, 1867-12-06

for, change in the Government OF these
Islands. Let US then, at the risk of being
considered crude in our judgment, or IL
mited in our vision, say, with candour and
frankness, that we heartily and unhes!-
tatingly hail with joy and hope that which
now presents itself to US. At same time
we readily and sincerely testify to the
equity and liberality of Danish Law anu
Danish Rule, as having been Wlse' hu-
name and just. Yet none on the olher
hand, as is known, either in print or legis-
lative council, more openly avoWed their
conviction, hat this Island, (St. Thomas)
with its wealth, enterprise, commerce
and mixed population, was insufflclently
understood, both at the Colonial and Me-
tropolitan seats of Government, and as a
consequence, our interests were contlnu-
ally suffering from a slowness or hardness
occasioned by a system that had become
hampered with too much routine. But
let us not overlook our subject by descend
ing too far in local affairs. AS is every
where known, the States and the Terri
tories of the United States, enjoy in the
highest degree, all municipal freedom and
self government ; it will then be our own
fault, if we remain satisfied with less
And setting aside for the moment tunda-
mental questions, we would ask, suppos-
ing we had been under an American Mu-
nicipal law, could we have failed TO brush
out, as by a magic wand, without years
of f~ruitless discussion, our passport sy-
stem, the quarter per cent tax, the legal
rate of interest, the local post Office in lis
present shape, and innumerable other
things hat have clogged our path, a.e,
two years devising the best plan TO repair
and plank over the water courses in the
cocoanut square. Would any one have
dared to disregard our quarantine laws /?
But the principal point OF our subject is,
the anxiety which our Mercantile Body
manifests, that with Il change of govern
ment there may be a change in our con
mercial laws, or that a high import duty
NAV be substituted for our present low
one and as our existence depends upon
our ability to import European manutac-
turcd goods at a low rate in order 10 sup
ply the neighbouring markets, where the
duties arc high, any change in that way,
would tend immediately to lmpoverlsh
the Island. 1t appears TO US that the
anxiety is both groundlesS and without
cause. Let us eadeaVour to anallse the
point. What occasions high duties in
any country None other than to sustain
the government, and what sort of govern
ment will we have to sustain certainly
nothing more than a very simply devised
municipal one, which as a consequence
must be inexpensive and therefore can
call for no heavy imposts. Again, no one
will charge the American people with a
want of quicksightedness, and their ready
common sense will tell them, that when
high imposts are to be imposed, there,
must be resources ample and sureto meet
them. Then as we are neither agricul-
tural nor manufacturing, out of what are
we TO pay high imposts? And it can never
enter into the minds Of q liberal and pro-
gressive people to convert US, by their
w solicitations, into a community of
sans culotteS. So far as relates to the har-
bour dues, they are quite as high as they
can we'll be, and are not likely to be in
creased in any way. But TO resume the
question Of low import duties, we know
that the commercial community would
be satisfied with the change, provided
some pledge, promise or condition could