 
 that no obloquy or calumny shall deter him from doing prompt and 
 substantial justice. 
 
 Given at Government-House, Port of Spain, this 5th day of 
 February, 1802. 
 
 Thomas Picton. 
 
 By His Excellency's Command, 
 Richard Collins, 
 Secretary. 
 
 A continued series of severities occasioned the flight of many hun- 
 dred Spanish peons or labourers: the forced enrollments in the 
 Militia, with other outrages against all the respeflable Spaniards at- , 
 tached to Governor Chacone, have, most unfortunately, diminished 
 the population of that valuable class of inhabitants. 
 
 But Colonel Pidon's oppressions were not confined to any one 
 description of persons, as will appear from the various Documents sub- 
 mitted to the Privy Council ; and the cases of Mrs. Griffiths, Messrs. 
 Dawson, Johnston, Sanderson, Shaw, Higham, Rutherford, Dubois, 
 Timbrell, Redhead, Bradshaw, Hargrove, Andrew Despana, Dowding, 
 Durand, &c. though not under the statute passed in the 33d year of 
 King Henry VIII. would, if narrated, fully exemplify the principles 
 and modes of Civil and Military Government pursued by Colonel 
 
 Piston. . . 
 
 The loval Address of a considerable body of Inhabitants m Irjni- 
 dad, congratulating His Majesty on the Restoration of Peace, exposed 
 a number of persons to every species of persecution and aspersion. 
 Some of them were imprisoned, others deprived of their offices, and 
 calumniated as dangerous subje61s. Colonel Picon's hostility to this 
 Address is stated to have arisen from his wish to prevent the intro- 
 dudion of British Laws and Trial by Jury, one of the objedts to 
 which the Address most dutifully and loyally alluded. 
 ■ The suspension and imprisonment of Don Francisco De Castro, 
 Dr. Timbrell, and others, were only continuations of the same per- 
 secuting spirit. All these collcdive cases however, to which I have 
 now referred, convey but a mutilated and imperfea notion of the con- 
 neded series of ojjpressive a6ls, by which Colonel Pidon so power- 
 fully enforced the reign of terror, shut all mouths that dared to speak 
 ao-ainst him, and by the influence of fear, deception, corruption, and 
 
 ^ ' incredible 
 
I 
 
 41 
 
 increcKble artifice, extorted addresses, praising his vigilance, his vi- 
 gour, and his measures ; from which he was denominated by his par- 
 tisans, " The Savioar of the Island." How far Colonel Pidon me- 
 rited this appellation, will fully appear from the detailed account of his 
 proceedings with reference to the evidence on this subject, as speci- 
 fied in my Comparative Statement. The various scenes of atrocity to 
 which I have referred, almost exceed belief, where any individual 
 educated in British principles is concerned, A few active instruments, 
 Messrs. Black, Begorrat, and St. Pe, with the aid of Vallot, the 
 jailor, and the persons under him, were the partners and principal 
 assistants in his infii6tions. Indeed Vallot had nearly as much power 
 over the jail of Trinidad, as the Due de la Vrilliere had over the 
 Bastille in France, in the worst days of Louis XV. 
 
 On similar principles, Rosetta Smith, the coloured Frenchwoman, 
 who lived with Colonel Picton, could usually etFe6l the commitment 
 or release of any person, in the same way as the Due de la Vrilliere's 
 mistress currently was wont to grant orders of commitment or release 
 from the Bastille. 
 
 By these modes we are told, that Colonel Pi£lon " saved the 
 Island such were not found to have equal efficacy in France, where 
 inferior oppressions to those practised by Colonel Pi6lon, were con- 
 sidered as laying the foundation of that Revolution which afterwards 
 overturned the Monarchy. 
 
 A. great body of Spanish inhabitants and other foreigners in Tri- 
 nidad, abandoned the Colony; but the extraordinary fertility and com- 
 mercial advantages of the island, allured many British Merchants and 
 other settlers, who introduced a multitude of Negroes, and thereby 
 have increased the population to more than 27,000 individuals. 
 
 Although a part of the inhabitants were impelled by fear and other 
 influence to submit in silence to Colonel Pidlon's oppressive domination, 
 ■many families removed from Port of Spain to the country, not being 
 able, as they stated, to behold the shocking spe6lacles continually ex- 
 hibited at the seat of Government. 
 
 It has been frequently matter of serious inquiry, how so many Bri- 
 tish Officers in the Garrison at Port of Spain, could witness, without 
 remonstrance, these unprecedented scenes of punishment. In answer, 
 it ought to be recolleded, that the doflrine appears to have been 
 completely established and enforced — that every officer and soldier 
 was, of necessity, bound to carry into execution every possible a6t and 
 order of Colonel Pl6\on, as Commandant or Governor. It is farther 
 obvious, that any officer or soldier who had presumed to suggest 
 a doubt of Colonel Pidion's power and right to a6t as he thought pro- 
 per, would probably have been ignominiously treated, and, at all 
 events, would infallibly have been ruined in the service, as a muti- 
 nous and disobedient subjedl. ' 
 
 G In 
 
42 
 
 In other respeds, Colonel Pi(^1:on seems to have conciliated the 
 regards, or, at least to have obtained the suffrages of many military 
 persons under his command ; and it likewise may easily be understood 
 how some of them are unwilling to come forward now, with reproba- 
 tion of atrocities, which, perhaps, upon refle6lion, they have since 
 felt, it would have been due to their own character to have stated 
 at the period when they occurred. A considerable part of the French 
 Planters, through the influence of Mr. Begorrat, and various other 
 circumstances, have given their support to Colonel Pi6lon, although 
 the other classes of that nation concurred with the Spaniards, and 
 with the great body of British inhabitants, in dreading and repro- 
 bating his severities. 
 
 Tlie extraordinary and cruel system of government to which I have 
 alluded, is not merely represented as justifiable, but meritorious, and 
 as having been the specific means by which so valuable a Colony was 
 preserved ; yet it has been proved in evidence, that the safety of 
 this Settlement was at no one moment of his command subje6led to 
 attack from external enemies, nor to internal commotion and disturb- 
 ance of any kind, either by mutiny in the garrison, or insubordination 
 and tumult among the civil inhabitants. No instance has ever been 
 stated, of any impediment to the regular course of justice and opera- 
 tion of the laws. The violations of these has merely been defended 
 by vague assertions of " necessity," founded on what Colonel Pi6lon 
 denominates " Inherent seeds of insubordination ;" but of which he 
 has never, to my knowledge, adduced one single (a€t to prove, that 
 this " inherent" principle ever displayed itself by any of those out- 
 ward indications which could make it visible to others. 
 
 But even admitting the favourite do6lrine held out by Colonel Pic^ 
 ton's partisans, that from the mingled population and other relative 
 causes, this Settlement might be called a second Botany Bay ; will 
 the argument ever be permitted, that under a British Officer and 
 Ruler, even the felons of the original Botany Bay can be punished, 
 except under those unalterable principles of justice, which, in all 
 ages, have required a stri6l adherence to established legal forms, as 
 the best barrier against oppression, and as affording the only security 
 of person, property, and reputation. A recent event in the v^olony to 
 which I have last alluded, will amply substantiate my position *. 
 
 A desperate insurredion lately broke out among the convi6ls in 
 Botany Bay, who had secretly contrived measures for massacreing the 
 Officers and troops in garrison. 
 
 This dangerous conspiracy, when just on the eve of taking effect, 
 was providentially discovered. By singular ability, zeal and energy, 
 
 * See Account of the late desperate Revolt in Botany Bay. 
 
 the 
 
43 
 
 the most efficient means were immediately adopted with complete 
 success : the rebels were surprized, attacked and subdued. The ring- 
 leaders were instantly tried by a Court Martial, and those against whom 
 the evidence was so clear as to satisfy the Tribunal, were condemned 
 and executed. Thus the safety of an important Colony was gallantly 
 preserved, by prompt, energetic, and summary measures, without a 
 single a6t of personal responsibility on the part of the Governor and 
 Commandant, such as Colonel Picton declares, "he will never hesitate 
 to incur, for the interest of His Majesty's service." 
 
 An unsuccessful attempt has been made to defend some of Co- 
 lonel Piston's unwarrantable proceedings, by stating them as justifiable 
 under the Spanish laws, which His Britannic Majesty has hitherto di- 
 re6led to continue in force. The fallacy of this deception and libel 
 on the Spanish jurisprudence will very fully appear by reference to the 
 code or Recopilacion of Indian laws, which rules the judicial transac- 
 tions of all the Spanish Settlements in South America and in the West 
 Indies. 
 
 This will be compendiously proved by the Document in the Appen- 
 dix to my Comparative Statement, which was deliveied by Don Pedro 
 Vargas, a Spanish Lawyer of great experience and ability, now in Eng- 
 land, who a6led with me as Assessor in Trinidad. 
 
 To establish conclusively, that Col. Pidion was himself perfe6lly ac- 
 quainted with the nature of Spanish institutions, it will be only neces- 
 sary to refer to an official statement or report, transmitted by him on 
 this subject to Lord Hobart, in March 1802. By these concurring 
 testimonies, it appears that no Governor nor Commandant in Trinidad 
 can pass any sentence, civil or criminal, without the aid of an Ad- 
 vocate, learned in the law, a6ling as his Assessor. 
 
 That no sentence of corporal punishment, or death, passed by the 
 Governor, with the advice of his Assessor, could under any pretence 
 be carried into efFedt, until it had been confirmed by the Audience of 
 Carraccas, from whence, in certain cases, there is another appeal to 
 the King of Spain in his Council of the Indies. 
 
 All these powers and authorities, vested in the King of Spain before 
 the conquest in March 1797, were transferred to the King of Eng- 
 land^; and this is specified in His Majesty's Instru£lions to the Com- 
 missioners for the Government of Trinidad. As, after the surrender of 
 that island to the British arms, no appeal could possibly lay to the 
 Audience of Carraccas, it is perfectly established, that no person in 
 Trinidad could legally be executed on any principles of Spanish law, 
 until the sentence passed by the Governor, with the aid of his , As- 
 sessor, was confirmed by His Britannic Majesty in Council,, in whom 
 alone the power of revising capital sentences is vested,- which, under 
 the Spanish Government, was delegated by his Catholic Majesty to 
 
 the Audience of Carfaccas.j uA 
 
 .. These preliminary explanations appear indispensable to the compre- 
 
 G 3 hension 
 
44 
 
 henpion of the means by which Colonel Picflon enforced his system of 
 oppression, hermeticcilly sealed up all sources of complaint, and ex- 
 torted a mass of false and counterfeit applause, harassing with ob- 
 loquy and persecution every one who impeded any obje6l beneficial to 
 his pecuninry concerns, or who otherwise fell under his ungovernable 
 resentments. 
 
 The following detail of the first purchase Colonel Pi61on is stated 
 to have made in Trinidad, will fully prove these fa6is : — A Spanish 
 Gentleman having sold his plantation to Col. Pi6\on, after receiv- 
 ing the first instalment, was to be paid the remainder at future 
 specified periods. In confidence of this arrangement, concluded 
 in good uiiih with the Governor, the Spanish Gentleman in his 
 turn, made a purchase of another plantation which suited him 
 better, from a free man of colour, and settled to pay him the money 
 when he should receive the price of his former plantation sold 
 to Colonel Picfon. When this became due, the Spanish Gentleman 
 waited on the Governor to remind him of the transadlion, who imme- 
 diately referred his creditor to another person, \v'\th whom Colonel 
 Pidton had entered into some partnership relative to the before-men- 
 tioned estate. This person, when applied to by the Spanish Gentle- 
 man, as directed, positively refused to advance one farthing, saying, 
 that he had already laid out a great deal of money on this plantation, 
 without having received a shilling from his partner, the Governor. In 
 the mean time, the man of colour became so pressing for the price of 
 his plantation which the Spaniard had purchased, that he was under 
 the necessi'ty of again applying to Col. Pi6ton, and stating, that his 
 creditor would not have patience any longer, and that he had no 
 means of satisfying his demand, until he should himself be paid by 
 the Governor. Colonel Pidfon then asked the name of this man of 
 colour; and when informed, immediately exclaimed, "I know him 
 well ; he is a rascal ! if he gives you any further trouble, send him to 
 me, and I will banish him from the Colony as a traitor or brigand." 
 
 The result of this transa6lion is stated to have been, that both the 
 Spanish Gentleman and the man of colour died, without having re- 
 ceived the price of their plantations ; and that, after the first instal- 
 ment, Colonel Pi6ion never paid a shilling for the first estate he ac- 
 quired in Trinidad. 
 
 From this sketch of proceedings under Colonel Pi6lon, in his 
 capacities of Commandant and Governor of Trinidad, it is easy to 
 perceive how such a series of oppression, systematically pursued, must 
 have subjugated the Colony, and prevented them from stating those 
 grievances to Ministers. The following fa6l will best elucidate this 
 matter : — A Get)tleman, in mentioning the improper treatment he had 
 received from Colonel Pidon, candidly allowed, that having been 
 lately for a considerable time in England, it might certainly appear 
 
 extra- 
 
45 
 
 extraordinary, that he had never made any official complaint, or state- 
 ment there, respe6ling Colonel Pidlon's condudt : The answer, how- 
 ever, was easily given ; for, said this Gentleman, " Although I was 
 personally secure from the effe61s of the Governor's resentment while 
 the sea divided us, still my connexions were on the spot to meet his 
 vengeance, and my property lay at his mercy, which would have im- 
 mediately become the sacrifice, when any of his numerous spies, dis- 
 persed around, should inform him that I had dared to complain; so 
 that by the time I should have procured redress on the score of for- 
 mer wrongs, had I been so fortunate as to obtain it. Colonel Pi6lon. 
 would have taken care, in the mean time, by ruining my affairs in Tri- 
 nidad, to leave me without one sixpence in the world." 
 
 In like manner, Captains of merchant vessels, and others, trading to 
 the island^ were deterred from spreading reports to the Governor's pre- 
 judice, as this must have precluded them ever venturing to return to 
 Trinidad. Since his removal, however, let any person ask the cha- 
 ra6ter of Colonel Pi61on, in the various sea-port towns, from whence 
 vessels trade habitually to Trinidad, and I shall be ready to abide by 
 the answer, in verification of the statement now given. 
 
 The fame of his administration spread far and wide around the Co- 
 lonies. Many valuable settlers from the Bahamas and other islands 
 were deterred from removing their slaves and capital to Trinidad. 
 While on the continent of South America, from the River Oronooko 
 to the Carraccas, he had so exasperated the Spaniards, by his outrages 
 against those connected with the island, and others, that the Govern- 
 ment of Carraccas issued a proclamation offering a reward for Colonel 
 Piston's head. This was afterwards represented by his friends and adhe- 
 rents, in their addresses, manufa6tured for publication in England, as 
 the highest praise that could be bestowed on a British Governor of 
 Trinidad. 
 
 On the other hand, the South American Spaniards, vvho had inter- 
 course occasionally with that island, used familiarly to describe the Go- 
 vernor under the ironical designation of "El Tio,"" The Uncle, Friend,,, 
 and kind Prote£lor. This, too, was entered by his friends in the Mi- 
 nutes of Council, as if it had been a serious expression of regard. A 
 more unequivocal mode of expression, however, respe6\ing Colonel. 
 Pi6lon they had omitted to mention — " Is the Tyrant still Governor 
 of Trinidad?" 
 
 I shall here come to a conclusion for the present, on the chapter of 
 Colonel PiAon's transactions, previous to the appointment of the 
 Commission at the head of which I was placed, as First Commis- 
 sioner. Among many other points, the Commissioners were specifi- 
 cally directed, and " stri6tly enjoined, to make diligent inquiry, and 
 to examine such Documents, and to communicate with such persons, 
 as- might best enable them to transmit to the King, through one of 
 
 the 
 
46 
 
 the principal Secretaries of State, and to the Committee of Privy 
 Council for Trade and Plantations, the information required." 
 
