have followed the order of events, which was also the order prescribed by Your Majesty's Commission.

We proposed that each branch of the inquiry should be kept separate and distinct; that all the evidence under each head should be taken consecutively; and that no subsequent subject should be entertained until all the evidence under the prior head had been exhausted.

By this method we should have secured that order which tends so much to clearness as well as to thoroughness in the investigation. We should also have been enabled to present the body of evidence obtained in a convenient form for future reference.

But owing to a variety of causes, partly local and partly arising out of the strangeness of the circumstances in which we were placed, we soon found that much delay was caused by irregularity in the attendance of witnesses.

It then became necessary, in order to avoid expense and loss of time, and notwithstanding the inconvenience incident to the derangement of our plan, to take the evidence of such persons as were at hand, numbers of whom were daily presenting themselves before us, especially from the lately disturbed districts, for the purpose of tendering their evidence.

We were thus compelled, by the force of practical exigencies, to depart from the systematic arrangement which we had prescribed.

5. So far, however, as circumstances permitted, we have endeavoured to marshall the evidence in order of subjects.

6. We have, moreover, with a view to remedying the inconvenience of the defective arrangement of the evidence, appended to our Report a classified in addition to a general index of the witnesses.

7. But besides the difficulty of enforcing adherence to method in the distribution of the evidence, we encountered one of a still more serious complexion in the nature of the evidence itself.

In many cases the witnesses manifested a singular ignorance of the nature and value of evidence, as well as a misconception of the proper scope of the inquiry.

As regards the negroes, it is enough to recall the fact that they were for the most part uneducated peasants, speaking in accents strange to the ear, often in a phraseology of their own, with vague conceptions of number and time, unaccus tomed to definiteness or accuracy of speech, and, in many cases, still smarting under a sense of injuries sustained.

Many of them, again, misconceived the object of the Commission, and came to

tell their tale of houses burnt or property lost, in the undisguised hope of obtaining compensation. Some also heard of the money which was being paid out of the funds at our disposal to those who travelled to Spanish Town to give evidence.

Even as regards the other witnesses, many even of the educated class could often scarcely be restrained from giving opinions in general and positive terms as equivalent to facts, or from stating as facts within their own knowledge matter communicated to them by others.

A considerable body of evidence, especially in relation to the state of the Island, was thus tendered, which, on being sifted by us, proved of but little value.

The result of these tendencies on the part of so large a number of the witnesses has been the accumulation of a vast mass of evidence, much of which is vague, unimportant, and remote from the subject of inquiry.

8. Upon a review, however, of the evidence as a whole, and with a full appreciation of the gravity of the defects, in substance as well as in form, to which we have adverted, we are nevertheless satisfied that all such defects are more than compensated by their collateral results.

If we have erred on the side of a too great facility in giving audience to all persons, of whatever class, at whatever stage of the inquiry they might present themselves, and in receiving evidence in many cases but little pertinent or material, and if, moreover, in consequence, the evidence taken is more or less wanting in order and somewhat redundant, we have yet the satisfaction of feeling that the inquiry has been both thorough in fact and thorough likewise in the estimation of the persons most concerned.

No difficulties in point of form have been suffered to bar access to our tribunal; no material witness, of whatever colour or party, has been denied a patient hearing; no material evidence has been excluded by a too rigid circumscription of the limits of the Inquiry; and therefore we trust that any incidental formal defects will be thought of minor consequence, in comparison with the object which throughout we have regarded as paramount,--that of the fullness, thoroughness, and impar tiality of the inquiry.

9. There is, however, yet another observation to be made, arising out of a circumstance not always appearing on the face of the evidence.

Some of the evidence which we have received was wholly unworthy of credit, and has been discarded by us in the preparation of our Report.

We should have been glad if we, who

witnessed the deportment of witnesses, and had the opportunity of comparing their evidence with one another, could have distinguished those upon whose testimony we could not rely. To have done so, however, we must have entered minutely and at length into details which seemed to us to be inconsistent with the character of our Report.

10. We proceed to give a brief account of the mode in which the evidence was presented to us, as well as to state the principle upon which we acted in defining the limits of the inquiry.

11. In any ordinary investigation of a judicial character, the conduct of the proceedings is vested in recognized officers with well-understood functions, and by such a course the great object of all such inquiries, the ascertainment of the truth, is best secured.

In the case, however, of the inquiry which we have been commissioned to institute, these ordinary aids towards the discovery of the truth were wanting.

To supply them, so far as the nature of the case admitted, we determined at the outset to appoint a solicitor, to whom should be entrusted, subject to the superintendence of the Secretary, the duty of marshalling the evidence, summoning witnesses, and taking preliminary depositions.

