, 1869-09-17
The proposal runs thus :

~Ao O1o ~
seriously felt, and more keenly felt during
the latter time by a large portion of the COM
munlty, the undersigned begS leave to request
the honorable Council to take into consider
alton, in what manner this want can be re-
NEEDED, and, if requisite, to appoint a COM
mission consisting of practical men cOnversant
with the subject, in as we'll as out of the
Council, for the purpose of reporting on the
matter"
The propounder stated, that the Council no
doubt was aware Of the great want of water SO
often felt in the towns in continued drOughts,
and the pernicious results from it as regards the
sanitary state. People were of the opinion, that
there could and ought to be effected measures
on the part of the public to remedy this want,
if this should be attained by building several
~ciSterns, by aqueducts from the hills, by
artificial wells or the like, in this point
opinions varied but he thought, that people
were entitled to expect that the Council should
have so important a matter looked into. The
Speaker could not undertake to offer any distinct
plan, but was aware that the Council numbered
efficient and practical members. who certainly
with much pleasure would take upon themselves
the charge of the matter, if made over to them.
de was therefore DESTROYS to learn the views OF
the Council by a preliminary discussion of the
case, and, iffav0rable, to request the Council to
appoint a committee charged with investigating:
in what manner q large supply of water could
be conducted into the towns in the most eXpedi-
ent and economical manner, and forward a plan
to the Council. He had been asked, whence
the means should m He was we'll aware,
that the present state of things does not admit
of great undertakings, but was however Of the
opinion, that we ought not to be deferred by
the expenses; besides he had considered, that
there might possibly for this purpose be found
q good and useful application of a small part of
the $4,000 granted by the mother country.
The 4th member for Christiansted's country
district (Farrelly) observed, that the poor state
of the Island did not warrant the proposal for
building public "cisterns had this come forward
some years ago when the sugar cultivation was
more favorable, the matter might perhaps have
been entertained, but under the present circum-
stances there could, in his opinion, not be any
question about it, as it would be the estates
that would have to bear the burden. Some
months ago a cistern was built at the Catholic
church, Christiansted, at a cost of $3.50, but
which was almost exclusively borne by the
country people, while the towns people drew
the whole benefit of it.
The 1st member for Frederiksted's country
district (Knight) asked, where the money was
to come from, and considered it unreasonable to
propose such a measure in the present times
but Independent of this. he thought, that a cal
~culation of the quantity Of water required for a
population would soon prove, that the idea of
procuring the quantity from cisterns could never
be obtained. Referring to an English treatise
he showed, that experience had proved, that the
consumption of water in the towns in England
is calculated at 20 gallons daily pr. individual,
and supposing the area of all the roofs in the
towns to contain 60 square feet for each indi-
vidual, there would be required an annual fall
of lao inches of water to obtain the quantity