 The King's Instructions to the Commissioners on this head, in the 
 '25th article, conclude with the following words : " And, for the bet- 
 ter ordering of your Report on this subje6t, it will be proper that you 
 should arrange the same under the several heads following, viz. 1st, Le- 
 gislature ; ^d, Executive Government ; 3d, Courts of Justice ; 4th, Num- 
 ber and different orders of the inhabitants of the said Island ; 5th, Re- 
 venue ; 6th, Commerce ; 7th, Religion, and Religious Establishments; 
 8th, Military ; gth, Estates of Absentees and Minors." Besides these 
 objeds, as First Commissioner, I was dire6led to report on various 
 particulars connected with the value of the crown lands ; to survey, 
 search, and inquire into the local circumstances and produdlions of 
 the Island, with the view of suggesting such measures as might tend 
 to its future regulation and improvement*. 
 
 This narrative appears essential to enable any one, not intimately 
 acquainted with the atFairs of Trinidad, to judge of the position in 
 which I was placed on my arrival in that Island. 
 
 Upon receiving accounts of the nomination which superseded Colo- 
 nel Pi6ton as sole Governor, he burst forth, in presence of the late 
 celebrated traveller, Joseph Swinburne, Esq. into one of those pa- 
 roxyms so usual when any thing offended him ; for Colonel Pidon 
 affords the strongest illustration of the chara6ler so admirably pour- 
 trayed in Dr. Moore's Zeluco, of an officer who could always restrain 
 his temper in perfect forbearance and submission on the parade, under 
 the reprehension of a commanding officer of such vociferating tenden- 
 cies as General Grinfield, but could never put the rein on his impetu- 
 ous nature, when in command, or uncontrouled by the presence of a 
 supei ior ; and still less could curb his violence, when a poor soldier, 
 or hel[)less vi6lim, was at the mercy of his resentment. 
 
 From the period at which the Commission was appointed, Colonel 
 Pi6ton exhibited strong indications of the plan which he afterwards so 
 industriously attempted to accomplish, by disseminating the most in- 
 credible depreciation of my chara6ter and modes of life. 
 
 He described the First Commissioner to Mr. Swinburne, as a person 
 whom he understood, in coming out to Trinidad, meant to engage in 
 traffic or conmiercud speculation : not only forgetting the direct viola- 
 tion of public duty which such transa6lions on'the part of a First 
 Commissioner supposed, but the still mofe insurmountable barrier 
 against such proceedings, arising, as Mr. Swinburne informed him, 
 from the First Commissioner in question, being of a character and 
 views in life diredily opjoosite to any such concerns. It is perfedily 
 
 * These pai ticulat s nre spe( ifi('d, l)ecaiisf: several persons, of high cnnsideialioii for abi- 
 lity and knowl(-(lge, have suggested the propriety of stating the authority under which 
 the inquiries and researches in question have taken place, 
 
 true. 
 
47 
 
 true, liowever, that on my arrival at Port of Spain, 4th January, 1803, 
 Colonel Pi6lon received me and my family in the most satisfadlory 
 manner, which I took, an early opportunity of reporting to Lord 
 Hobart, 
 
 After the discussions which took place in Council on the 14th and 
 17th of February, 1803, as already stated, respecting the aggressions 
 committed by Colonel Pi6lon, on the admission of Madame Duval 
 into the Colony for a week, to settle some affairs of property, and 
 concerning the suspension of Mr. Wondyear as Public Secretary, for 
 his gross miscondutl in that transadlion. Colonel Pi6lon wrote a letter 
 to Lord Hobart, dated the 18th of February, and another on the (3th 
 of March. 
 
 It is to be observed, that on the latest of these dates, I had only 
 been about two months in the island, and previously to my arrival I 
 was entirely unacquainted with Colonel Pi6lon, 
 
 During that short period, the Minutes of the Trinidad Council 
 shew, I had abstained entirely from bring-ing forward any new measure 
 or arrangements, confining myself to the daily duties of the Govern- 
 ment, and requiring an adherence to the laws established by the Capi- 
 tulation granted on the surrender of the island, and confirmed by the 
 King's Instructions. 
 
 During these few weeks so employed, it must have required a super- 
 natural penetration in Colonel Pi6ton, to discover that " I was a faith- 
 less and atrocious charav5ter, and a professed intriguer, whose whole 
 condu6f is dire6ied by the most selfish interested motives 
 
 That these communications and machinations took no effect, such 
 as was intended at that period, was obvious ; for instru6lions from Lord 
 Hobart, dated 23d April, 1803, intimated that Colonel Pidon's prof- 
 fered resignation was accepted, and the powers and authorities vested 
 in me as First Commissioner, were further specified and confirmed. 
 
 The subsequent transaaions of Colonel Plc^on indicated considerable 
 sagacity, and a flagitious ingenuity, in executing the system of outrage 
 and aspersion, on which he rested the defence of his atrocities; at the 
 game time his conducl bore the marks of an infatuated mind, and is 
 understood to have been instigated by the desperate policy of his ad- 
 viser Mr. Gloster, originally nominated Attorney- General, and of 
 other adherents, who are understood to have urged Colonel Pidon to 
 be " true to himself," and that by vigorous measures he must infallibly 
 overpower the First Commissioner. 
 
 Although ading decidedly on these principles, he avoided however 
 any open outrage or explosition, from the arrival of Commodore Hood 
 and General Grinfieid on the 22d February, till after General Grin- 
 field's departure on tb€ 14th of March. During that period be was 
 
 * See Letters from Colond Piftdn to Lord Hobart. 
 
 very 
 
48 
 
 very generally reported to have been kept in constant requisition and 
 employment, receiving vociferated instru61ions from the Coma^ander 
 of tile Forces, on the parade, and attending him to various inspe6lions 
 and other points of military duty. 
 
 The intervals were fdled up witli altercations which he constantly 
 commenced with me, in the daily meetings of the Commission, and 
 in the weekly meeting of the Council. My statement to the two 
 Junior Commissioners, dated the 12th of March, specifies the parti- 
 •culars of proceeding at that period. 
 
 On the 17th of March, four days after the departure of General 
 Grinfield, Colonel Piclon read his Minute in Council ; the objedl of 
 which was, to force me, prospedlively, to sandlion and participate his 
 system of violence and cruelty, or else to overpower me by his insolence. 
 
 On the 24th of March, in Council, I read my Minute, in answer to 
 Colonel Pi61on's of the 17th. This contained the specified charges 
 against Colonel Pi61on, which I conceived it my indispensable duty to 
 transmit to Ministers. I considered it, however, at the same time 
 becoming my own chara£ler, and invariable modes of ading, in the 
 first place, to make these known to Colonel Pi6lon himself. How far 
 he has conducted his part of the transadions in question, on equal, 
 fair, and open principles, the various fabrications entered on the 
 Minutes of Council in Trinidad, during my absence, and conveyed to 
 the Colonial Department, and in other official dire6lions, without my 
 knowledge, will most fully evince. 
 ; After the meeting of Council on the 24th of March, 1803, it ap- 
 pears that Commodore Plood addressed Lord Hobart. He referred to 
 the Minutes of Council, and stated, that he had seriously to lament the 
 conduft of the First Commissioner, " so strange and unlike any thing 
 he had a right to exped, that he must request permission to resign." 
 
 On the 28th of Tvlarch, the Junior Commissioners summoned an 
 illegal meeting of Council ; the proceedings of which were a violation 
 of all decency and public duty. They have already been specified in 
 the detailed account of my conversation with Colonel Grant, to whom, 
 on this occasion, I went, for the express purpose of stating my wish, 
 that the Militia Corps might be in readiness at a moment's warning, 
 should the violent measures of the two Junior Commissioners render 
 this step necessary f )r the safety and protection of the community. 
 However I may, on this point, have been misrepresented by Colonel 
 Piclon, or not clearly understood by Colonel Grant, the occurrences 
 which afterwards took place on my return to Port of Spain, at a period 
 when Lord Hobart's Instructions, of the 23d April, had vested the 
 sole command of the Militia in the First Commissioner, will fully 
 evince that it formed no part of my system to engage this colonial de- 
 fensive body in any overt-ad of contest; although I certainly should 
 have conceived it an essential duty to employ them in repelling the 
 
 consc- 
 
49 
 
 quences of iliegal and oppressive a6ls, if attempted to be put in prac- 
 tice against the civil inhabitants, b^y the aid of a regular military force; 
 besides, as Colonel Pi6ton carried on most of his operations by means 
 of the black, troops, there could be no danger of any ill consequences, 
 such as Colonel Grant seemed to apprehend, from calling out the 
 coloured Militia, In order to shew that Military Officers had been 
 diredted by Colonel Pi6lon, to refuse assistance for the prote6lion of 
 His Majesty's civil inhabitants, when urgently required by a Maei- 
 stratCj the following letter from John Robert Smith, Esq. is inserted : 
 
 To His Excellencij Colonel Fullarton. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 In consequence of a complaint lodged with me yesterday afternoon, 
 that some sailors were threatening to break open a store in King^s- 
 street, I applied to the Officer of the Wharf guard, for a file of m"en, 
 who gave me for answer, that he could not grant a guard to any Al- 
 calde de Barrio, without a written order from General Pidlon. I there- 
 fore wish to know from your Excellency, what authority is attached 
 to the office of Alcalde, and to whom I may apply for the assistance 
 of the military when necessity requires it ? 
 
 I beg leave also to state a circumstance to your Excellency, which 
 occurred last night, past eight o'clock : it having hitherto been the 
 regulation in Port of Spain, that no person, after the drums beat off 
 at eight o'clock at night, were allowed to keep their shops open, nor 
 at any time of the day to sell liquor to soldiers or sailors belonging to 
 the Navy, under a heavy fine, from the noise and disturbance which 
 happened in one of Mr. Cipriany's new buildings on the Bay, after 
 the usual hour at which shops are ordered to be shut, I was under the 
 necessity of going down in person, to inquire into the cause of 
 such disturbance, when I found a number of white soldiers and sailors; 
 I immediately ordered the person who had charge of the house to shut 
 it up ; he replied he could not ; therefore having no Alguazils, and, 
 as I before related, could not get any assistance from the Military, and 
 of course could not enforce my orders. These circumstances I trust 
 your Excellency will take into your consideration, and afford such 
 assistance * as your Excellency may think proper. I have the honour 
 to be. 
 
 Your Excellency's most obedient and humble Servant, 
 
 (Signed) John Rob. Smith, 
 
 Port of Spain, Jth March, 1803. Alcalde de Barrio. 
 
 * It is obvious that the only assistance which I could have afforded, must have been by 
 raeans of the Militia, when the aid of the regular military force was refused. Mr. J. R. 
 Smith, I understand, has bren examined on the part of Colonel Pi6ion. I had originally 
 suggested Mr. Smith, as a person whom I wished to interrogate respedting several im- 
 pprtant points. 
 
 H 
 
 After 
 
50 
 
 After the Meeting of Council on the 28th of March, the two Junior 
 Commissioners composed a joint dispatch to Lord Hobart, or, what is 
 more probable, the Commodore agreed to affix his signature to wliat 
 had previously been manufactured by his colleague, with the aid and 
 advice of their confidential friend and legal Counsellor, Mr. Gloster. 
 
 In this official letter, no notice is taken of the violent proceedings 
 which had occurred at the Meeting of Council immediately before, 
 but every sentence teems with incredible fabrications against the First 
 Commissioner, and with no less fiftitious eulogiums upon themselves. 
 
 On the 29th of March, tlie most extraordinary statement of fallacies • 
 was entered on the Minutes of Council by Mr. Black, in allusion to 
 what had passed at his house relative to the arrest of Don Francisco 
 de Castro. 
 
 The two Junior Commissioners in Council immediately proceeded, 
 upon Mr. Black's declaration, to vote the series of Resolutions which 
 are published in Colonel Pi61on's pamphlet, from the 73d to the 84th 
 page of his first edition. 
 
 Next day, the 30th of iN'Iarch, the Illustrious Cahildo, responsive 
 to the impulse of the Council, through the medium of Messrs. Black 
 and Begorrat, received the report of Mr. Black, and assuming every 
 ex parte assertion of his, to be incontrovertibly proved, without farther 
 ceremony or inquiry, pronounced sentence, in absence, on the condu6l 
 of the First Commissioner, who was ex officio President of that Board ; 
 and with the advice of their Attorney-General, resolved to address the 
 King. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 13th of April, that illustrious body, without 
 preliminary information, or knowledge of the fa6ts alledged ; without 
 any intimation to me, of the obje6t of their accusation, and perfe6Hy 
 aware of the falsehood of their own assertions, dared to address 
 His Majesty with the most incredible mass of fabrications that ever 
 had approached the Throne, excepting only the Declaration of the 
 Trinidad Council of the same period. 
 
 On the 31st of March, Mr. Woodyear, Secretary to the Commis- 
 sion, who had been suspended by me for misconduct on the 17th of 
 February, signed what he called " A Statement of Fadls." Colonel 
 Pi6ton proposed it in Council, and it was entered on the Minutes, 
 marked B. 
 
 As this extraordinary document was contrived on purpose to aug- 
 ment the mass of scandalous and incredible vituperation against the 
 First Commissioner, for having dared to call in question the mild at- 
 tributes of the late Governor, it appears remarkable, that Colonel 
 Pi6ton, who introduced that masterpiece of fi6tion, should have 
 fMnitted it, in this present publication. The faCl: I presume is, he has 
 learned that the falsehoods in that paper, were not only contradiCled 
 by his own friend. Major Lewis, on oath, but by the concurring testi- 
 mony 
 
91 
 
 mony of all the Gentlemen who were present, and in the way of 
 knowing the fallacies asserted. 
 
 But there is a still stronger motive : T had occasion to examine Mr. 
 Woodyear before the Trinidad Council during three hours. On that 
 occasion he was pleased to deny, retract, contradidt, and apologize for 
 his own former assertions, declaring that he had made these statements 
 in consequence of resentment for my superseding him. 
 
 All these fadls are before the Secretary of State for the Colonial 
 Department, and before the Lords of His Majesty's Council, as inserted 
 on the Minutes of the Trinidad Council, July 1803. At the same time, 
 and in a similar manner, I exposed a scandalous imputation which 
 Mr. Woodyear had circulated, respeding his having been permitted 
 to purchase his office of Secretary, for pecuniary compensation. 
 
 Notwithstanding these communications, transmitted in regular form 
 to the Secretary of State's office, it has appeared singular, that upon 
 the death of the late George Unwin, Esq. Mr. Woodyear should have 
 been appointed to a6l as Deputy Clerk of Council for the Island of 
 Trinidad, of which office Mr. Chapman, a Gentleman in the colonial 
 department, is the Principal. 
 
 On the 18th of July I also examined Mr. Black in Council, on his 
 mistatement, before quoted, and extorted from him, however unwilling, 
 contradi6lions of many of his fallacies. But before the examination was 
 concluded, at the moment when we were engaged in Council on the 
 business, the arrival of B. G. Hislop, who came to relieve me in the 
 government, was announced. This circumstance interrupted the con- 
 clusion of Mr. Black's interrogation, and prevented me from examin- 
 ing Mr. Samt Pe, who was adiually in attendance for the purpose. 
 B. G. Hislop's arrival, and my embarkation for Europe in forty-eight 
 hours afterwards, prevented farther proceedings on this subjedt, which 
 I shall conclude by observing, that the fabrication of Major Draper, 
 and the declaration from Captain She! ton, seem to have been intro- 
 duced to supply the deficiency occasioned by the suppression of Mr. 
 Woodyear's documents. 
 
 But to resume the transactions of the Junior Commissioners, and 
 their associates, in the Council and Cabildo on the 31st of March, — ■ 
 It is to be observed, that I had embarked on board the Start schooner 
 on Wednesday IQth March. The Junior Commissioners arrested the 
 vessel, as before stated, under pretence that the register was not com- 
 plete, although it had been officially signed by me, and approved at the 
 Custom-house. Commodore Hood declared he would take or sink the 
 schooner, if that vessel sailed without the signature of at least two of 
 the Commissioners upon the register. 
 
