JAMAICA: Riot Act

Short of high treason, the gravest form of breach of the peace known to British law is riot, a statutory offense and an indictable misdemeanor. In Jamaica last fortnight black natives employed on British plantations at 50ยข per day made efforts to obtain $1 per day such as to lay them open to the charge of riot.

"Our Sovereign Lord the King!" cried an equally black police officer, promptly reading the Riot Act to the cane-field workers, "chargeth and commandeth all persons being assembled immediately to disperse themselves and peaceably to depart to...

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