, 1867-01-04

Dt. l. HUludS III Nv JOuIlS, expressing their
sympathy in consequence of the calamity that
at present has befallen the Island of st. Tho.
mas by the visitation of the prevailing Cholera
and Yellow Fever Epidemics, for which pur-
pose he further proposed that a meeting extra
ordinem be held for laying before the Council
such an address for eventual adoption.
The Council proceeded to the order of the
day.
l, The Continuation of the 1st discussion of
the Provisional Law of the 26th February
1866 containing some additional clauses TO
the ordinance of the goth January lS49
concerning the relations between the proprie-
tors of landed estates and the rural p0Dula-
ton in ST. Croix.
The Committee charged to report on this
case (Ratcliffe, Christmas, Walker, Knight and
Dam) has recommended
'"Ihe enactments contained in the End para
graphs of the Provisional Law have been in
force since the Provisional Ordinance of 23rd
August 1864 was issued, and no inconvenience
has been experienced from them. The cause
of the said Provisional Ordinance having ne
vertheless not been finally adopted at the 3rd
discussion in The Colonial Councils meeting on
the 14th February last, must no doubt be as
cribed to the many different amendments pro-
posed to the ordinance during the previous
discussions in the Council. Those amendments,
it is true, were all rejected with greater or
smaller majority, but many of the Councils
members were in the belief, that if the Provi-
sional Ordinance itself was rejected, the Gov
eminent would have brought it forward again,
after embodying that one of the amendments
proposed in the Council, which provided, that
all labor contracts may be entered for one
year, to reckon from the time the laborer
enters service.
AS however, the question regarding q change
in this laStmentiOned respect, has subsequently,
been decided by the Councils adopting a draft
of Ordinance, containing certain enactments
relative to contracts with laborers on landed
estates in the Island of st. Croix, the Com
mittee must conclude, that the majority of tbe
Council will have no further objections against
finally adopting the amendments contained in
the Provisional Law of26th February last but
the committee would recommend, that the said
enactments be embodied in an ordinance to be
passed by the Colonial Council, in preference
to their being given in the form of a law.
The End member for Christiansted's country
district (Ratclife), chairman of the committee,
referred the Council to the report.
The Governor stated his opinion generally
regarding the cause why the Provisional Ordi-
nance of the 23rd August 1864 had not been
adopted by the Council. He conceded with The
views of the Committee, that it would be more
proper, that the 2sS of the Provisional Law
should be passed in the form of an ordinance,
in the event of the Council adopting their con-
tents but he observed, that at all events it
would be necessary according to s 4 of the
Colonial Law and 5 IL last sentence of the
Rules of Business,-that the Provisional Law
be subject to 3 discussions, for the purpose of
obtaining the Councils report Oh It, and should
the Council recommend, that the enactments
be issued in the form of an ordinance, he would
bring in such an ordinance, which, if adopted,
will be referred for royal sanction after having
been adopted in three discussions.
The Chairman stated, that he considered the
proceeding proposed by the Committee, to pass
an Ordinance instead of the Provisional Law
referred for the Committees report, would be
contrary not only to the Rules of Business, but
to all kind of public business. The case had
been laid before and been rejected by the
Council, whereby the Governor had been
compelled to introduce the same provisions in
the form of a Provisional Law but again to
allow it to fall back upon the Ordinance