 The Commander and Owners notarially protested against the deten- 
 tion of their vessel. Alarmed for the consequences of this measure, 
 the Commodore permitted the schooner, on which I was embarked, to 
 
 H 2 sail 
 
52 
 
 sail on the 1st of April, and proved himself on this occasion less careful 
 of his char6ler than of his purse. 
 
 The proceedings which took place after my departure from Port of 
 Spain on the 1st of April, till my return to the government on the 
 igth of June are detailed in the following extrafts from my printed 
 Letter to Lord Hobart : 
 
 " From that period till my landing at Port of Spain, on the 17th of 
 " June, my absence precluded me from means of communicating to 
 " your Lordship the proceedings that occurred. 
 
 At that time there was not any official person in the island who, 
 " in my absence, durst have ventured to transmit to England state- 
 
 ments or representations unfavourable to the a6ting Government, 
 " The Post Office was in the hands of B. G. Pidon's emissaries or 
 
 adherents ; and few letters were suffered to reach their destination, 
 " either to, or from any of the persons confidentially conneded with 
 " me. The reign of terror was re-established, and illegal imprison- 
 *' ments and mutilations re-commenced. Dubois, and many other 
 *' material witnesses, are stated to have been banished. 
 
 " The displeasure of the Brigadier was most unequivocally marked 
 " towards every individual who presumed to hold any intercourse with 
 " my family ; insomuch that Mr. Le The, a respedable French gen- 
 " tleman from Martinique, was threatened with banishment, because 
 
 Mrs. Fullarton happened to call for a Lady who lived at his 
 *' house. 
 
 " On the 27th of April the two Commissioners issued a Proclama- 
 " tion*, declaring that I had absented myself from my duties against 
 " the King's Orders, and without giving any information to the Com- 
 " missioners ; and, farther, declaring me to be considered as no longer 
 " officiating, and direaing all the inhabitants of Trinidad to condud 
 
 themselves accordingly. 
 
 *' Mr. Begorrat, whom I had accused in Council of applying the 
 " torture to Louisa Calderon by order of the late Governor, was dis- 
 " patched across the island, with a posse of persons in his interest, to 
 
 obtain signatures for an address, offering thanks and a sword to the 
 " Brigadier, and to excite the Commandants and inhabitants to resist 
 " my landing, in different parts of the island. In this last endeavour 
 " they did not succeed, for in every diredtion, not immediately within 
 " the influence or apprehension of the Brigadier, the Gentlemen who 
 " accompanied me, will testify to your Lordship, the marks of attention 
 " and regard, with which I was received. 
 
 " After issuing the Proclamation in question, and vesting all powers 
 " of Government sole ly in the hands of B. G. Pi(5lon, Commodore Hood 
 
 sailed from Trinidad, and never afterwards returned. It has been 
 
 ♦ See Proclamation in the Appendix, tlated 27tb April, 1803. 
 
 " Stated 
 
53 
 
 stated to me, that he gave an order to the Officer commanding 
 " one of His Majesty's armed brigs in the Gulf of Paria, that he 
 " should obey such instrudions as he might receive from B. G. Pidon. 
 " This will be verified by Captain Humble of the ship Cumberland, 
 " by the Harbour Master of Port of Spain, Mr. Jacobs, and by 
 " another Officer. After the Commodore's departure, the Brigadier 
 " directed the Lieutenant commanding the brig, that whene^^er the 
 " Start schooner should arrive in the bay, he was to seize the vessel 
 " and detain me prisoner. Although at that time no Declaration of 
 *' War had been intimated, the Brigadier laid an embargo on all vessels 
 at anchor. He issued Garrison Orders and Militia Orders, and an 
 " Order for Martial Law to be in force on the firing of three guns. 
 " It was expeded that, after the Survey of the island, I would im- 
 > mediately return to Port of Spain ; and it was generally understood, 
 " that all these Orders were contrived for the purpose of arresting 
 " and detaining me. They were all frustrated, however ; for instead 
 " of anchoring at Port of Spain, and proceeding by violent measures 
 " to re-assume the Government, I sailed from Point Icaque, across 
 " the Gulf of Paria, direclly for Barbadoes." 
 
 " On receiving, at Bridgetown, your Lordship's Orders, dated the 
 " 23d of April, I informed General Grinfield, that, in the event of 
 " B. G. Pi6lon's offering any resistance on my return to the seat of 
 " Government, I was determined not to hazard the tranquillity of the 
 " Colony, by attempting to enforce a landing; and that I should leave 
 " the question of any such resistance to be adjusted by General Grin- 
 field, as a mere point of military power and aggression. 
 " On the ]st of June we left Bridgetown, and after passing round 
 the eastern side of Trinidad, and inspecting the settlements in the 
 vicinity of Point Icaque, Point de la Brae, Naparime, and Petit Bourg, 
 " we anchored off Port of Spain on the 6th of June, under the imme- 
 diate protedion of Captain Columbine, of His Majesty's ship Ulysses. 
 " The attentions which that able and honourable Officer marked to 
 *' my family during my absence ; the security which his presence af- 
 " forded them, and his conduct on my return, proved that no interest 
 *' or consideration could deter him from supporting the King's Autho- 
 " rity, and prevented a scene of confusion and bloodshed, which Ge- 
 " neral Pi6lon, and some of his adherents, had prepared. 
 
 " It will be proved in evidence before the Privy Council, that mili- 
 " tary arrangements for resistance and attack were made, in the event 
 " of my attempting to land. Orders for the distribution of the troops 
 " vyere issued ; ball-cartridges and ammunition were prepared : thesen- 
 " tinelson the wharf, and other places, were dire61ed to stop and in- 
 " sped all boats whatever, and to resist me if I disembarked. In fad, 
 
 •* See Letter from Captain HumblC;, in the Appendix. 
 
 " they 
 
54 
 
 " tliey did, in an unprecedented manner, endeavour to stop and search 
 '* boats belonging to the King's ship Ulysses : and Mrs. Fullarton was 
 only permitted to visit me on board under the protection of Captain 
 " Columbine. 
 
 " However incredible these fa6ls may appear, the General put all 
 
 difficulty of proof respecting his resistance of the King's Oiders en- 
 " tirely out of the question ; for, on the 6th of June, he sent on board 
 " the Start schooner, Brigade-Major Pitman with a letter, signifying 
 " his determination to resist my landing, and enclosing copies of the 
 " Proclamation of the 27th of April, and of the Minutes of Council of 
 " the 3d and 6th of June. 
 
 " It can be proved in evidence, as I am confidently assured, that 
 " orders of resistance were issued to the Gunner of the Sea Fort at 
 
 the wharf. The Gunner, when immediately afterwards interro- 
 " gated by the Harbour-Master, if he would obey the orders to fire 
 " on me, declared that he must of course obey them, or else he would 
 " be hanged ; but, that as he did not wish to hurt Colonel Fullar- 
 *' ton, whose chara61er he respe6fed, he would take care to fire over 
 
 his head. 
 
 All these machinations, however, were frustrated. On the 9th of 
 " June I wrote to B. G. Pi6lon, and enclosed copy of a Proclamation * 
 " prepared by me, contradiCling the mistatements in the Proclamation 
 
 of the 27th of April. The letter was delivered by Mr. Hill. 
 
 " Thus the Brigadier was disappointed, in his expe6lation that I 
 
 would exhibit any indication of using force, and thereby enable him 
 " to render the Colony a scene of civil warfare, and in the moment of 
 " confusion contrived by himself, devote to massacre every individual 
 
 capable of exposing his delinquencies. 
 
 " It was intended that all this should have been represented at home 
 " as the unavoidable consequence of my violence and insanity, and that 
 " the numerous individuals who were marked out for destrudion, 
 " should have been stated to have fallen a sacrifice to the generous re- 
 " sentment of the better order of virtuous inhabitants, indignant at any 
 " imj)utation being thrown upon tlie chara<^ler of their late meritorious 
 " Governor ; who has been described to your Lordship, by some of his 
 " adherents, as the saviour of the island. 
 
 " The plan of this intended catastrophe was contrived, and the 
 " scheme of justifying it was prei'ared, immediately after my Minute, 
 " cont.'iining imj>utations against B. G, Pi6ton, was read in Council on 
 *' the 2-.ith of March. Your Lordship received letters from the other 
 
 two Commissioners, dated the 24th and 28th of March, and 2d of 
 " April, charging me not only wilh every vehemence and outrage, but 
 
 with diredl arid serious derangement of intellecl. Your Lordship 
 
 * See Proclamation iu the Appendix, dated 1 6th June. 
 
 " and 
 
55 
 
 " and His Majesty's, Ministers, deceived by these impositions, pro- 
 " ceeded to make arrangements in the same manner as if my Col- 
 " leagues had stated me to have been adlually dead. 
 
 " The charge of mental derangement must be judged of by my con- 
 " du6l, correspondence and proceedings ; but the fallacies contained 
 " in these documents will be exposed in regular course. The letter of 
 " the 2d of April, signed by Messrs. Pi6ton and Hood, exhibits the 
 " singular incident of an official communication, addressed to a 
 " Secretary of State, from two Officers in confidential situations, and 
 
 holding the charader of Gentlemen, in which, with the exception 
 
 of a single phrase, expressing their opinion of Mr. Woodyear's 
 *' merits, every sentence contains assertions of fa&s, proved by indis- 
 '* putable evidence on oath to be direct mistatements 
 
 These explanations appear indispensable, to elucidate the proceed- 
 ings of the Commissioners and Council, on the 31st of March, 1803, 
 which Colonel Pi6ton has printed from the 73d to the 84th page 
 of his pamphlet, not only omitting all the most material occurrences, 
 but intentionally leaving the reader in the dark, respe6ling the real 
 history of the transa6tions, and perverting fa£ts, by affirming that the 
 proceedings were in consequence of Mr. Black's Declaration. — Colo- 
 nel Piston's averments are, as usual, at variance with the fads which 
 adually occurred. 
 
 After the 24th of March, when I read in Council my Minute, con- 
 taining the Charges against Colonel Pidton, from which I stated it was 
 necessary for his own Honour, and for the National Character of 
 England, that he should justify himself by public trial, the machina- 
 nations were incessant, to load the Minutes of the Council and Cabildo 
 with a mass of incredible fabrications, for the express purpose of trans- 
 mitting them to England. 
 
 The palpable departure from truth and decency, in the letters- 
 dispatched by the two Junior Commissioners to the Colonial Depart- 
 ment, representing me, among other things, as in a state of serious 
 and diredt insanity, has been already explained. These, I understand, 
 were reinforced by a multitude of misrepresentations, by Mess. Unwin, 
 Littlepage, Gloster, Woodyear, and other supporters or adherents of 
 
 * " On the 2d of April, the Brigadier and Commodore wrote a joint letter to Lord 
 " Hobart, announcing that the First Commissioner had sailed from Fori of Spain, after 
 " having, as they state, committed such a number of extraordinary acts, since ;he daie 
 " of thf ir last dispatch, of the 28th of March, as induced tbem, it appears, to make a 
 " charge of insanity against him. ^ Colonel Fullarton must, however, have made ample 
 *' use of one day, for such variety of unprecedented condudt, as, though he embarked on 
 " the 20th, the day after their former letter, and did not sail until tiie 1st of April, the 
 " two Commissioners perfe6tly well knew that he remained on board the Start schooner 
 " the whole intervening time, while they thought proper to prevent his departure. This 
 " single anecdote is sufficient to prove what unworthy afts were resorted to, in order to 
 " deceive Ministers by the grossest mistatements, and which appear to have produced 
 " more tffe6l than could have easily been supposed," 
 
 Colonel. 
 
56 
 
 Colonel Piaon. Many of these fallacies were introckiced into various 
 pub ic offices, as I have been informed, and others transmitted to a 
 iiank Direclor, of great consideration, in the city ; a gentleman whose 
 charader and talents ought to have placed him beyond the reach of 
 such impositions. Besides these, several mercantile houses have been 
 made the depositories of Colonel Pifton's fabrications, who evidently 
 meant to convey deception through every unsuspe^ed channel, so as 
 to pervert, by a regular course of operation, the sources of intelli- 
 gence from the Settlement. 
 
 My absence, already stated, from the meetings of Council and Ca- 
 biido, after the 24th of March, prevented me from knowing the ma- 
 chinations in question for several months, and the measures adopted 
 by Colonel Piaon ; and his confidential Diredors of the Post-office, 
 did not tend to ensure confidence respe6ling communications to or 
 from England, by the ordinary conveyance. 
 
 On the 29th of March, Mr. Black issued his Declaration inserted 
 on the Minutes of Council, respe6iing my visit to his house, while 
 Don Francisco de Castro was in his custody. Mr. Black's account 
 of that transa£lion has been proved to be positively false, by the con- 
 curring testimony of five official Gentlemen, who fortunately had ac- 
 companied me on that occasion ; indeed what occurred on his exami- 
 nation, 18th of July, sufficiently proved that Mr. Black could not 
 support his own former assertions. 
 
 Such were the preparatory measures which introduced the proceed- 
 ings of the Commission and Council, stated in the 73d page of Co- 
 lonel Pi61on's pamphlet, to have taken place in consequence of Mr. 
 Black's declaration. 
 
 These motions, I understand, were composed or proposed by Mr. 
 Gloster, Attorney-General. 
 
 The First Resolution is already proved to be false in faS:, and erro- 
 neous in its conclusions- 
 
 The Second, expressing an opinion of the Board, must of course 
 remain as a matter of opinion, to be judged of by the fads which 
 occurred, and by the animadversions which it has received in my State- 
 ment. 
 
 The Third, at least in its commencement, remains on the same 
 footing, as a matter of opinion, but the succeeding part of it is intro- 
 duced to convey a direft mistatement, by mentioning the word copies, 
 as having been a part of Colonel Picon's motion on the 17th March, 
 while the certified copy of that motion,^ signed *' George Unwin," 
 Deputy-Clerk of Council, makes no mention of " copies," as I have 
 before specifically stated. The precise words of the original motion 
 were, " I'hat the Alcaldes in Ordinary be called upon to produce all 
 " the criminal proceedings ;" the word " copies" being entirelv an 
 a Idition introduced on a subsequent occasion. 
 
 The 
 
57 
 
 The concluding part of the Resolution is not less fallacious, by re- 
 presenting me as denouncing the whole Military and Civil Authority 
 of the late Government of the Colony, and a^ wresting from the ac- 
 cused the means of their defence, pretended to be contained in these 
 public records, with which the Keeper of the Archives, Don Francisco 
 De Castro, had furnished me. 
 
 In fa6t, not one of these processes or records, as they are here 
 called, had any reference to the charges against Colonel Pi6ton, ex- 
 cept that which referred to the case of Louisa Calderon, and which, 
 in my official capacity, I was bound to peruse, in consequence of the 
 representation made on her behalf ; as the King's Instrudtions, already 
 specified, diredted me to examine all records conne6led with the judi- 
 cial proceedings and other circumstances of the island. 
 
 The Fourth Resolution contains so many false assertions, that every, 
 portion of a sentence requires specific contradi6tion. It is proved by 
 the evidence of several respectable Gentlemen, upon oath, that I did 
 not enter the house of Mr. Black in the manner read and stated by 
 him at the Boaitl. I have already detailed, that Don Francisco De 
 Castro was most unwarrantably ordered into custody, under charge of 
 Mr. Black, by an illegal a6t of the Junior Commissioners in Council. 
 The offence alledged against Don Francisco De Castro was, having 
 given me access to the Public Records, as he was bound to do, by the 
 usage of the Colony, and in the same manner as had always been done 
 to Governor Pi6ton, and every Member of the Council. 
 
 I have before stated the motives which induced me to visit Mr. 
 Black's house, on learning that Don Francisco De Castro had been 
 conveyed there a prisoner. The following Extra6t from the 79th and 
 81st pages of my Comparative Statement, will elucidate some farther 
 particulars on this subje6t. 
 
