people, could be members of another church who would-get, together and have a
Shakers' Meeting. But now that they have been distinctly brought out as a
distinct body, they want to -have some identification of their ovyn, so that' they
could be recognized as a reli'gipus body. Under the law there-is no need to come--
to this Councilfor recognition.
 Last year the Spiritual Baptists decided to have a feast in honour of their
Patron Saint, John the Baptist, and it was well carried out at Georgetown, Feeling
afterwards that everybody realized that they were an organised body-4nd not just
Shakers, they made application in the same way this year to. be allowed to hold
their feast. Unfortunately, however, we have a. ned officer at the head of the
Police Department, and that officer acting on .the. advice maybe of the religious
bodies, to the general Surprise of everybody, illegally prevented a procession of f
frde citizens from going about the streets and keeping up their religious festival,
Shile that is done by every other religious body even to the extent of marching
around with an image. There is apparently no objection to any other people
having their rights and privileges of worship but to this body,.: Any vagrant or
criminal from America can come-here and set up a religious body and is given
recognition by Government, but when the people of St. Vinceni. say we have a
right as others to form a religion of our own, they are denied that'right.
 That is what I want this. Council to look into. There is nothing under the
 law to enable this Council to give recognition to religious bodies, but in view of
 the fact that the Superintendent of Police- and His Hofnour want to have a free
 discussion of the matter, I have introduced this motion.
 It is not because I could not get a number of signatures to the petition that I
 have abandoned the idea, because I was surprised to see the large number of
 people 'who were willing to come forward to sign it-. I find that they wanted to
 sign it not only.from a religious point of view but also other reasons, and it' was
 for this reason that I did not present the Petition.
 But I do want Council te'give some co-iiiderat'io to this matter. The position
 is this : There are a group of people who want to conform with the law, and to
 do everything in order. There have been several attdeipts totake fhese so called
 Shakers before the.Magistrate, and hitherto there Ihave been many prosecutions.
 I remember once about 40 of'these people were hounded 'down. and brought to
 Barrouallie for prosecution. I went down t'o Barrouallie and asked the people:
 "Are you quite conscientious that this is the way you should serve God?" And
 when they said Yes ", I told them If-you are arrested it would be nothing more
 than being a martyr to your cause, and if you are put in prison there is nothing to
 prevent you from shaking there." -And those 40 people shdok'in the Court House
 at Barrouallie and were prepared to shake in the Prison. The case was dismissed.
 After that there were no prosecutions until very recently something happened,
 and I decided to dis-associate myself with these people. They used to come to me,
 and I used to give.,them advice, and we succeed in every 'case to ward off..
 conviction. I must confess that at that time I did- not know much of the practice
 of Shakerism, bfit I want to take a very different attitude 'now. I want this-
 Council to look into the matter on very reasonable grounds because these people
 are prepared to help Government strike out the pernicious practice of Shakerism.
 If there is something that is going to harm the people, and if they don't -know
 better, those who know better should assist in putting the wrong right.
 After refusing these people permission to hold their peaceful pr6cesion, I
 suppose the Superintenolent of Police in order to juStify his action bought up
 some people. When I checked up on the matter, I found that the people iho had