, 1868-05-12

more authority to act be intrusted to officials
and commissions, when every trihe was not to
be referred for the decision of the Government.
AS regards the Hospital Commission he had
especially in view a case that happened some
time ago, when the Yellow-Fever broke out
among the garrison in Frederiksted, which
having carried off 5 of the men, seemed to
abate, but again after a few days appeared
in a meeting convened the Observation-Disclosures
gave his opinion on the seeming bad nature of
the disease, which brought on death quickly
at the meeting the physician as we'll as the
Commander of the fort insisted on the immedi-
ate removal of the patients not seriously attack
ed to another place, there existing a general
dread among the soldiers of the hospital. they
considering 1t infected. On a unanimous de-
ciSion of the Commission, those patients that
were able were removed to the schoOlhOuSe be-
longing to the episcopal church, that was kind
ly placed at the disposal of the Commission,
and it was the Speakers conviction, that this
measure had a beneficial effect. The matter
was Immediately reported to the Governor,
who in a subsequent letter called the attention
of the Commission, that it was not authorised
to take suoh steps without the sanction of the
Government, and that the question Of a hoSpi-
tai being infected, ought not to be decided by
the opinion of a single physician, when there
were, as is the case here, more physicians
whose opinion could be had in other words
the Government has bound the hands of the
Commission in acting in like matters in future,
and that in a case, where it was urgent imme-
diately on its appearance to check the intec-
tiOus disease lat a small %eXpense).
Another instance to prove how uncomforta-
bly, the members of the commission are often
placed with such a narrowly circumScribed
authority, he stated, that the appointed and
.-.:.. :,l-.,., ,.;,z lo.. 4ol,o III Inv,
ing the same epidemy, the Commission decided
to engage a private well-known sick-nurse until
further, partly because there was no practised
sick-nurse in the detachment at FrederikSted,
partly in order not to expose the other soldiers
more than necessary in a subsequent letter
this measure was also considered as not war
ranted, as the arrival of a sick-nurSe from an
other detachment ought to have been awaited.
The Speaker did not doubt the sufficient war
rant on the part of the Government to issue the
orders in these cases, but he was of the opinion,
that it was not in the interest of the public,
that cases of that nature should be detained
and depend often upon perhaps antiquated and
trivial forms he thought, that a hOSpital-cOm-
mission consisting of 3 respectable officials of
the town and a member Of the Colonial Council
some sphere Of activity might be entrusted to
them.
Respecting the quarantine commission h6
would beg leave to ask His Excellency, if it
were not possible, after so many years expe-
rience, to add such regulations to those already
in force, whereby it could be left to the Com
mission to act in such urgent cases, where it
was considered proper it must certainly be
acknowledged, that quarantine-q estions in a
great measure are those of Judgment. in as
much as he moreover considered the response
bility so great, that the Government would
scarcely risk anything by allowing the Com
mission a less circumscribed authority; he
could not see otherwise than that the Commits
sion, consisting of 4 officials and a member of
the Colonial Council, were only used to inquire
into and report matters that it had not the
least authority to act, but surely not void of
any, perhaps a very great responsibility, should
any disaster occur. The Speaker would espe-
cially point out, that observation-disclosures in Frede-
riksted complain that vessels, passengers and
goods are detained longer than in Christiansted,
and that in cases where, after further delibera
ton, no quarantine is put on, because the Com
mission could decide on NOTHING, but had first to