 " The ridiculous fabrication, of my assaulting and attempting to 
 " menace and intimidate Mr. Black, Alcalde of the First Ele6tion, is 
 " sufficiently exposed by the oath of several respedable Gentlemen 
 
 who accompanied me ; by my Statement to LordHobart, and by my 
 
 examination of Judge Black, on the Minutes of Council of the 
 " 18th of July, when the arrival of B. G. Hislop interrupted part of 
 
 the investigation. 
 
 " The club described by the Brigadier, and the supple-jack, as stated 
 " by the Alcalde, happens to be neither the one nor the other, but a 
 *' stick which 1 have used for many years, and which has often visited 
 " the public offices and various places of resort in this town, without 
 
 ever having incurred an imputation of such intimidating tendencies. 
 
 " When Mr. Black was called before the Coun<^ on the 18th of 
 " July, he had a cane in his hand. I asked him if it would be just, 
 
 or fair, or true, in me, to state that he was 'so armed for the 
 " purpose of intimidating me, or the Members present } He 
 
 I " answered^ 
 
5B 
 
 " answered, that it would not : that he carried that stick, or baton, 
 " as a badge of his office. I asked him if it had a more intimate 
 " connexion with his office, than a sword had with the military uni- 
 " form which I wore when I called at his house, to inquire respedling 
 " the state and confinement of Mr. De Castro ? He was forced to 
 " admit that it had not a more intimate connexion." 
 
 These fads and observations will sufficiently establish, that I neither 
 committed any outrage against the laws, nor against the person, nor 
 against the house of any Magistrate ; nor did I make any attempt to 
 rescue a prisoner : on the contrary, my modes of a6lion have, on all 
 occasions, been directly opposite to such disgraceful imputations. 
 
 The Fifth, in so far as it is to be considered as a matter of opinion, 
 must remain on that footing; and my opinion distinctly is, that as the 
 right of appointing to ail offices was exclusively vested in me, I was 
 perfectly justified in nominating Don Francisco De Castro, who had 
 illegally been deprived of his office, to a6t as Commissary of Population, 
 pro tempore, as Deputy for Major Williamson, during the absence of 
 that valuable Officer on public duty. 
 
 The Sixth, however insidious and injurious in its implications and 
 allusions, contains, when abstra6tly considered, a wholesome admoni- 
 tion to the Junior Commissioners to protect Magistrates, Command- 
 ants of Quarters, and Alcaldes de Barrio. 
 
 The Seventh, refers to a subjedl which is fully detailed in my State- 
 ment to Lord Hobart. 
 
 It is not true, that the Board either did or could reje6t my applica- 
 tion for the establishment of a schooner to serve in the Surveyor- 
 General's department. The decision rested on my casting vote before 
 Commodore Hood's arrival, and was ordered very early to be carried 
 into effedt, upon the urgent requisition of the Surveyor-General in 
 regular and proper form. 
 
 The retrospect of my whole condufff, as First Commissioner of 
 Government in Trinidad, is detailed in my printed Statement to Lord 
 Hobart, verified by the Documents and Vouchers submitted to the 
 Lords of Council. 
 
 I venture to assert, that in every item, my condu6l was dire6tly con- 
 formable to the letter and spirit of the King's Commands, of the Ca- 
 pitulation granted to the Colony by Sir Ralph Abercromby, of the 
 JRoyal Spanish Cednlas and Recopilacion of the laws of the Indies, which 
 rule the judicial affairs of Trinidad, and of the wise, liberal and en- 
 lightened instructions which I received from Lord Hobart, for the se- 
 curity, welfare, and improvement of the island. 
 
 The assertion, that I had deserted my post, and withdrawn from the 
 Commission and Council, because I prepared to proceed upon a sur- 
 vey (luring the proper season, agreeably to my instructions, is of equal 
 veracity with the declaration that I had carried off the public records, 
 
 because 
 
59 
 
 because I desired that Don Francisco De Castro should be liberated 
 and a free Agent, before they should be delivered to his care. In the 
 raeanwhile, however, previous to my leaving the island, I deposited 
 them under charge of the Surveyor-General's department. 
 
 The Eighth Resolution declares, that I have lost the confidence of the 
 Board. In answer, I think it necessary to remark, that the deceptions 
 practised on Commodore Hood, at an earlier period of my acquaint- 
 ance before I was so well aware of his character and modes of ac^ine- 
 would have given me great concern. 
 
 It is to be regretted that Mr. Nihel, although possessing valuable 
 qualities, had seldom sufhcient resolution to withstand the vehemence 
 of Colonel Mon. But as for the other Members of the Board 
 Colone Pidon, Mr. Black, Mr. Begorrat, and Mr. Glosteralthough 
 all of them lay claim to considerable talents, yet, after I came to be 
 acquamted with their disgraceful principles and pradices, I should 
 have felt dishonoured by their approbation. ^nouia 
 With respea to the two concluding Resolutions, as they are merelv 
 panegyrical on the Second Commissioner, and on his misguided Co2 
 jutor I shall leave these gentlemen in full possession of all the benefit 
 
 "j::::^^ ^"^^^^ ^^^^^ 
 
 The fabrications so ingeniously contrived and executed in the 
 Council, were met with preconcerted and responsive movements n t l e 
 Cabildo, where three Members of the Council, Messrs. Black Be.o ! 
 1 at, and Langton, were leading instruments. 
 
 As the first line in the frontispiece of Colonel Pidon's pamphlet re 
 
 tte'llnd'of'^' -^ T''""' Cabildo of 
 
 the Island of Tnnidad, several persons have inquired, whether this 
 Illustrious Non-descnpt is a distinguished Geneml, or a JNWl Com 
 mander, under a Spanish designation 
 
 The faa however is, that the Illustrious Cabiido means the Town 
 Council or Corporation, in Port of Spain, composed of two Alcaldes 
 invested with civil and criminal jurisdiftion, and ten other MeiTe? ^ 
 who m their aggregate capacity, enjoy Municipal authority withm the 
 hmits of the town. The greatest number of these persons had beer! 
 nommated to their situations by Colonel Pidon, while Goverr^or of 
 the island : some of them are diredly implicated in his transaSions 
 and others are either interested in his success, or dare rt JS 
 those who were his accomplices, and who still detain the iLdinf in 
 fluence in Tnnidad It is to be observed, that, excepting Don Fran" 
 CISCO de Castro, who was suspended, there is not ! sin^rLanish 
 lawyer among them : Mr. Indave, two Mr. Portels, and Mr Far 
 fan, are Spamsh Planters; Mr. Begorrat, and Mr! sZt pl Ze 
 
 ^ ^ French 
 
6o 
 
 French Planters; Messrs. Black, Langton, Harrison, and Handley, 
 and Dr. Williams, are English or Irish Merchants, Planters, and Phy- 
 sicians : Mr. Adderley, and Mr. de Gourville, were Mennbers, ex ojji- 
 cio, but absent; while Mr. Nihel, and Mr. Mendez, had been un- 
 lawfully deprived of their situations at the Board., 
 
 As Colonel Pi6lon has brought forward the Cabildo, or Corporation 
 of Port of Spain, to play a conspicuous part in the judicial and politi- 
 cal machinery of Trinidad, he ought to have announced that Illustri- 
 ous Body in proper form. But he appears, studiously, to retain the 
 reader no less ignorant of the parties in question, than of the matter 
 in discussion. He has farther laboured to distradl the attention from 
 the real substance of the charges under which he labours, by the dis- 
 tempered outrage of expression which marks his language, as conge- 
 nial with his a6tions. As for me, however, the case is directly the re- 
 verse: my public duties, and my own character, impose on me the ne- 
 cessity of specifying, elucidating, and proving, by authentic Vouchers, 
 Documents, ajjd Evidence, every fad. which I advance, and every 
 charge which I exhibit. 
 
 My discussions with the Cabildo are fully expressed in Seventeen 
 Judicial Queries, which I addressed to that Board on the Qth of 
 February ; and in their answers, several of which evade, and others 
 dire6lly violate, the specific ordinances or Recopilacion of Indian 
 laws, by which the Civil Rulers, Judicial Authorities, and Military 
 Commandants exercisingfany power over the civil orders of inhabitants, 
 are bound on oath, by the King's Commands, to regulate their deci- 
 sions. These Documents are too prolix to be inserted in this place; 
 they will be exhibited, however, in a subsequent Appendix. 
 
 If it had suited Colonel Pinion's obje6l to enable the reader to be- 
 come at all acquainted with the charadter, principles, modes of a6tion, 
 and declarations of the Cabildo, he would not have omitted the A6t, as 
 it is called, of that Illustrious Body, dated 30th of March, 1803, as a 
 preparatory measure for introducing the Address to the King. That 
 a6l'is entitled " Resolutions of the Illustrious Board of Cabildo, on 
 iiearing the Report of John Black, Esquire, Alcalde of the First Elec- 
 tion, concerning what is denominated the indecent attack of Colonel 
 Fullarton on him in his own house." This declaration exhibits 
 the extraordinary instance of a Judicial and Municipal Board, on the 
 simple and ex parte declaration of a Member under accusation, pro- 
 ceeding to pronounce a judgment against the President of the Board, 
 without intimation or communication to him, on allegations not only 
 unsupported by evidence, but proved, by the concurring testimony 
 of several respedlable Gentlemen, officially employed, to he directly 
 false. — The same Board presumed, without farther ceremony, to trans- 
 mit such disgraceful fabrications to the Throne, 
 
 A still 
 
61 
 
 A still more striking portrait, however, of this Ilhtstnom Body, is ex- 
 hibited in the Address of the Cabildo to the Commissioners of Gove,n- 
 ment, dated 21 st of March, 1 803. The immediate objedts of this Adaress 
 were to corroborate Colonel Pidon's Minute read m Council on the - 
 17th of March, to remonstrate against any change m the system ot 
 Police, stated by the Cabildo to have been so admirably oraered under 
 the late Governor, and to have been so completely relaxed under the 
 First Commissioner, Colonel Fullarton. It is to be observed, that my 
 relaxation of Police, daring my residence for three ^"^"^hs m Port of 
 Spain at that time, consisted in my visiting the pnson ; directing that 
 whenever an individual was sent to jail, the keeper should receive a 
 specification of the offence for which the prisoner was ^omm^tted ; 
 that no person should dare to apply the torture ; and that before 
 punishments should be inflicted, the case should be reported, through 
 the proper channel, to the chief member of government. 
 
 This extraordinary Document, dated the 21st of March, from the 
 Cabildo, urgentlv impresses on the Commissioners, that the enormous 
 disproportion which 'subsists in the Colony between the V^hites of all 
 nations, who do not much exceed 2000 and the People ot Colour 
 bemg children of English, Spanish, and French parents, who exceed 
 5000 as the general census shews, imperiously requires and proves 
 the iiecessity, that these 2000 Whites should reduce the numbers, 
 prevent the increase, restrain the audaciousness, subjugate, and as tar 
 a [heir opinion goes, extirpate, no less than the whole of those 
 5000 eaceable aid Valuable subjects of His Majesty under he 
 denomination of .liscreants. See extrad from this Address m the 
 
 ^^ifi^'to be observed, that those 5000 miscreants were guaranteed in 
 their rights, privileges, properties, and persons, m terms of the Capi- 
 l^latlotf, granted equally to all the free Inhabitants on the surrender 
 of the Island, by that distinguished, wise, and benevolent Commander, 
 Sir Ralph Abercromby, and afterwards confirmed by the King 
 
 We all know that cruel and abominable ads have stained the pages 
 of general history, from the days of the Sicilian Vespers to the present 
 neriod- but this Address is the first instance on record, of a Judicial 
 and Municipal Body officially addressing the Representatives of the 
 BritishKlng, and daring to require of them the redudion, subjugation, 
 and extirpation, of 5000 of his subjeds. I trust it will remam a soli- 
 tary instance in the British annals. It will hardly surprize those who 
 know the affairs of Trinidad, that with the authors of such an Address, 
 thecharaaer of Colonel Pidon should be the objed of peculiar venera^ 
 tion Indeed some of them were so deeply implicated m the ads charged 
 against Colond Pidon, that Mr. Begorrat, a French Gentleman, 
 
62 
 
 a6lually presided at the infli6^ion of torture on the Spanish girl Louisa 
 - Calderon, by Colonel Pinion's order; and Mr. Black, an IHsh Gentle 
 man, having been also implicated in ads oi" torture, and other atroci 
 ties, IS understood to have lately abandoned the island, and retired to 
 America 
 
 Mr. Saint Pe, another coadjutor in those and similar ads, appears 
 still to remam, and persevere in the same system. 
 
 The next siibjea of animadversion is Commodore Hood's Letter to 
 Lord Camden, dated 1st Sept. 1804. 
 
 As Commodore Hood has not yet replied to the contents of mv 
 Letter of the 24th May 1803, I cannot be considered in arrears to him 
 m point of correspondence ; I shall, however, afford him this additional 
 mcentive to refute or to palliate his own condud*. 
 
 If talent and ability consist in deceiving commanders and men in power 
 and obtaining their proteaion. Commodore Hood is a very inferior in' 
 strument compared with Colonel Pidon ; and I must place myself in- 
 comparably lower in the scale than either of them. I can hardly sup 
 pose, however, that any man in power could for a moment be misled 
 by Commodore Hood's Letter to Lord Camden, dated the 1st of Sept 
 1804. On the contrary, if he would engage to write always in that 
 sirain, 1 might safely agree to invest him with a goose-quill, and to 
 let him cut his own throat with a feather. 
 
 Commodore Hood has presumed officially to assert, in his Letter to 
 Lord Camden, that my Statement respe6ting the Commission ofTrini- 
 dad, "contains a fabrication in various passages said to have been spoken 
 by him, and that my Epistle, as he calls it, is false almost in every 
 page t-— The assertions made by me in that Statement, and the docu- 
 ments, vouchers, and evidence in support of them, will answer for them- 
 selves ; and I call on Commodore Hood to invalidate one of those 
 assertions made by me, or one of the charges wh'ch I have instituted 
 With respect to the communications and transactions mentioned in 
 the notes attached to my Statement, as having been reported to have 
 occurred between Colonel Pid^on and Commodore Hood durino- my 
 absence from Port of Spain, I expressly declared in the passages qiToted 
 by Colonel Pidon, and alluded to by Commodore Plood, that havinp- 
 been absent from the island, I could not have any personal knowledge 
 ot those facts ;— but that very respe61able persons declared they heard 
 the conversations and discussions in question. If necessary, I can 
 
 * See my I etter to C- mmodore Hood, 24ih Mny, 1803, No. 36, among the documents 
 in my printed Statement to tlie Lords of Council. 
 
 t This sweeping and unf]nalified assertion is the more extraordinary, as the <rreatest 
 niinaber of the pages charged with being false, refer to transadions of whU h .heCommodore 
 could not possess any personal knowledge, being absent when they occurred. 
 
 bring 
 
63 
 
 bring forward evidence in support of those declarations, and resuecStable 
 witnesses in Trinidad, to prove that these conversations and discussions 
 were not overheard by " persons hstening where their business did not 
 require;" and that the information, if such it can be called, was not 
 obtained by " improper or ignoble means ;" but that gentlemen in 
 attendance upon public concerns, or passing in the streets, unless they 
 had been deaf, could not fail to hear the loud and vehement intonations 
 of the Brigadier and Commodore. 
 
 In one instance, a respectable Commander of a ship informed me, 
 that during the time when he was attending on public duty, while the 
 two Junior Commissioners were busy in an adjoining room, he could 
 not avoid hearing Commodore Hood exclaiming loudly, that my con- 
 dud, in arraigning Colonel Pi6ton, was " infamous, most infamous I" 
 while others, passing under the gallery below the Commodore's house, 
 distindly heard the angry and furious intonations of the Junior Com- 
 missioners on various occasions during my absence. Instead therefore 
 of maintaining that " any one should shudder" to repeat those allega- 
 tions, the Commodore should " shudder to have so far forgotten what 
 was due to his chara6ler and situation, as to have forced those persons 
 to hear, and have enabled them to repeat, expressions which never 
 ought to have been uttered." 
 
