Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-28
sI93,2O

SAVpr-NV
The estimates FOR revenue and expenditure for
the year next after the one as given above, are
trife lower. The mean expenditure for the two
years would be about sl9l 900, and if allowance
be made for the expense incurred by the estates
to keep the country roads in repair, according to
the regulations stated in former article, (Which
expense is not spoken of in the Budget, it is safe
to say that the annual amount Of tax, in all
forms, paid under governments orders, must con-
siderably overrun 500, 900.
For an area As small as that Of St. Croir. and
one with no greater resources, taken as a whole
than what pertain to the population there, the
annual tax is certainly very large one The
taxpayers generally, and with reason, consider
the burden to be heavy one. They believe. too.
that the Government might be As well admins
tered, public order as well preserved, and the
general welfare as well promoted, at much re-
duced expense, if the controlling power would
only please to have it so. The salaries of the
chief officials are very large according to the
notions which prevail in this State, on such mat
tiers, The Governor is paid $4,000 year
and he has two Secretaries whose joint salaries
amount to 1920 other clerks employed
in the Governments Secretary's Office nearly
$4,000 more. About one-third Of the above
named expenses are paid by the Colonial Treasu-
ry at St. Thomas but the expense for other Of
fcials, pertaining to the chief offices in St Croix,
amounts to quite as much as the sum paid at
St. Thomas, if not more. The Judges and Su-
perintendents Of the Custom House Department.,
have salaries each from $4,000 to S2,6OO. be-
sides other allowances; and there are many sub
ordinate officials at lower salaries and the an
nual expense for the military is Tot far from
S55,OOO. The pay Of the officers and soldiers
is very small but it is difficult for stranger to
see any thing done in the military way which
calls for an expenditure equal to one-fourth OF
what is assigned to that department There are
two little forts either of which could be knocked
into heap of ruins in one hour by single ten
gun United States war ship of the present time,
to be kept in order. few privates are en-
ployed about the Custom Houses, and to carry
the mail between the two towns A small amount
of guard and police duty also devolves on the
soldiers. Whatever danger to the peace of the
community there might have been in slavery
times, to call for the presence of military force,
there can be little or no need Of the sort now
There is no fsar Of insurrection, because there
Is nothing to get up an insurrection for Besides,
the laboring population, as judge said to me,
"are as quiet and peaceable people as there is
in the world. Petty offences against property
are frequent, but great crimes are unknown
among them. All they want is simple justice "
He said but one instance Of capital punishment
had occurred in twenty years, and that was one
where the provocstion for the murder wss very
great so great that many in almost every civil
lied society would justify it.
presume the military establishment was or
ganized long time ago when the need Of il was
comparatively great, and by the force Of a
bureaucratic system in Denmark it is continued
to this day, though the necessity for it passed
away In great measure years ago. As an in
stance of the aversion to change, expressed
one day to aprincipal military officer my sur
prise at seeing the soldiers wearing a uniform
which seemed to me about as i'll adapted to
their comfort, for the climate, as could well be
invented. "a Oh, said he, the Inconvenience Of
it has been represented to the Home Government
, ever so many times but from the influence Of
civilians or others who have control there ii has
, been impossible to effect any alteration - ~
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