At the same time we took an early opportunity of notifying that the Inquiry was an open one; that we were anxious to obtain the fullest information touching the subjects referred to us; that we desired to summon all such witnesses as might appear likely to afford us information; and that we should be glad to receive assistance from every quarter in prosecuting our object.

We also publicly declared, that in our capacity as Your Majesty's Commissioners we were to be regarded as the representatives of all classes equally of Your Majesty's subjects in the Island.

12. One of the most serious difficulties, however, with which we had to contend, consisted in grappling with the vast mass of evidence which was tendered in support of the allegation of excessive and unlawful severity in the suppression of the disturbances. We were informed that there were some 300 witnesses to be examined with respect to the graver cases comprised in that branch of the inquiry, independently of the far more numerous cases of the burning of houses.

The sufferers were mostly poor persons of the peasant class, living at a considerable distance from Spanish Town.

It became necessary to adopt some course which, while securing to ourselves

the proper control over the proceedings, should at the same time ensure a thorough and searching inquiry into the extent and nature of the severities inflicted.

13. We resolved, therefore, to institute, under our own direction, an official visitation of the lately disturbed districts, with a view to a report being made to us of the number and value of houses destroyed in the course of the suppression.

14. Having thus provided for an exhaustive investigation of one main branch of the grievances alleged, we determined also to investigate on the spot all the other alleged cases of a grave kind involving loss of life, or circumstances of special hardship.

15. In pursuance of this determination, the Commission was opened on two several occasions in the parish of St. Thomas-inthe-East. On each occasion the Commissioner engaged in the investigation traversed the district, and was occupied for several days in examining witnesses.

All the graver cases of repression which have been brought to our knowledge have thus been individually investigated.

The results of the evidence so taken have been carefully digested, and compared with the official Returns, and will, together with the official Report on the subject of the houses destroyed, be found in the Appendix.

16. We are thus enabled to present Returns, compiled or verified on the spot, for the accuracy of which we can vouch, and which will offer as near an approxima tion to the number of lives lost and houses destroyed in the course of the suppression, as we believe the nature of the case will admit.

17. At an early period in our proceedings we were called upon to define some principle by which to guide ourselves in restraining the inquiry within proper limits.

Under the terms of Your Majesty's Commission, which direct us to make inquiry into the "origin " of the disturbances, we were solicited to admit evidence with respect to a great variety of subjects, embracing almost the whole range of Island politics for several years past. The limitation, however, of the object of our inquiry to the subject of the late disturbances in St. Thomas-in-theEast seemed to prescribe a natural limit to the range of the investigation. Accordingly we resolved, as far as we could, to confine ourselves to an examination of the causes which proximately and directly led to the disturbances.

While, therefore, we were ready to entertain any subject, however general in character, which seemed to satisfy this

requirement, we made it our endeavour, on the other hand, to reject all evidence which, either in point of time or place, failed to conform to the above standard.

18. Your Majesty's Commission was first fully constituted in Jamaica, on the arrival at Kingston of those of us who joined the President of the Commission, on Saturday the 20th of January.

The Commission was formally opened on the following Tuesday.

On Thursday the 25th of January we began to take evidence.

From that day until the 21st of March we sat from day to day continuously, with scarcely an intermission.

Since the 21st of March we have held three additional sittings, for the purpose of receiving further evidence.

In the course of the first-named period we paid several visits to the scene of the late disturbances in St. Thomas-in-theEast.

On the first occasion we all visited Morant Bay and Stony Gut, and took evidence on the spot.

On the second occasion, Mr. Russell Gurney, availing himself of the power conferred by Your Majesty upon any one or more of us of holding a separate Court, visited Morant Bay, Bath, and Manchioneal.

At each of those places he sat as Commissioner, and examined in all 140 witnesses from the several adjacent districts.

On the last occasion Mr. Maule sat in the like capacity at Monklands, Leith Hall, Golden Grove, and Morant Bay, and took the evidence of eighty-two witnesses.

On both occasions on which one of the Commissioners was thus engaged in examining witnesses in St. Thomas-in-theEast, sittings were concurrently held by the others, as usual, at Spanish Town.

The total number of days occupied in the examination of witnesses has been fifty-one.

The total number of separate sittings amounts to sixty.

The total number of witnesses examined before us in the course of the inquiry is 730.

19. We have thus set forth a statement of the course which we have pursued in conducting the solemn inquiry which Your Majesty has been pleased to entrust to us.

It has been our endeavour to investigate calmly, thoroughly, and impartially, the origin, nature, and circumstances of the lamentable events, the intelligence of which affected Your Majesty with so much

concern.