 After all, whether the Commodore and Brigadier consulted or not 
 before they met in Council ; whether the Brigadier used arguments 
 that could tend to " lead him on his side," or whether he was only 
 " guided by honourable sentiments," inspiring him with a sympathetic 
 and adhesive tendency for turpitude, are points of little moment. 
 It is completely ascertained, that Commodore Hood has been pleased 
 to assert, that " the late Governor saved the island by just and upright 
 measures ;" and that whatever arts I used to betray him into a track 
 that must have soon destroyed the tranquillity of the Colony*, they 
 proved perfeclly innocent and unavailing. On this point therefore 
 we are distindly at issue, and my " false philanthropy" must contend 
 against " the just and upright measures" by which tlie late Governor 
 " saved the island" and obtained the sandion of his Junior Colleague. 
 This leads diredily to the public investigation and exposition so essential 
 for elucidating the transadions in question, and by which the merits of 
 the case must be determined ; but from this I have already stated myself 
 at the present moment precluded, by the circumstances connected with 
 proceedings before the Privy Council. It involves the most important 
 colonial mterests and commercial relations that ever were discussed ; 
 
 * If I conceived it proper to follow Commodore Hood's example,by bringing forward 
 "my Lady" m any public discussion, nothing could be more gratifying to me than to 
 state lae cecurrences to which Commodore Hood alludes in this passage of his Letter. 
 
 and 
 
64 
 
 and will evince to foreign States, how far the principles of national ho- 
 nour and of judicial regulation, connected with the distant possessions 
 of the British Crown, are entitled to estimation, or to disrespedi:. 
 At all events, the merits of Commodore Hood's transa6lions and 
 communications, while acting as Third Commissioner of Government 
 in Trinidad, together with his joining in proceedings directly violating 
 the King's authority, and supjjorting' the illegal and outrageous adls of 
 Colonel Picton, are fully appreciated, and must become the subject of 
 public discussion. In the mean while his Letter to Lord Hobart, 
 dated 2d April, 1803, written in conjun6tion with Colonel Pi6ton, de- 
 serves particular notice. In that letter, he was betrayed by Colonel 
 Pi61on into so gross a violation of his own chara6ier, as officially to 
 declare me in a condition of serious and diredt insanity. Because 
 I reprobated and felt myself bound in my public situation to denounce 
 the condu6l of Colonel Pifton, Commodore Hood has allowed himself 
 to be involved in all the oppressive a6ts and desperate deceptions con- 
 trived and fabricated by the Council and Cabildo to screen and shelter 
 their leader, Colonel Pi£lon, and, during my absence from the island, 
 to load me with every species of incredible aspersion as his accuser. 
 In this course the Commodore continued from the 24th of March till 
 the day of his departure from Trinidad, on the 28th of April, 1803. 
 
 His joint Letter to Lord Hobart, dated 2d April, 1803, and his late 
 Letter to Lord Camden, dated the 1st Sept. 1804, sufficiently evince, 
 that although the right of conferring marks of favour on any individual 
 is indisputable, yet it is not within the limits of any power in England 
 to invest the Commander in question with adherence to the prin- 
 ciples of veracit}^, or to the rules of common grammar and of common 
 sense. 
 
 Not contented with violating the powers entrusted to him, and the 
 civil authority of the King, whose servant and representative he was, 
 the Commodore wages war on the unoffending parts of. speech, and 
 puts to the route, or throws into confusion, nouns, pronouns, verbs 
 and particles.^ This Commander fights so well, and writes so ill, 
 that it is to be wished he would henceforth employ Colonel Pi6fon to 
 write his letters, as well as to compose his speeches; or rather, that he 
 would altogetlier abstain from writing letters, and from delivering 
 speeches, unless, like the cuckow, he prefers hatching the eggs of a 
 lesf addled bird. It would be useful for Commodore Hood to adhere 
 to an advice given by the late Earl of Eglintoun to an old, aukward 
 German Baron, who, supposing he was laughed at while dancing, said, 
 — " Milord, qiioique je ne seals pas dancer, je scais me battre.'' To 
 \\'hich f)is Lordship's answer was, " Battez-vous toitjours done, et ne 
 dansez jamais. To Conunodore Hood the sentence would run thus, 
 
 Battez-vous toujours done, et n' ecrivez jamais,''^ 
 
 Many 
 
^3 
 
 The docilraent to Lord Camtlen winds up with a philippic against 
 me, under the description of " an old intriguing politician." As to 
 the mere point of age, I believe the Commodore and myself have been 
 upon the field nearly about the same number of years. I must how- 
 ever observe, that " an old intriguing politician." of the same standing 
 in the world with either of us, might have turned his intrigues to a be-" 
 neficial and produfiive account, by supporting those severities, which 
 have obtained the unqualified applause of Conanodore Hood. — If that 
 Commander had ever read the Bastille Devoilee, he would have 
 learned, that I was not unprovided with the faculties for procuiing in- 
 formation, and detecting the machinations of the oldest and most in- ' 
 triguing politicians. But the whole tenor of my life and pra&'ice. 
 proves, that I have invariably held such performers, and such proceed- 
 ings, in equal disrespect. 
 
 Had the Commodore likewise access to the Records of the Indian 
 Government, or to the history of my transactions, while employed in 
 command of a large army, tlien he would have understood the princi- 
 ples on v;hich I a6ted, and the system b}^ which I procured regular and 
 correal intelligence, during three campaigns ot CKtensive, successful 
 operations in an enemy's country. If I had ever been inclined to a6l 
 the part of " an old intriguing politician," I never could have wished 
 for a more produ6tive opportunity, than my situation of First Commis- 
 sioner in Trinidad offered, by the simple sacrifice of honour, chara6ter, 
 and public duty. Had I quietly yielded to the beneficial suggestions 
 of Colonel Pidton's friends, and marked some official tenderness for 
 the Pi6tonian modes of government, every compensation would have 
 awaited me, that fortune and applause, from unworthy individuals, 
 could bestow. 
 
 Having never, at any period of my life, allowed pecuniary consider- 
 ations to infiuence my condu(''l, I am too old to change my habits. 
 The extraordinary hostility displayed ,against me by Coimnodore Hood, 
 can hardly be accounted for, on any other rational ground, than the 
 disappointment which he experienced, when my refusing prospec- 
 tively to sanction the system of Colonel Pidton, put an end at once 
 to all the prospect of advantage, which my acquiescence in these 
 measures, would immediately have secured to Commodore Hood, as 
 well as to myself. 
 
 Before I conclude my observations on this part of the subjeCt, a cu- 
 rious contrast will appear, by comparing the document addressed to 
 Lord Camden, with the following extradl from a Letter of Commo- 
 dore Hood's to me, dated the 25th of January, 1803. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, Bhmhnm, Carlisle Bay, Jan. 25, 1803. 
 
 " Many thanks for the honour of your kind favour. I am happy 
 to learn you have been so politely received by all ranks of people; in- 
 
 K " deed. 
 
66 
 
 !! ^'^'-om the knowledge they must have of your public and private 
 ^ charaaer they must look forward with pleasure to the advantages 
 Jikely to be derived from your abilities and assiduity." 
 
 By stating as quoted above, The advantages the Colony must 
 xvith pleasure look forward to, as derived from the knowledge they 
 must have of my public and private charaaer," Commodore Hood 
 assuredly has whteivashed me as far as his praise and approbation can 
 eftedt, during the very period of my life at which he now attempts to 
 brmg me forward under the appellation of " An old intriguing poli- 
 tician ;" as this last observation can hardly apply to the short space of 
 time in which I was employed in political operations at Trinidad. 
 
 The last point which remains for me to notice, is Captain Shelton's 
 declaration, subjoined by Colonel PiAon, as he states, " in order 
 that spontaneous professions may be impartially contrasted with sub- 
 sequent and premeditated assertions and insinuations*." 
 
 It IS perfeaiy true, that on the 21st of February, 1803, Captain 
 bhelton waited on me, and that I held a conversation with him resped- 
 mg different points connefted with the situation of the Colony. 
 
 Captain Shelton is an Officer of the 57th regiment, and was at that 
 time adting as Secretary to Colonel Pi£ion. He appeared to me, as 
 far as I could judge, to condufl himself with propriety, and with the 
 manners and conversation of a Gentleman. He was very soon intend- 
 ing to proceed for Europe, and I was desirous, both on that account, 
 :ind as he was an Officer in Colonel Pidon's family, that he should 
 iairly understand the principles on which I aded, and the mode in 
 which 1 conduced the discussions that had taken place. It ought to 
 be previously remarked, that on the r2th of February, nine days before 
 lie visited me, a serious altercation had occurred between Colonel 
 Pidon and me, in consequence of my having granted permission to a 
 Madame Duval, a Frenchwoman, to come into the Colony, and to 
 remain only a week, for the settlement of some affairs of pro- 
 perty 
 
 On this occasion Colonel Pidon came to my house, and in the 
 hearing of Mrs. Fullarton, and of seven Gentlemen at coffee with 
 her, addressed me with such insolent and outrageous intonations, 
 as I will not permit from any Officer in His Majesty's Service. 
 
 * " Spontaneous" expressions of applause, would have been strange and ill applied at 
 this period, when I had, for so many weeks, an opportunity of observing Colonel Pidon's 
 charafter, and modes of condua, powerfully illustrated, by the violent outrage he had com- 
 mitted on tiie evening of the l'2th of February, in my own house. 
 
 f By the IVcaty of Amiens, she was entitled to remain three years. 
 
 The 
 
67 
 
 The particulars are fully detailecl and veiified by accompanying do- 
 cuments, in my printed Letter to Lord Hobart, of March 1804, sub-, 
 mitted to the Lords of Council. On the 1 4th of February I entered 
 on the Minutes of Council, different Motions which are specified in 
 the same Statement. 
 
 I was far from knowing at the tim,e, that the severities to which 
 my Minute referred, had been applied without any legal form of trial ; 
 but it surely will be dif?icult to convince any person who knows me, 
 whether in or out of Council, that those were aSs which I considered 
 as worthy of my imitation, and such as I ought to follow. 
 
 Captain Shelton states, that the conversation between us lasted for 
 an hour. Colonel Pi6lon marks Captain Shelton's declaration as if 
 it were meant to convey the sentiments which I am supposed to have 
 expressed, in my own words. This I presume to be impossible : for 
 even the celebrated Mr.Woodfall would hardly venture, upon oath, to 
 state the words of a conversation which continued for an hour ; 
 I therefore conceive it would be unfair to Captain Shelton to put this 
 constru6lion on his declaration, merely because Colonel Picton has 
 printed it in this suspicious and questionable form. 
 
 Under these impressions, I will now state the substance of what 
 I not only detailed to Captain Shelton, but what I have invariably ex- 
 pressed on all occasions where I have thought it right to speak upon 
 the subje6f:: — That the difference between Colonel Pi6lon and me, by 
 no means proceeded from any intention on my part ; but arose from 
 the ungovernable violence of that OfRcer, who seemed determined to 
 force me to participate in his system of severities, or to overwhelm me 
 with his outrage: — That I was perfectly convinced of his possessing 
 great sagacity, adivity, and knowledge of the Colony, as well as a 
 considerable share of general information, and decision ofchara^ler; 
 but, on the other hand, that I was not inclined, nor was it consistent 
 with my duty, to shut my ears, and to issue a declaration of exclusion 
 against all persons but those of his selection: — That I was so far from 
 depreciating, or attempting to injure him in public estimation, that I had 
 constantly refused to listen to complaints against his government: — 
 That when any persons offered to state such complaints to me, I in- 
 formed them of the impropriety of my taking cognizance of such 
 matters as a Colleague, and referred them, for redress, to the Colonial 
 Secretary of State, always adding, that the prospeBive, and not the 
 retrospeSl, was the obje£f: to which my attention was directed. 
 
 I stated that, in my opinion, nothing but infatuation could urge 
 B. G. Pidlon to demolish and obliterate, by illegality and violence, all 
 the strong claims which he derived from the testimonials and applause 
 which he constantly declared he had received fiom all the Generals 
 and Commanders under whom he had a6\ed. 
 
 I expa 
 
68 
 
 I e>;j)atiatcd on the cUity imposed upon me, having cnme so recently 
 into the Colony, of obtaining tlie requisite information, by communica- 
 tion in all directions, with persons of all nations, classes, and con- 
 ditions : — I'hat the long residence of Colonel Pi6lon in the island might 
 supersede the necessity, or disincline him from similar inquiries ; but 
 that, in my situation, they were absolutely required of me by the King's 
 Instru6lions, which constituted the Commission, not merely for the 
 obje6l of Executive Government, but for the purposes of specific 
 Reports, on all material [nuticulars conne6led with judicial proceedings, 
 as well as with the internal and external relations of the island: — 
 That the intentions of Ministers were, to lay those Reports before 
 Parliament, and to render them the groundwork of improvement in 
 the general system of Colonial regulation. 
 
 I informed Captain Shelton, that, so far from having encouraged 
 the persons avowedly inimical to B. G. Pi6ton, on my i-efusal to 
 receive retrospective complaints and accusations, they expressed them- 
 selves in terms of extreme disappointment, declaring that those who 
 had suffered wrongs might put on mourning, for the P'irst Com- 
 missioner seemed determined to take no retrospective cognizance of 
 grievances. 
 
 I then informed him of vi-hat had happened in Council on the ]7th 
 of February, when, on the subjedl of the motion respecting the 
 producing lists of persons who had suffered varions punishments, 
 B. G. PiCion exclaimed in Council, that I received my information 
 on those disgraceful subjeCls from the basest of mankind ; — froni 
 villains, traitors, subverters, and brigands. To all this my answer in 
 Council was, that there might be, no doubt, many such in Trinidad, as 
 well as in other places ; but, in the present instance, the intimations on 
 these subje(Sls had been derived from very different sources : for 
 example, my information that tortures had been applied in the jail, 
 was received from a Member of Council, now present, Mr. Begorrat ; 
 and rav information respedling the inflidtion of cruel punishments 
 on sixteen persons, was received from William Payne, the executioner, 
 who complained that, for so much work, he had only received two Joes, 
 His list and signature I shewed to the Brigadier, and to the othei; 
 Members of Council, 
 
 On the subjeCt of admission which I had granted to Madame Duval,, 
 to come into the Colony for a week, to settle some atlairs of property, 
 1 endeavoured to impress on Captain Shelton, how impossible it was 
 for me, by that measure, to have intentionally offered any incivility to 
 B. G. Picton. There was no s[)ecies of sentence, or legal proceeding, 
 on record against her. She had committed no offence that I could 
 learn ; and, by tlie Treaty of Amiens, instead of a week, which I had 
 granted her, she was entitled to remain three years in the Colony.-— 
 
 I en- 
 
^9 
 
 i en1aro;ed on the groundless insolence and violence with whicfi 
 B. G. Pi6lon, in the hearing of sny family, had expressed himself, 
 in tones and in terms which I would not permit from any Ofhcer 
 on earth. — I explained how unwarrantably Mr. Woodyear had behaved 
 in the transaction ; and the indisputable obligation imposed on me, 
 of moving his suspension for such gross misconduct. I arlded, 
 that B. G. Pidon and I, had been induced to agree to a reconciliation, 
 in consequence of the earnest and unanimous entreaties of all the 
 Members in Council, urging the necessity of cordiality and co- 
 operation, for the security and welfare of the Colony: — That on the 
 suspension of Mr. Woodyear, B. G'. Pi6ton had burst forth into new 
 strains of vehemence and dissatisfadion against that measure ; al- 
 though he had previously been unbounded in his expressions of dis- 
 pileasure against Mr, Woodyear's misconduct in the transaClion. 
 
