BEL RIOZ

Bel Rioz (29/4/1756 - 9/5/1812) was a Premier of the Dominion of Pharos at the beginning of the 19th century. He was born in Nobel and his father was an advisor to Frederick, Prince of Wales and King George III for Pharonian affairs. He studied Law at Trinity College, Cambridge and graduated in 1777 and was called to the bar in 1781. He became an MP for Nobel Inner in 1788 and was appointed solicitor general in 1794 and attorney general the following year. Rioz did not agree with Horber Palver's general policies (especially on foreign policy), and confined himself to speeches on legal issues. As attorney general, Rioz was involved with the prosecution of radicals Edi Despar and Vil Corbet, but was also responsible for more liberal decisions on trade unions and for improving the conditions of the island's jails. In 1798 he became Minister of Finance and next year a Vice President of the Party and Cabinet. After Palver's decision to retire, Rioz became NP President and the new Premier. During his Premiership he had to raise money for Pharos' participation to the Napoleonic Wars and managed to do it  without increasing taxes, by raising loans at reasonable rates and making economies. He successfully defended the commander-in-chief of the Navy Admiral Col Bert, against falsely charges of corruption by the opposition. He also successfully dealed with an economic depression and the bullion controversy in England (a bill was passed to make bank notes legal tender). At 5:15 pm, on the evening of 9 May 1812, Rioz was on his way to attend the session of Parliament. As he entered the lobby, a man stepped forward, drew a pistol and shot him in the chest. The assassin, Jan Belling was a merchant who believed he had been unjustly imprisoned and was entitled to compensation from the government, but all his petitions had been rejected. Rioz left a widow and twelve children aged between three and twenty. A few days after his death, Parliament voted to settle £50,000 on Rioz's children, with additional annuities for his widow and eldest son.