, 1868-12-01

tohOo VI hhNoO
houses in town occupied by those parties must
certainly be reckoned to the toWn-taXes. And
it is incorrect to estimate the custom dues on
articles for household consumption by estates
owners and their families (fUr instance wines
and other articles of luxury, clothes &c.)
among the burtnens on the estates or on the
estates owners as such. When the propOSer
then carries out the ship-dues, pilotage, cram
age and wharfage, stamppaper-dues, court
fees etc. under the head of taxes on the estates
owners as such, a parallel to such a proceeding
could scarcely ever have existed. A husband
man elsewhere would never think of calculating
the ship-dues or ~pilota2e on vessels exporting
his corn out of the country, or importing the
lumber, iron or tar etc. ased by him in his
huSbandrv, among the burthens which he in
his calling has to bear. 1t seems to have been
the object and intent Of the propoSer to draw
up an estimate Of the amudnt Of all the taxes
and dues in the Island, which estates owners,
including tn sc abroad, pay not only for their
estates and The Weddings thereof, but for every
other sort of industry carried ON by them here,
and for every other business transaction OF
theirs, and ON all goods and articles consumed
by themselves and their families personally,
etc, etc. but to find that out with amy sort
of correctness. is certainly an lmpoSSlblllty, and
could nor appear to be Of any real interest.
What is at present required for improving me
position in which sugar cultivation here now
stands, is in his opinion, Partly a reduction OF
those expenses which the produce OF the estates
has to bear after having the Island, particular
ly the freight and import-duty in Denmark, amos
partly a reduction in the very heavy admins
tralion expenses here. 1t is only the larger
estates in the Island, that can drfray the sala-
-, . -., 80, +lAy ava rAXr II VnIl ami n
other estates must necessarily go over in the
hands of men who are able to conduct the
management personally and even with regard
to those larger properties, leasing them ont
would in his opinion be more advantageous
than the present system of administration. For
the rest it will always be his chief aim to aid
in the reduction of taxes, whenever possible,
and within such limits as are advisable; but
he must repeat that he considers it impossible
that the present proposal can be furthered,
No other members requiring the word, the
Chairman put to the vote, if the draft should
be referred for the 2nd discussion, which was
npgatived by S votes (including the Chair
man'S) against 7. The LIST member for Chris
tiansted's country district christmas did not
vote.
The 1st member for ChriStianaied's country
district (Christmas) observed, that his reason
for not voting was, that he could not see how
the revenue from the duties on Cornmeal could
be dispensed with for covering the expenses of
the Island, while he did not wish to vote ex-
pressly against the draft.
2, The 2nd discussion of the Government draft
of an ordinance increasing the salaries fixed
by the ordinance of 18th May 1866 for 2
public physicians in St. Croix.
No amendment were enterered.
The 2nd member for Frederiksted's own
(Faber) stated that this matter had SO often
been laid before the Council partly in several
forms, and had been so extensively discussed,