 I requested Captain Shelton, in conversation with B. G. Pidton, and 
 on his return to England, explicitly to declare, in my name, that my 
 earnest wishes and determinations had invariably been to avoid 
 retrospect ; to look forward, to co-operate cordially with B. G. Piclon, 
 with Commodore Hood, on his arrival, and with all public and official 
 persons in the Colony ; being convinced, that those principles and 
 modes of adion were no less indispensable for individual respedability,. 
 than for the welfare and improvement of the Settlement. 
 
 Such was the substance of my communications to Captain Shelton, 
 I thought them right then ; I think them right now. If they can be 
 of any use to Colonel Pidton, I am perfedly ready to declare, on oath, 
 in the Privy Council, or elsewhere, my firm convidtion of their just- 
 ness and propriety. A similar strain of declaration, although by no 
 means in the same form, was expressed by me to Colonel Pidton, and 
 the Members of Council, which is detailed in the 57th- page oV my 
 Comparative Statement. 
 
 With respedt to the turn of phraseology, and strudture of expression,, 
 attributed to me, as well as the panegyrical effusions of admiration, and 
 desire of imitating Colonel Piclon's system of administration, these are 
 points on which I shall make no remarks, until I have an opportunity 
 of interrogating Captam Shelton in the Privy Council. In the mean 
 while, I need hardly apprehend that any one who knows me, will mis- 
 take the forms of speech ni which Colonel Pidion has printed Captain 
 Shelton's declaration, as having the most remote connexion with the 
 modes in which I am accustomed to communicate m.y thoughts. 
 
 On the other hand, it will be still more difhcult of credence, that 
 the list of cruelties certified by William Payne, the executioner, or the 
 infliaions specified to me by Mr. Begorrat, could ever be the 'objects 
 of my admiration, panegyric, or desire of imitation. 
 
 It 
 
70 
 
 It is to be observed, that my answer applies to the first edition of 
 Colonel Pi£ton's pamphlet, which was transmitted to me in Scotland. 
 Two other editions have since been published, in which several trans- 
 positions have taken place. 
 
 An additional extradt, respedting an interrogatory of Don Francisco 
 De Castro, has been inserted, without any date, and egregiously mistat- 
 ing fa6ts. The order which I gave, dire6ling him to prepare Copies of 
 the Criminal Processes, was intended to supply the defedl on that sub- 
 jea in Colonel Ficon's Motion of the 17th of March, 1803, calHng on 
 the Alcaldes in ordinary " to produce all the criminal proceedings that 
 " had been carried on, in their respecStive offices, since the first day of 
 
 March, 1797 ; and that they be remitted, by the Clerk of the Coun- 
 " oil, to the office of His Majesty's Secretary of State, the Right Ho- 
 '•' nourable Lord Hobart." In this Motion, no mention whatever was 
 made of Copies : the interrogatory of Don Francisco De Castro, if it 
 ever took place, occurred afterwards, with the view of misrepresenting 
 fadls, and of glossing over an omission of the word Copies, which Colo- 
 nel Piaon and his Coadjutors found I had deteaed, and guarded against. 
 Mr. De Castro having received orders from me to prepare Copies of the 
 Criminal Processes, might, without much incorreaness, consider them 
 as issuing from the Commission. 
 
 Colonel Piaon, in one of his editions, subjoins a notice, that a letter 
 by a running ship from Trinidad, announced, that what he denominates 
 my publication, meaning my Statement submitted to the Lords in Coun- 
 cil, had been transmitted thither, and had been unanimously voted a 
 Libel in the Council of that Island.— Such of the Members of that 
 Council, as felt themselves inculpated in the miscondua of Colonel Pic- 
 ton, could hardly be expeaed to express themselves in any other terms 
 
 respe6ting it. ' , 1 • ^ r 
 
 Copies of the Minutes of the Trinidad Council, on the subjea ot my 
 Statement, are in my possession, and have been submitted by me to 
 Lord Camden, with documents, iHustrative of the proceedings, for the 
 information of his Lordship, and of the Lords of His Majesty's Coun- 
 cil These papers will be produced in the proper time, and m the pro- 
 per place. In the mean while, I shall content myself with annexing the 
 following Translation of a letter, explaining the means adopted by 
 Members of the Council and Cabildo, to enforce and extend the mfluence 
 of deception. 
 
 Translation 
 
71 
 
 Translation oj a Letter from a Toreign, Gentkrnan to his Corre- 
 spondent in London, dated Trinidad, 6th Odiober:, 1804. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 *' On the 17th of last July I wrote to you^ expressing my desire of 
 receiving your letters, and of being made acquainted with tiie state 
 of affairs of those Gentlemen, as the variety of unpleasant intelligence 
 that we have often received, caused considerable confusion and solici- 
 tude, particularly to me, who am anxious to hear something respeding 
 my own business, as I have before expressed to you. I hope, from 
 your goodness, that you will not omit giving me "that satisfadion. 
 
 " The theatre remains nearly as it did, supported and favoured more 
 and more by the all-powerful Begorrat, who employs all his inventive 
 and intriguing faculties to darken the merits and justice of Colonel 
 Fullarton, and to publish the good parts and distinguished services of 
 Pi6lon. For that purpose, every day spreads abroad news and papers 
 favourable to his cause and person. In the last month, they have 
 shewn a paper which they say came from London, and of which copies 
 were circulated among his partizans, who are, as you know, the Ca- 
 bildo, and followers of Begorrat ; in which paper it is related, as in- 
 telligence which may be depended upon, that the employment con- 
 ferred upon Colonel Fullarton, after leaving this island *, had been 
 taken from him by the new Minister, in a disgraceful way, and not 
 only this, but also the Government of Trinidad, which he had til! 
 then held. His dismissal was immediately published, and he was called 
 upon to give an account of the money he had expended ; which ac 
 count was disapproved by the Ministry, and he was obliged to pay the 
 value of the schooner in which he made the survey of the island, the 
 expences of the voyage, with other expences on his going to Eno- 
 J and ; and finally, ten thousand dollars, which he charged as expended 
 on secret services f - In consequence of these unfortunate circumstances 
 the Gentleman was overwhelmed with grief, and had determined to 
 retire from Court, without any hope of being successful in his other 
 arrairs. 
 
 " On the other hand, the business of Pic%n and his friends was in 
 
 * The employment stated to have been conferred on Colonel Fullarton, as an a6t of 
 commiseration to prevent him from starving, is specified in the Preface ' 
 
 t It is proved by the ce rtified Statement of Accompts, signed by Mr. Collin, Public Trea- 
 .u.er of rrmidad, that Colonel Fullarton never charged, nor received one fra.^on on ac 
 count of secret sc^rv.ce money, during the whole period of his connexion with the i;]rd Z 
 See page 37 of Colonel FuUarton's printed Staten^ent to Lord Hobart ; also the cium^ 
 of scand lous decept-ons on th,s point, transmitted to the Treasury by Mr. Glosti and ex 
 po..ed in the 130th page of the printed Documents submitted to the Lords of CounciJ 
 
 the 
 
11 
 
 the best state, and nearly concluded to their satisfa6lion, and with 
 positive hopes of his being promoted, and even of his returning to 
 this island. 
 
 " About eight days ago, Mr. Begorrat, by one of his partizans, sent 
 a message to Mr. Cipriani, to inform him of this news, and to tell 
 him, that he had better apply to Colonel Fullarton for the hundred 
 joes he had lent him that he might purchase handkerchiefs with 
 them, to receive the tears he ought to shed, for these and other cir- 
 cumstances of which they soon expelled to hear. 
 
 " The Tribunals of the Alcaldes and the Cabildo are busy in prepar- 
 ing documents favourable to P , to be sent to the Court. At this 
 
 moment they are using all their efforts to prepare various criminal 
 causes, by which they wish to inform the King of the disorders that 
 have been caused by those controversies, and to persuade his Royal 
 Mind to believe, that this island is composed of the most seditious, 
 disobedient and perverse people, that he may think, that whatever 
 was done by Pi6lon was just and indispensable, in order to save the 
 Colony and to establish tranquillity ; insomuch, my friend, that they 
 do not lose the least iota, for they even intend to place his portrait 
 in the Chamber of the Cabildo, in gratitude and testimony of his 
 having been the only Mecaenas and preserver of the Colony, and 
 - that to him, and him alone, the Colony owes its existence. All these 
 you will have very soon sent to the Court, with many other things 
 of the same kind. 
 
 " The people are so much discontented with this news, that we appre- 
 hend some bad consequences. Already many French and Spanish families 
 are gone to the Spanish Main, and others are preparing to depart, 
 among which is mine. I will go at the end of the year, if we have not 
 some more favourable news, because, as things go on at present, there 
 is no hoj)e for tranquillity or comfort, as we cannot live without being 
 
 partizans of P and flatterers of Begorrat. 
 
 " However, it is said that P. has sent for these informations and justt- 
 cations to support his defence, which leads me to believe, that he is not 
 so \\(t\\ situated as they wish to make it appear ; otherwise, they would 
 not make use of iniquity and falsehood. All this, together with a sub- 
 scription, which has been made among his partizans, who have con- 
 tribal ed 700 joes, which will be sent him by the present opportunity, 
 to aid him in "the expences of the law-suit, makes me rather doubtful of 
 tliis news. Notwithstanding, as the informations sent from hence are 
 so numerous, so repeated, and so favourable, and done by such a respc61 - 
 
 * Mr. Cipriani, no doubt, is perff6lly tn.sy on tliis subjta, knowing that he never had 
 a m6ney iransjift'on of any descriplion witli Colonel Fullarton. But having been in inti- 
 mat' habits with Colone l Piaon, and having marJ<ed vespcd for Colonel Fullarton, has 
 thereby exposed hiniseJt to Mr. Ikgorrat's repvehension. 
 
 able 
 
73 
 
 able body as the Cabildo, which is supposed to speak the sentiments of 
 the people, they may have some effe6t, if the Ministry is not in time in- 
 formed of the persons who compose that Cabildo, their conduct, and 
 their mode of thinking, and that their only endeavour is, to white-wash 
 their friend, even if in doing that, they a6l against justice, good f^iith, 
 and truth. Finally, my friend, I communicate to you these few things, 
 
 in case they should be of any use. Our friends , , and 
 
 the rest, have withdrawn themselves, until the storm subsides. 
 
 I am, &c." 
 
 Colonel Pidlon has likewise added a Postscript, in which he describes 
 me as soi disant Colonel Fullarton. If he will take the trouble to peruse 
 the Army List, he will observe my name at the head of the Colonels 
 of the King's Service, on the East Indian Establishment. The engage- 
 ments under which I have raised three regular regiments of the line, 
 and my claims as a matter of positive right, to be placed in tlie list 
 of General Officers, immediately above Sir James Duff, are fully veri- 
 fied by indisputable vouchers, and stated in printed Memorials on the 
 subject. The services on which I have been employed, in command 
 of the Southern Army, on the Coast of Coromandel, and the appro- 
 bation with which I was honoured by various distinguished characters, 
 for my condudl while acting in that capacity, are specified in the Testi- 
 monials annexed to my printed Statem.ent, submitted to the Lords of 
 Council. 
 
 The circumstances which first induced me to withdraw from theDIplo- 
 matic Service, and to enter the Army, in the Year 178O, will appear by 
 the following passage from Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs of Great 
 Britain and Ireland. 
 
 ExtraSl from Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs of Great Britain and 
 Ireland, o5iavo edition, printed ITQO, vol. 3. appendix, No. 1. p. 314. 
 
 " Since publishing the first edition of these Memoirs, I have learned 
 the circumstances of the above expedition*. It was planned and pro- 
 posed to the Cabinet Ministers by Colonel Fullarton of Fullarton, who 
 adied in conjun6fion with the late Colonel, then Major, Mackenzie 
 Humberstone, the first of whom had never been m the Army, both 
 representatives of families among the most ancient of their country, 
 young, generous, spirited, gay, and scholars. They raised 2,000 men 
 at their own expence, with unusual dispatch, and involved their estates 
 to a very large anrtount, by preparations for the expedition, agreeable to 
 the terms on which Government had adopted the proposal. 
 
 * Alluding to the expedition proposed for South America by Colonel Fullarton, in the 
 year 178Q. 
 
 L , " The 
 
74 
 
 " The objedl of it was, an attack upon the Coast of Mexico ; the 
 troops were to sail to Madras, and to be joined there by a body of 
 Lascars, who were to proceed with them to one of the Luconia Islands, 
 in order to refresh the men, and then to make for the Coast of Mexico, 
 in the tra6t of the Acapulca ships. 
 
 *' Lord George Germaine added to this idea, the idea of another 
 expedition to the Spanish Main ; which was to go across to the South 
 Sea, and join that on the Coast of Mexico ; and there is no doubt that, 
 if the jun6tion had been made, Spain must have immediately sued for 
 peace. Bat the unexpe6led breaking out of the Dutch war, obliged 
 the expedition intended for Mexico, to be sent upon an attack on the 
 Cape of Good Hope ; and when that was found improper, it was em- 
 ployed in the war of India, where Colonel Mackenzie bravely fell in his 
 country's cause. 
 
 His friend returned, on the peace, covered with laurels, to defend 
 her liberties in the senate." 
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
NUMBER I. 
 
 Copy of a Letter from Colonel Fullarton to Colonel Grant. 
 [Referred to in Page 26.] 
 
 Port of Spain, 87th July, 1803. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I REauEST you will take the trouble to inform me, if you recoiled 
 mv calling for you on the 28th of last March in the evenrng-^ and 
 stating, that the other Two Commissioners had imprisoned Mr de 
 Castro, a Regidor, and Keeper of the Archives, as well as Pubhc Es- 
 crivano, because he had permitted me to have access to the Criminal 
 Records, agreeably to the established rules and usage of this Govern- 
 ment, both under Mr. Chacone, and under B G. Pifton, who had con- 
 stantly access to any public papers, as we 1 as all the Members of 
 Council. I stated, that the objed seemed to be, by such a6ls of 
 violence, to terrify every foreigner, and other individuals in the Co. 
 lonv, who might be eapable and willing to give any information re- 
 speainff the cruel afls committed under the government of B. G. 
 Piaon I also informed you, that Military aid had been more than 
 once refused to the Civil Power, by order of General Piaon ; and that 
 I thouo-ht it by no means improbable, that either that very night, or in 
 a short%eriod, disturbances might intentionally be excited m the town, 
 military aid be withheld, fire and confusion be produced, and various 
 persons be seized, as De Castro had been, and imprisoned, banished, 
 or possibly put to death. The objea of my visit to you was, distmaiy 
 to know from you, as Commandant of the Royal Battalion of Mili la 
 if in the event of such outrage taking place, or the town being left 
 unproteaed by the regular Military, I might expea that you, and your 
 Corps, would be ready to aa for the safety of the Town, and the pro- 
 teaion of the Inhabitants. Your answer convinced me, that you 
 were extremely adverse to any application being made to your Corps in 
 the event which I supposed. I have written this Letter, because a very 
 false and perverted statement of faas, respeaing Mr. De Castro's con- 
 ^ L 2 finement,^ 
 
76 
 
 fincment, and the Public Records, has been entered on the Minutes of 
 Council. I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your faithful and obedient Servant, 
 
 W. FULLARTON. 
 
 Colonel Charles Grant, 
 ColleSior of His Majesty's Customs, isfc. tsfc. &c. ' 
 
 No. ir. 
 