In the process of that investigation, we have collected full evidence respecting

the disturbances, respecting the means adopted in the course of the suppression of the same, and respecting likewise the conduct of those concerned in such disturbances and suppression.

With the full information before us, derived from the evidence deduced upon each and all of these important subjects, we have anxiously sought to arrive at a deliberate and a just decision upon the whole case referred to us.

And, lastly, in submitting for Your Majesty's information the body of evidence which we have collected, we have also, in obedience to Your Majesty's commands, not failed to report, with respect to the many grave and momentous issues directly involved, the opinions which, in the discharge of a difficult and painful public duty, we have felt ourselves bound to form upon the foundation of established facts.

THE ORIGIN AND OUTBREAK OF THE DISTURBANCES.

The first resistance to lawful authority occurred on Saturday, the 7th of October, 1865.

On that day, which was also market day, a Court of Petty Sessions was held at Morant Bay.

The business which came before the magistrates during the early part of the day was of an ordinary description, consisting principally of charges of assault, and of the use of abusive language by negroes towards persons of the same class.

Among other cases of this description, there was a charge of assault, brought by a woman against a boy. He was found guilty by the magistrates, and sentenced to a fine of 4s. and the payment of the costs, which amounted to 12s. 6d.

When the defendant was called upon to pay this amount, a person of the name of Geoghegan interfered, and told him to pay the amount of the fine only, and not to pay the costs.

This caused so much disturbance in the Court, that business was for a time suspended, and the magistrates ordered that Geoghegan, who was speaking very loud and causing the disturbance, should be brought before them. The constables laid hold of Geoghegan for that purpose, but he was rescued by bystanders, and left the Court House. He was followed by the police, who attempted to retake him; but a considerable number of persons having come to his assistance, the police were beaten, and compelled to retreat without effecting their object. When

order was in some degree restored, a summons, in which Lewis Miller was the defendant, was called on for hearing. This case, from the interest which was felt in it, had caused a numerous attendance at the Court House on that day.

It arose out of a dispute relating to an estate in the neighbourhood of Stony Gut, not far from Morant Bay, a portion of which had been leased out to small occupiers. Some years ago the occupiers had refused to pay rent for their holdings, on the ground that the land was free, and the estate belonged to the Queen.

The question was then tried, and decided against the occupiers. During the last summer there seems to have been a disposition again to raise the same question, and a refusal to pay rent was accompanied by the statement that the land was free.

It was for a trespass on a part of this estate that Miller, who was one of the occupiers, was summoned.

The case was heard and decided against him, and notice given of an appeal against the decision.

On the following Monday, informations having been taken upon oath, warrants were issued for the apprehension of two persons of the name of Bogle, and several others who were stated to have taken an active part in the riot of the previous Saturday.

These warrants were placed in the hands of a policeman who, with five other policemen and two rural constables proceeded early on Tuesday morning the 10th of October to Stony Gut, a Negro Settlement about five miles from Morant Bay, where Paul Bogle and some other of the alleged rioters lived.

They found Paul Bogle in his yard, and told him that they had a warrant for his apprehension.

He desired to have the warrant read to him, which was done. He then said that he would not go, and upon one of the policemen proceeding to apprehend him he cried out, "Help, here." At the same time a man named Grant, who was with him, and was addressed as "Captain," called out, "Turn out, men." Almost immediately a body of men, variously estimated at from 300 to 500, armed with cutlasses, sticks, and spikes, rushed out from a chapel where Bogle was in the habit of preaching, and from an adjoining cane field, and attacked the policemen.

The policemen were, of course, overpowered. Some of them were severely beaten. Three of the number were made prisoners, and detained for several hours, and were ultimately released only upon their taking an oath that henceforth they

would "join their colour," that they would "cleave to the black."

It was stated by Bogle, in the presence of the policemen, that they had expected to go to Morant Bay that day, but that it was then late; that on the morrow there was to be a vestry held at the Bay, and that they expected to come down. It was said by others that they intended to come down to the Bay "to kill all the white men and all the black men that would not join them."

Information of what had taken place, and of the threat to come down on the following day, was on the same Tuesday evening given to the Inspector of Police at Morant Bay, and to Baron Ketelhodt, the Custos of the Parish. In consequence of this information the Custos summoned the Volunteers of the district to assemble at Morant Bay, and at the same time wrote to the Governor for military aid.

On Wednesday the 11th of October the Vestry, consisting of certain elected members, and of the Magistrates, who were members ex officio, assembled in the Court House at Morant Bay at about 12 o'clock, and proceeded with their ordinary business till between three and four o'clock, when notice was given that a crowd of people was approaching.

