Froude is hereby made welcome. Of
course there was a general cry of horror throughout the Colony, and
especially in the San Fernando district, at the fatal outcome of the
proclamation, which had mentioned only "fine" and "imprisonment,"
[103] but not Death, as the penalty of disregarding its prohibitions.
For nearly forty years, namely from their very first arrival in the
Colony, the East Indian immigrants had, according to specific
agreement with the Government, invariably been allowed the privilege
of celebrating their annual feast of Hosein, by walking in procession
with their Pagodas through the public roads and streets of the
island, without prohibition or hindrance of any kind from the
authorities, save and except in cases where rival estate pagodas were
in danger of getting into collision on the question of precedence.
On such occasions the police, who always attended the processions,
usually gave the lead to the pagodas of the labourers of estates
according to their seniority as immigrants.
In no case up to 1884, after thirty odd years' inauguration in the
Colony, was the Hosein festival ever pretended to be any cause of
danger, actual or prospective, to any town or building.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107