 From Colonel Grant, in Reply to Colonel Fullarton. 
 [Referred to in Page 26.] 
 SIR, Trinidad, mh July, \?,0Q. 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's 
 Letter of yesterday ; in reply to which, I beg leave to observe, that I 
 recoiled perfe6lly well your calling on me in the evening of the 28th 
 of last March. Captain Walker was with ine, who wished to retire, 
 but was requested by you to remain. You then proceeded to state, 
 that the most violent and outrageous a6ls were committed by B. G. 
 Pi61on and Commodore Hood, by illegally imprisoning people, and 
 putting them to the torture*, and perhaps the next step would be, that 
 of hanging them. The case of a Mr. De Castro was particularly men- 
 tioned by you, who, you said, had that evening been arrested, and was 
 then under confinement in Mr. Black's house, for having furnished you 
 with the Criminal Records : That, under all these circumstances, you 
 conceived it to be your duty to prote£l His Majesty's subjeds, and 
 thought it necessary to have recourse to the means in your power, as 
 First Commrssioner, for that purpose, which was, by calling out the 
 Militia ; tor the propriety of adopting which measure, you came to 
 consult me, as Colonel of one of the Corps. A great deal more was 
 said by you, which I do not now precisely recoiled ; but the general 
 impression on my mind, from your conversation that evening, was, 
 that you wished to have the Militia ybr^Aziif^/i called out, and it ap- 
 peared to me, it was in order to oppose by force any farther ads of op- 
 pression, that might be attempted to be committed by the other Two 
 Commissioners (which ads of oppression, I have already said, you 
 stated they had been guilty of) ; and it was certainly under an impres- 
 sion of this kind, that I deprecated the consequences that might accrue, 
 and urgently requested you would abandon such intention : to strength- 
 en which, I pointed out to you the smallness of the number of the 
 white Militia, and the ill consequences of setting so bad an example to 
 the coloured Militia (who were numerous), as that of resistance to our 
 
 * The word " torture," so far as applied to Comniodore Hood, must be mentioned by 
 mistake; for Colonel Fullarton never beard, that Comiijodoie Hood had been pcisonally 
 eoncerned, in giving any orders to that effett. 
 
 own 
 
77 
 
 own people in any shape*. On your going away, it appeared to me you 
 had acquiesced in the propriety of what I advanced. 
 
 Your Excellency says, the objed of your visit to me was distin6ily to 
 know from me, as Commander of the Royal Battalion of Militia, if in 
 the event of such outrages taking place (as set forth in your Letter) or 
 the town being left unprotected by the Regnlar Military, you might 
 expeCl that I and my Corps, would be ready to ad for the safety of the 
 town, and the protection of the inhabitants ; and that my answer 
 convinced you, that I was extremely adverse to any application beino- 
 made to the Corps, in the event which you supposed. I certainly 
 cannot say I understood you in that light ; for I think there could be 
 very little doubt of the propriety, at all times, of calling out the Mili- 
 tia to do duty in the town, and consequently protecting the inhabi- 
 tants, in the event of the Regular Military force being withdrawn from 
 it-j-. I have the honour to be, very respeClfully, 
 
 Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant, 
 
 Chaeles Grant. 
 
 His Excellency Colonel Fullarton, i^c. Ss'c. isfc. 
 
 No. in. 
 
 Letter from Colonel Grant to Colonel Fullarton. 
 [Referred to in Page 26.] 
 
 DEAR SIR, Trinidad, 3d June, 1803, 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's 
 letter of the 31st May, from Barbadoes, with the copy of Lord 
 Hobart's letter of the 23d April to the Commissioners, which letter 
 agreeably to your request, I have shewn to Mrs. Fullarton. I also 
 thought it my duty to inform B. G. PiCton that I had received such 
 copy, through you. The observations of the Brigadier to me on the 
 occasion were, I think, as nearly as I can recolleCt, to the following 
 effect : — " That as nothing in Lord Hobart's letter was conclusive, as 
 to the representations that had been made to His Majesty's Ministers 
 and as tb.e same circumstances exist that led to the joint proclamation', 
 he (the Brigadier) would certainly continue to aCt under that procla- 
 matioij, until the arrival of Commodore Hood, when his power (the 
 Brigadier'sj will cease." I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 Your most obedient, &c. he. 
 
 (Signed) Chables Grant. 
 
 * It has already been mentioned, that the great st ^part of Colonel Pifton's operations 
 were condnfted by mean> i/t the Black Tro.-.>ps. 
 
 f The letter i'wm J. R. Smith, Esq. shews that the aid of the Regular Military Force 
 bad actually been refused in the, town. 
 
 Although 
 
78 
 
 Although the contents of Major Draper's letter to Colonel Pi6lon, 
 have been sufficiently refuted in the proper place, I have judged it 
 expedient to insert the followirsg communications, from six re- 
 spectable Gentlemen, fully establusliing the Major's incorreitness. 
 He has unwarrantably calunmiated the living vfho never injured him, 
 and, in his capacity as a confidential secretary, has tarnished the 
 memory of his deceased friend and benefadtor. 
 
 No. IV. 
 
 Letter from George Augustas Adderley, Esq. 
 
 [Mr. Adderley is a gentleman of high connexion, excellent charader and abilities, who 
 filled several important confidential situations in Trinidad.] 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, London, 17th December, 1804. 
 
 I have just received tlie honour of your letter of the 14th instant, 
 and hasten to answer the queries you propose to me. 
 
 Query 1st. Whether I have any reason to believe, that during 
 General Grinfield's residence in your house, or in Trinidad, you ever 
 marked any disposition to enter argumentatively, or in any manner to 
 converse upon the circumstances of a quarrel, as it is called, between 
 you and* Colonel Pi6ton, either with him or with the Officers com- 
 posing his suite ? 
 
 I have no reason for thinking so: indeed I know, from your re- 
 peated declaration to me on the subje6t, previous to General Grinfield's 
 arrival, that you had determined to avoid every communication with 
 him, that might lead in any manner to make the disagreement between 
 you and Colonel Pi6lon the subjedt of conversation or discussion ; and 
 from every opportunity I had of observing, you steadily adhered to 
 your resolution. 
 
 Query 2d. On the contrary, whether there was not a marked en- 
 deavour on your part to avoid all communication or conversation on 
 these subjeds with General Grinfield and his suite ? 
 
 This was evident to me from the following circumstance, viz. be- 
 fore the General's arrival the disagreement between you and Colonel 
 PiCton was a freqtient topic of conversation at your table, but during 
 his residence at your house, I never heard the subject nientioncd. It 
 appeared to be carefully avoided by all. 
 
 Query 3d. Whether it was not a matter of public notoriety in Port 
 of Spain, that General Grinfield, on the parade, used frequently to 
 vociterate in such strong terms of censure, or of reprobation, ai the 
 
 manoeuvres 
 
79 
 
 manoeuvres of the Black Corps under B. G. PI6lon, as afforded grati-^ 
 fication to numerous spe6lators, many of whom attended merely, as 
 it was stated, to enjoy the amusement of hearing the arrogance of 
 General Pi6lon receive these humiliations ? 
 
 General Grinfield's animadversions on the Black Corps in Trinidad, 
 were very generally spoken of : I attended but one parade, and I then 
 heard him express himself in terms of strong and marked disapproba- 
 tion. 
 
 Query 4th. Whether General Grinfield did not censure many cir- 
 cumstances, respe6ling the discipline of the Black Corps, the state of 
 the Hospital, and of the Barracks ? 
 
 I understood that he was displeased with the state in which he found 
 the Hospital and Barracks ; but I do not recolle6l ever having heard 
 him speak upon the subje6l. I was at that time much engaged in the 
 duties of my office, and had not the honour of being very frequently 
 in his company. 
 
 Query 5th. Whether Major Draper was not usually employed at 
 home, conducing the correspondence as Secretary, and consequently 
 in the mornings seldom accompanied the General ? 
 
 Major Draper had the condu6l, I believe, of a very voluminous 
 correspondence ; he appeared to me very much occupied by it during 
 the time he remained in Mr. Dawson's house, where my office was. 
 I do not know whether it interfered with his other duties, or whether 
 General Grinfield, in consequence, dispensed with his constant at- 
 tendance upon him. 
 
 I have the honour to be, with great respedV, 
 My dear Sir, 
 Your most obedient, and most faithful Servant, 
 
 (Signed) George A. Adderley. 
 
 Colonel Fullarton, isfc. isfc. l^c. 
 
 No. V. 
 
 Letter from Major Williamson to Colonel Fullarton. 
 
 [Major Williamson is an adive, valuable Officer, who has been highly approved by various 
 respeftable General Officers, under whom he has held efficient Staff Appointments.] 
 
 DEAR SIR. London, December 18, ]804. 
 
 I received your letter so late yesterday, that it was not in my 
 power to return an answer to your several Queries by the same day's 
 
 mail. 
 
80 
 
 mail, but I trust yon will still receive this before you leave Edln- 
 burffh. 
 
 I had the honour to be your Aid-Je-Camp in the Island of Trinidad, 
 and was constantly at your house rjnring General Grinfield's stay 
 there; and declare, that I never heard you converse with General Grin- 
 field on th^ subjedt of the quarrel, as it was called, between you and 
 Colonel Pi6lon, or mention any of the circumstances, either to the Ge- 
 neral, or to any of the Gentlemen who accompanied him. From the 
 situation I held in your family, I had every opportunity to remark such 
 a circumstance, if it had taken place ; but, on the contrary, I perfe6tly 
 remember, that immediately previous to General Grinfield's arrival in 
 Trinid;id, you cautioned me, as v.ell as others, to avoid the subjert. 
 • Having never attended any of the reviews or parades of the Troops 
 in Trinidad, I cannot speak personally of General Grinfield's con- 
 duct on those occasions ; but it was matter of notoriety, and the gene- 
 ral «ubje<^l of conversation, in all companies where I had access in Port 
 of Spain, the violence and marked disapprobation with which General 
 Grinfield expressed himself on those public occasions. 
 
 In conversation with Generel Grinfield one day, in the gallery of 
 your house, the General expressed himself dissatisfied with the Black 
 Regiments, the state of their Barracks and Hospitals ; but at the same 
 time mentioned his determination to put them in better order before 
 he quitted the Island. 
 
 Having, as I before informed you, never attended any of the parades 
 of the Troops, I cannot say whether Major Draper usually accompa- 
 nied General Grinfield to the field ; but, from living in your house, I 
 had frequent opportunity of observing, that Major Draper was much 
 engaged by his attention to General Grinfield's voluminous orders and 
 correspondence. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your most faithful and obedient humble Servant, 
 
 Thomas Williamson. 
 
 Colonel Fullartort, 
 
 ^c. yc. i^c — — — 
 
 No. VI. 
 
 From Robert Hill, Esq. 
 
 [Mr Hill Is a Gentleman who has held appointments in the West Indies repeatedly, and al- 
 ways condufted himself so as to obtain credit an>l charaaer. He was empl<^ed in the 
 Commiss.iry Department at St. Domingo, and afted as Assistant Se, rctary ui Tnnidad.] 
 
 DEAR COLONEL, Lofulon, Igth Dccanbcry 1804. 
 
 In consequence of your Letter not having been properly direded, I 
 had not the honour of receiving it until this morning, which will ac- 
 count 
 
81 
 
 count for your not getting ray answer while you remained in Edin- 
 burgh. 
 
 I can most distin6\ly declare, in answer to the question you put to 
 me, that I never observed the least disposition on your part, to enter 
 upon the subjeA of the differences which had taken place between you 
 and Colonel Pidton, either with General Grinfield, or with any of the 
 Gentlemen who accompanied him, whilst he remained in Trinidad, t 
 had official business, which required my constant attendance in your 
 house ; and such a conversation, I think, could not have taken ^place 
 without my having observed it, or heard of it. Indeed your not 
 having shewn him the papers respe(5\ing these differences, until the 
 moment of his departure, sufficiently proves the fact ; as it is but na- 
 tural to suppose, that you would, at the time you spoke to him upon 
 such a subjedl, have laid before him these testimonials, to prove the 
 truth of what you thought requisite to state. 
 
 As to the vociferations of General Grinfield on the Parade, I can only 
 say, that in consequence of his conduct on these occasions having be- 
 come the subjecl^l of general conversation in Port of Spain, I went 
 twice to the Morning Parade, and certainly heard him most violently- 
 censure the manoeuvres of the Black Troops ; and I have heard many 
 people declare, that they attended on these occasions to be gratified^ 
 by hearing Colonel Pi6lon receive what he had so often bestowed. 
 Whether Major Draper always attended the General to the Parade, I 
 do not know, as he appeared to be much occupied with the business of 
 his office, as Secretary. 
 
 While at Barbadoes, in the month of May, 1803, in consequence of 
 General Grinfield's being from home, I delivered into the hands of 
 Major Draper your Letter to the General, dated the 23d of that 
 month ; and I have every reason to believe, that in two or three con- 
 versations you had with General Grinfield afterwards, you strongly ex- 
 pressed your sentiments respe6ling Colonel Piston's misconduft : I 
 heard you state the several circumstances to Dr. Strahan, and most 
 openly declare your abhorrence of such cruelties and crimes. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Dear Colonel, 
 Your very faithful humble Servant, 
 
 Robert Hill. 
 
 Colonel Fullarlon. 
 
 M 
 
 No. VI. 
 
82 
 
 No. VII. 
 
 'From J. T. Proby, Esq. 
 
 fjvlr. Pt-oby is a Gcntlrrtidn h16^fl I'cspeftably Conneded, who came to Trinidad with a view 
 to pniCli.sc in the profession of the Liw. He had recommendations to Colonel F'uUarton, 
 and to Commodore Hood, irom some of the highest chara6lers in this country.] 
 
 DEAR SIR, ' London, 2\ it January, iQm. 
 
 I have just gone through a late pubhcation, addressed to the Right 
 Hono'cirable Lord Hobart, by Colonel Thomas Pidlon, dated London, 
 November, 1804, replete with insinuations, calctdated to impress the 
 public mind with sentiments and opinions, which, had you been a 
 stranger on the theatre of the vvorKl, might in some measure have suc- 
 ceeded in lowering 3'our estimation. I could not peruse this pamphlet 
 without indignant feelings ; at the same time, it did not occasion me 
 any great degree of surprize, acquainted as I have been with the trans- 
 actions of Trinidad ; relative to which, false representations have been 
 circulated, with great assiduity, by the friends of Colonel Pi61:on, be- 
 cause the investigation of his conducSl has been brought forward, by 
 means of the occurrences which took place during yoar residence in 
 that Island. 
 
 I shall not enter into particulars respecting these discussions, al- 
 though, when the proper period shall arrive for so doing, I am in pos- 
 session of ample materials for elucidating many of the fa<Sls in question : 
 at present I will confine myself to a few observations on some of those 
 lesser matters Colonel Pi6fon has brought forward as of importance, 
 which were of public notoriety, and of which you wish to have such in- 
 formation as happened to come within my knowledge. 
 
 With respeCl to the order of the troo{)S, on the landing of General 
 Grinfield, I can with safety assert what came under my own eye : as, 
 however, I have little skill, and not much pra6tice in military ma- 
 noeuvres, perhaps what I imagined disorder might proceed from 
 profound tadlics and excellent dispositions-. 
 
 When the word of command was given for the black corps to wheel, 
 whether by divisions or se6lions I know not, I observed some companies 
 with their faces one way, some another ; while others, the wisest, 
 I thought, stood perfectly still, and seemed at a loss which way to turn. 
 They were all, however, colle6led together as speedily as possible, in 
 marching order, and, I believe were formed into a line again before 
 they wheeled by divisions. 
 
 The Brigadier rode up to a black regiment, close to which I was 
 standing, and I heard him distinctly abuse, in the most opprobrious 
 
 language, 
 
language, the Officers of the different companies, s6 pointedly, that 
 he first attacked one, then rode to another, and so on, until lie liad 
 sufficiently vented his indignation. As this corps marched past the Com- 
 mander of the Forces, their irregular step particularly attracted the no- 
 tice of the spe6tators ; and I remember a friend who was with me 
 observing, that if these men were to be as much confused in making 
 an attack upon an enemy, as in marching past their General, the sooner 
 they retreated the better. In this opinion I perfedlly acquiesced. 
 
 I had not the honour of General Grinfield's acquaintance ; nor was I 
 introduced to him in Trinidad ; and can only repeat what I know was 
 miiversally believed there at the time. That the General had expressed 
 the most marked dissatisfadlion respe61:ing many points of discipline 
 and military arrangement in that Colony. 
 
