Last week, the issue of no independent senators from Tobago being appointed by President Carmona became a subject of discussion on the national agenda. President Carmona subsequently indicated that he did not take parochial or geographical considerations into account in making his appointments.
This has served to inflame the situation further insofar as there are people who felt that he was insensitive to the issue of Tobago’s representation in the Parliament.
On the one hand, there is a view that suggests that there are four senators from Tobago among the ranks of the Government side together with two MPs from Tobago, as well as the Prime Minister who is from Tobago.
On the other hand, there is a view that the only voice that Tobago has in the Eleventh Parliament is a PNM voice.
Regardless of how one may wish to argue this issue, it is important to have an appreciation of the reasons why the question of Tobago’s disadvantage, in respect of its relationship with Trinidad, is a very sensitive matter.
The key to this lies in understanding the twists and turns of history in relation to how Tobago became disadvantaged in relation to Trinidad as a consequence of its union with Trinidad.
At the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Tobago became a British colony. France subsequently captured Tobago in 1781 during the American War of Independence and it was officially ceded to France by the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
The British recaptured Tobago in 1793 during the French and Napoleonic Wars and returned it to France by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. In July 1803, Britain declared war on France and Tobago was recaptured by Britain in 1803 and was formally ceded once more to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. [See Sir Kenneth Roberts-Wray, Commonwealth and Colonial Law (London: Stevens & Sons, 1966), p. 860]
In 1768, Tobago established a bicameral legislature with a lower House called the Legislative Assembly and an upper House called the Legislative Council. That historical fact provides the basis for the existence of a Tobago House of Assembly today and explains why its existence and sustenance is such a hotly contested and emotive issue.
However, in 1887, the British Government commenced a process of unification between its colonies of Trinidad and of Tobago. Under the Trinidad and Tobago Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict, c 44), an Order-in-Council made on November 17, 1888, (SRO & SI Rev XXIII, p 297) came into effect on January 1, 1889, which joined the two colonies into a unitary colony.
This Order-in-Council also made provision for the abolition of the Legislative Council of Tobago, which marks the start of the process of historical disadvantage suffered by the island ever since.
The unification of these two British colonies created the need for the British Government to establish a single legislature for the twin-island colony and also to ensure the continued operation of all laws in force in Trinidad and all laws in force in Tobago.
By an Order-in-Council of October 20, 1898, (SRO & SI Rev XXIII, p 298) that came into force on January 1, 1899, Tobago was downgraded to a ward of the colony of T&T. It further provided that all laws that were in force in Trinidad on January 1, 1899, would also extend to Tobago and that all laws that were in force in Tobago, at that date, that differed from the laws of Trinidad would cease to be in force. The legislature in Trinidad became the legislature for the twin-island colony and all future laws enacted by that legislature would be deemed to extend to Tobago. (SRO & SI Rev XXIII, p 299).
This marked the real beginning of the unitary colony of T&T that would later become the unitary state of an independent T&T.
Without any historical appreciation of these facts, there is no understanding of why the sensitivity to Tobago issues and its disadvantage has such an emotional outpouring in relation to the dominance of Trinidad.
Dr Eric Williams, speaking in the Legislative Council on June 7, 1957, said : “….whereas Tobago had exchanged the neglect of United Kingdom Imperialism for the neglect of Trinidad Imperialism corrupted by the forms of self-government in Trinidad up to the last elections. Tobago had to pay a price for its union with Trinidad which it never ought to have paid.” [Hansard, Friday June 7, 1957, p1939].
Many people are not aware of this historical hurt that was inflicted on Tobago during the colonial period. The political, psychological and legal effect of the decisions expressed in the 1898 Order-in-Council continue to manifest themselves in the post-independence era of Trinidad and Tobago.
It is in this context that one has to understand Tobago’s disadvantage. When there are significant occasions, such as the opening of a new Parliament, where there is evidence of the exclusion of Tobago which leads to a reaction, one needs to be more sensitive to the issue, rather than dismissing it out of hand.