The Volunteers were hastily called together, and almost immediately afterwards a body of men, armed with cutlasses, sticks, muskets, and bayonets, after having attacked the Police Station, and obtained possession of such arms as were there deposited, were seen entering a large open space facing the Court House in front of which the Volunteers had been drawn up. Baron Ketelhodt went out to the steps, and called to the people to know what they wanted. He received no answer, and his cries of "Peace, peace," were met by cries from the crowd of "War."

As the advancing people drew near, the Volunteers retired till they reached the steps of the Court House. The Custos then began to read the Riot Act. While he was in the act of reading it stones were thrown at the Volunteers, and Captain Hitchins, who commanded them, was struck in the forehead. The Captain, having received authority from the Custos, then gave the word to fire. The order was obeyed, and some of the people were seen to fall.

There was some conflict of evidence on the point, whether stones were thrown before the firing commenced. That fact, however, was, as it appears to us, clearly established by the testimony of a large number of witnesses, although there were some who stated that they did not see any stones thrown until after the firing.

One witness fixes the time of the throwing of the stones. He saw stones thown, and immediately left the place before the firing commenced, which he heard but did

not see.

Another, again, who did not see the stones thrown, saw the face of the captain bleeding before he gave the order to fire.

The apparent contradiction may, we think, be easily reconciled. It is possible that the eyes of those who did not see the stones thrown were fixed on the main body who were advancing towards the Volunteers, while the stones were apparently thrown by women, who had been observed carrying them, and by others who were walking at the side of the main body.

At the time of the discharge of the rifles, the mob were close upon the Volunteers. The rioters instantly rushed upon them, and succeeded in disarming some of them. The rest they compelled either to flee or to take shelter in the Court House.

Here were assembled the Magistrates and other members of the Vestry, with such of the Volunteers as had succeeded in effecting an entrance.

Some escaped at once by the back windows, but the greater part remained for a considerable time, being pelted with stones and fired at from the outside; such of the Volunteers as had retained their guns also firing from the inside.

A cry was then heard, "Go and fetch fire;" "Burn the brutes out." Bogle in particular said, "Let us put fire upon the Court House. If we don't, we will not manage the Volunteers and the Buckra."

Very shortly afterwards men were seen to set fire to the School House, which adjoined the Court Hourse. Then, after a time, the fire spread from the roof of the one building to that of the other.

As the roof of the Court House was beginning to fall in, the inmates were compelled to leave the building; and it being now dark they sought to conceal themselves in different places in the vicinity.

Some remained undiscovered throughout the night, but others were dragged from their hiding places, and one by one either beaten to death or left for dead on the ground.

The number of persons killed by the rioters in or about the Court House appears to have been eighteen, and the number of the wounded to have amounted to thirty-one.

After this the town remained in possession of the rioters. The gaolers were compelled to throw open the prison doors,

and fifty-one prisoners who were there confined were released.

Several stores were attacked, and from one of them a considerable quantity of gunpowder was taken. Previous to the attack upon the Volunteers, an unsuccessful attempt had been made to obtain gunpowder from the same store.

An attempt was made to force the door of the Magazine, where above 300 serviceable stands of arms were stored. Happily the endeavour was not successful.

It became of course very important to ascertain whether what occurred on this day was an accidental riot, followed, when passion was excited in the heat of the contest, by the killing of opponents, or whether it had its origin in a planned resistance to the constituted authorities, and whether the killings were premeditated murders.

In considering this point it is necessary to refer to the conduct and declarations of those who took an active part in the riot before and upon the 11th of October.

It was proved that two or three weeks before that time meetings had been held at some meeting houses in the neighbourhood of Morant Bay, at which an oath was administered, and the names of the persons sworn were taken down. The terms of the oath were not shown. All that was proved before us respecting it was that an oath was administered, a pledge of secrecy required, and the names of the persons sworn registered.

One witness was told by Alick Taylor (who was one of the persons sworn in his presence, and who moreover was during the sitting of the Commission convicted and sentenced to penal servitude for life for the part which he had taken in the disturbances,) that what they wanted was to have the back lands to work for nothing, and that they were going to kill the Buckra.

At the time too of the burning of the Court House it was stated by Moses Bogle to one person who had been invited by him to attend one of the meetings, "This is the same affair I sent to call you about."

Another meeting, at which a similar course was pursued, was shown to have been held at Coley, a place about ten miles from Morant Bay, on the night of the 9th of October. Those who were present, and who went through the form of swearing, were told that they were to go down to the Bay the next day, and that they would hear what it was for.

At another of these meetings Bogle stated that he must have fifty men from each place, and a captain to each set.

Moreover, one witness who attended a