 With regard to the disputes which are stated to have taken place 
 between the Junior Commissioners, during your absence, lean only 
 ansv.'er as to what was the general impression in Port of Spain, where it 
 was undoubtedly believed that high words did pass between the two Com- 
 Tnissioners ; that theThirdCommissionerexpressed his disapprobation at 
 on account being given of the expenditure of the revenue arising from 
 the 3i per cents, during the Brigadier's government ; and that, in con- 
 sequence of such disputes. Commodore Hood wished to decline any 
 farther co-operation with the Second Commissioner ; although at the 
 same time it is fully understood, that a sort of political reconciliation 
 took place between the Colleagues afterwards, in order to effi:;6{ the 
 grand object of exculpating the late Governor, in whose defence Com- 
 modore Hood had unfortunately too deeply involved his own charader. 
 
 That it is certain there were persons who reported these cir- 
 cumstances, as haying be-en auditors of such conversations, carried on 
 in a very high key, I know to be faS:, because some of them have 
 mentioned so in my presence ; and the sudden determination of the 
 Commodore to leave the island so soon after, though perliaps arising 
 from other causes, gave additional weight to these reports. 
 
 How the Brigadier may have since explained all these matters to the 
 satisfadion of Commodore Hood, in their tete a tete communications 
 on board the Centaur, I cannot say ; but, assuredly, neither these, nor 
 any other points which form the subjedl of Colonel Pidton's pamphlet, 
 can either justify or disprove the more serious fads at issue. 
 
 I have the honour of subscribing myself, 
 Dear Colonel, 
 Your most obedient and faithful humble Servant, 
 
 (Signed) J. T. PBOBr. 
 
 M.2 
 
 No. VIII, 
 
84. 
 
 No. vni. 
 
 From Thomas Higham, Esq. to Colonel Fullarton. 
 
 [Mr. Higham is a Mercantile Gentleman of considerable talents, intelligence aud informa- 
 tion, long established and estimated in Trinidad. Mr. Higham had very respectable 
 recommendations to Colonel Fullarton from this country.] 
 
 DEAR SIR, Liverpool, Jan. 11, 1805. 
 
 I have lately read a Letter addressed to the Right Honourable Lord 
 Hobart, the avowed production of the late Governor of Trinidad. 
 
 The perusal of that pamphlet is the cause of my addressing you on 
 the present occasion, although I cannot doubt your having abundant 
 materials for refuting the calumnies which it contains. 
 
 I observe that Colonel Pi6lon seems to lay great stress on the sup- 
 posed approbation of General Grinfield, and has brought forward 
 Major Draper in confirmation of this point. 
 
 I was present on the 22d of February, ] 803, when General Grin- 
 field landed with military honours in Fort of Spain. The blunder 
 which then occurred has been termed a slight mistake, inimediately 
 corre61ed by the Brigadier, who rode about the ranks on this occasion, 
 vociferating in a tone which did not exa6lly suit the dignified deport- 
 ment of a receiving General. I recolle6l a loud laugh from an adja- 
 cent gallery, denoted something like exultation, excited perhaps in the 
 minds of some of those whom he had formerly injured or insulted ; 
 and however trifling the " mistake" may have been, I believe there 
 were few persons present, who either did not enjoy the confusion of 
 B. G. Pidon, or feel for the aukwardness of his situation. 
 
 I am ignorant of the nature of that harmony of sentiment which 
 Major Draper declares to have prevailed, in military points, between 
 General Grinfield and the Brigadier; but the vociferations of the 
 former at the reviews, were undoubtedly subje6lsof public observation. 
 As one instance, Major Draper may probably recoiled the time when 
 the particular notice of the General was direded to Major Collins, 
 commanding one of the West Indian regiments. His Eiicellency hav- 
 ing ordered the rest of the troops to march off, detained Major Collins 
 and his corps a considerable time on the field. It was in the dusk of 
 the evening ; I was close to the General, whose expressions of dis- 
 pleasure were loud enough to be heard by a number of inhabitants, 
 whose curiosity had been excited by the circuiTistance. He comiTianded 
 Major Collins, in a tone of positive disapprobation, to retire with his 
 regiment to their quarters, as they were theil disposed, whether in 
 sedions or divisions is immaterial. 
 
 The displeasure of a Commander in Chief, reviewing a body of 
 
 troops.. 
 
troops, could hardly have been expressed in a more unqufilified mstiy ' f)| |f.|,ll 
 ner, and was the more remarked, as Major Collins had long been an . 
 inmate in the house of Governor Pi61:on, distinguished by his parti- 
 cular attention, and on terms of the closest intimacy with him. 
 
 I am sorry for the necessity which compels me to refer to a circum- 
 stance, the recolleilion of which must be disagreeable to the parties 
 concerned ; but when public declarations are made, implying that the 
 state or discipline of the troops in Trinidad, was not the subject of 
 General Grinfield's vociferations, regard for truth becomes paramount 
 to every other consideration, and requires that so unqualified an asser- 
 tion should be publicly contradicted. 
 
 In an Appendix to his pamphlet. Colonel Pi(^on has given to the 
 public an AS: of the Cabildo, in which that Illustrious Body, whom 
 he stiles the Representatives of Trinidad, has decreed that his portrait 
 shall be placed in the Council Chamber, as a tribute of public grati- 
 tude : amongst the names subscribed to that A6t, I distinguish that 
 of William Harrison, Esq. a Gentleman of an excellent private cha- 
 radter, but whose abilities are better calculated for domestic inter- 
 course and mercantile pursuits, than to struggle with, the torrent of 
 public affairs. As the applause or censure of a public body must ac^ 
 quire its due weight, in the opinion of the world, in proportion to 
 the respectability of that body and the justice of its measures, let us 
 hear what opinion on this subje6l has lately been delivered by a Mem- 
 ber of Cabildo. Mr. Harrison declared to me, some time previous to 
 my quitting Trinidad, in July last, " That he was determined to re- 
 " sign his situation, for he could not in conscience continue any longer 
 *' a Member of Cabildo, whose measures tended to ruin every honest 
 " man in the Colony." 
 
 I have had various and extensive dealings with Mr. Harrison, and 
 have always found him to be a man of honour and integrity ; his opi- 
 nion, therefore, is of more weight. For some of the other Members 
 I have personally great respe6l ; but as a corporate body, its decrees 
 must be received with caution, and the motives questioned which have 
 produced this ac^ of public gratitude in favour of the late Governor. 
 
 I cannot omit the present opportunity of mentioning the line of 
 condu6l pursued by you on your arrival in Trinidad. I had considered 
 my charadter and personal liberty injured and grossly violated by Go- 
 vernor Pi6ton, and I believe I was the first inhabitant who ventured 
 to state his grievances to you, not solely with a desire to obtain re^ 
 dress, but from a natural wish that my reputation should not be 
 ^viewed by you through the medium of Colonel Pidlon's misrepresenta- 
 tions. I was treated with a politeness which you invariably marked 
 towards all who waited on you, which was the more observed, as it 
 presented a strong contrast to the manners of the late Governor ; but 
 I solemnly declare, that you studiously avoided all comment on the 
 
86 
 
 a6ls of your predecessor, anc3 expressed a wish that, as far as possible, 
 former animosities should be buried in obHvion. You assured me of 
 your readiness to receive from me, and all the inhabitants, every com- 
 munication unconneded with Colonel Pi£ton's late administration, 
 that was in any way calculated to promote the present intentions of 
 Government, and the future prosperity of the Colony. 
 
 Such was your condudi, as experienced by me and many others, to- 
 wards your Colleague ; avoiding every thing that could wound the feel- 
 ings, or convey censure on the former condu<Sl of Governor Pi6\on. 
 
 I have stated these particulars, because it has often been asserted by 
 Colonel Pi6lon's adherents, that you went to Trinidad with a predeter- 
 mination to counteradt the measures and injure the credit of your pre- 
 decessor. Your conduct is the best refutation of such assertions, and 
 is equally to be applauded with your subsequent exertions to vindicate 
 the honour of the British Government. 
 
 It was not long before you had no choice, between stepping forth 
 the public defender of the oppressed on one hand, or becoming the 
 participator and san6lioner of injustice on the other. 
 
 The ele61ion you made will never be forgotten, and must prove a 
 virtuous source of satisfa6lion to your own mind. 
 
 I have the honour to be, very respeftfully, 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient, and very humble Servant, 
 
 (Signed) Thomas Highaai, 
 
 No. IX. 
 
 From Captain Humble to Colonel Fullarton. 
 
 [Captain Humble is a respeftable Commander in the West India trade, formerly of 
 the ship Cumberland, and now of the Malvina, belonging to a considerable house in 
 the City.] 
 
 SIR, Commercial- Road, Jan. 14, 1805. 
 
 I have had the honour to receive a letter from you, dated Decem- 
 ber, 1804, containing some questions you wished me to answer, re- 
 lative to the state of things in Trinidad during the time I was in that 
 island. In answer to the first question — I was in the town at the 
 time of the landing of General Grinfield and Commodore Hood, and 
 was in one of the galleries just over the troops : I heard many obser- 
 vations made as to the aukward maimer in which the Black IVoopg 
 ^ent through their exercise, and of the dissatisfadlioii of the Com- 
 mander 
 
B7 
 
 frsarider in Chief ; but I am too little acquainted with military ta<^;cs, to 
 have made any particular remarks myself. I also heard it said, that the 
 troops, when on parade, did not aft to please the Commander in Chief. 
 
 In answer to your second question, I was informed by Mr. Knowselyj 
 the Lieutenant commanding His Majesty's brig the Advice, and Lieu! 
 tenant Mowat, then belonging to the same vessel, that an order was 
 left with B. G. Piaon, to give to one of them, to stop and detain the 
 Start schooner m the Bay, should she come in, and Colonel Fullarton 
 be on board. Mr. Jacobs afterwards told me, that order was left by 
 Commodore Hood. Knowsely was occasionally an inmate of Jacobs's 
 Mowat died a few days posterior to this, and the order was taken no 
 further notice of. An order was, for many nights, during the time 
 Colonel Fullarton was lying in the Bay, issued, to prevent communica- 
 tion between the shipping and the shore. Sometimes it was put in 
 execution as early as seven o'clock ; and one night, in particular, seven 
 or eight of us, masters of ships, were so chagrined at being kept on shore 
 all night, that we went to the house of General Pidon, to remonstrate 
 but were, on sending a message up, informed the General was in bed' 
 and he referred us to the Captain of the Day, who said he could not 
 break his orders ; and we were detained on shore in consequence 
 
 Jn answer to the third question you put to me, I did hear something 
 of a dispute having occurred between the Brigadier and Commodore, 
 about the3| per cent, duties, but did not charge my memory with the 
 particulars- 
 
 1 am just about taking leave ; my ship is lying at Gravesend, waiting 
 tor me, so J hope you will excuse this hasty produdion, and 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Your most obedient humble Servant, 
 
 A. UvUBLE. 
 
 No. X. 
 
 ^Proclamation hy their Excellencies Brigadier-General Thom^^ Pifton, 
 and Com^nodore Samuel Hood, Bis Majesty s Comnussiouers' for 
 executing the Office of Governor Trini dad, ^c. 
 
 r,. . . , , (Keferj ed to in Pare 52), 
 
 Irimdad. 
 
 ^ Whereas it now appears that Colonel William Fullarton, His 
 Majesty s First Commissioner for this Government, hath withdrawn 
 himself chererrom, and from the duties thereof, without His Majesty's 
 kave, and without permission from u^, or any consultation with His. 
 Majesty s Council of this Island : We do, therefore, by and with the 
 
 advice 
 
88 
 
 •advice of His Majesty's said Council, hereby proclaim and declare, 
 that we consider and deem the said William Fullarton no longer 
 officiating as one of His Majesty's Commissioners in the Government 
 of this island; and we require all persons, Civil and Military, to 
 -govern themselves accordingly. 
 
 Given under our Hands and Seals, at the Council-Chamber, at Port 
 d'Espana, this twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord 
 one thousand eight hundred and three, and in the forty-third year ot 
 
 His Majesty's Reign. _ ^ 
 
 ■ ^ ^ Thomas Picton. 
 
 ^ : Samuel Hood. 
 
 By Command of their Excellencies 
 Joseph M. Woodyear, Sec. 
 
 No. XI. 
 
 A Proclamation hy William Fullarton, His Majesty's First Commis- 
 sioner for executing the Office of Governor of Trinidad. 
 [Referred to in Page 54.] 
 
 Trinidad, June \6, J 803. 
 Whereas, on the 27th of April, a Proclamation was issued, signed 
 Thomas Pidon, Samuel Hood, stating, that the First Commissioner 
 for this Government had withdrawn himself therefrom, and from the 
 duties thereof, without His Majesty's leave, and without permission 
 from the said Thomas Pifton and Samuel Hood, or any consultation 
 with His Majesty's Council of this Island : Therefore, by and with 
 the advice of His Majesty's said Council, proclaiming and declaring, 
 in the name of the Junior Commissioners, that they considered the 
 said William Fullarton no longer officiating as one of His Majesty's 
 Commissioners in the Government of this Island, and requiring all 
 persons. Civil and Military, to govern themselves accordingly. 
 
 Now His Majesty's loyal subjects are hereby informed, that the 
 said Proclamation of the 27th of April, contains a dired violation of 
 the King's Authority, and tends to excite the Inhabitants of this 
 Island to disobedience and insurredion ; that the First Commissioner 
 never did withdraw from his duty, nor aft without the King's leave ; 
 on the contrary, he proceeded on a Survey, and other matters neces- 
 sary to enable him to fulfil the objeds specified by His Majesty s Com- 
 mands On the 12th of March he stated to the Junior Commissioners, 
 in writing, the public objefls which would require his temporary ab- 
 sence from Port of Spain ; and on the 24th of March, lie laid the 
 
 com- 
 
89 
 
 communication in question before His Majesty's Council, who nevet' 
 intimated to him any obje6lion on this subject. 
 
 It is further notified, that a Dispatch, dated the 23d of April, has 
 been received from the Right Honourable Lord Hobart, His Majesty's 
 Principal Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, intimating 
 that B. G. Pi6lon, having applied to be relieved from the duties of a 
 Commissioner, His Majesty had been graciously pleased to acquiesce 
 in his request. 
 
 And with a view of providing, as much as possible, against any 
 misconception of the powers of the respe£tive Commissioners, his 
 Lordship had His Majesty's Commands to signify to them, that it was 
 his Pleasure, that the Command of the Militia should be held solely by 
 Mr. Fullarton, in like manner as it is held by the several Governors 
 in the West Indies ; and that, as First Commissioner, Mr. FuUarton, 
 should represent the Executive Government in the intervals between 
 the Meetings of the Commissioners in Council, but subje6t to the 
 controul of the Majority, and making the opinions of such Majority, 
 duly recorded upon the Minutes of Council, the rule of his conduft. 
 All orders that might be issued in the intervals between the Meetings 
 of Council, and for the promulgation of which the Public Secretary 
 might not already have received instru6lions, were to proceed from 
 the First Commissioner, and must be respe6led in the same manner 
 as if they proceeded from the Board of Commissioners, until they 
 should be revoked by their authority. And if it should at any time 
 happen, that the Military Commissioner should be absent from the 
 Island, and that no other General Officer should at the time be em- 
 ployed upon the Staff of the Island, whenever such a case might occur, 
 it was His Majesty's Pleasure, that the Military Command should de- 
 volve on the First Commissioner, in like manner as it hath been pro- 
 vided for in all His Majesty's Governments in the West Indies. 
 
 The First Commissioner need hardly enjoin the dutiful and loyal 
 subjects of Trinidad, Civil and Military, to give due obedience to these 
 Orders of His Majesty. 
 
 William Fullarton, 
 
 GOD SAVE THE KING. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Printed by B. M'Millant Bow-Street, Covent-Ciicderu 
 
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