, 1872-07-10
WEDNESDAY 10TH JULY 1872.

From what we have briefly set forth in
preceding issues, as we'll as from Governor
Bille's own farewell speech to the Council,
and the Chairman's reply thereto, it may
easily be gathered that the island OF st.
Croix has no particular reason for being
satisfied with what has been done under
the administration of Governor Billie, and
that we are, after all, not much further ad-
vanced in the line of reforms. At whose
door lies the fault? 1t would certainly be
in the highest degree unfair and unj ust to
throw all the blame on him. We are, as
we have often stated, quite sensible Of the
many difficulties he had to encounter we
also comprehend fully that these have been
considerably increased by the transfer OF
the seat of GOVernment:-ThGreby we were
almost entirely deprived of Governor BlIle's
personal presence among US thereby the
conduct OF the Government was in a great
measure left to the old coun3eIors, who
were too much grown together with the
old system thereby, together with the
multiplicity of his duties and the magnitude
Of his task, he was deprived of the oppor-
tunity of making himself fully acquainted
with all the grievances OF our little c0mmu-
nifty, and with the general public. He could
not, as would have been so highly desirable,
see with his own eyes, and hear with his
own ears but has in a great measure been
confined TO One-sided representations and
One-sided counsels. 1t cannot be denied
that our people were entitled to expect
that Governor Billie would have spent more
of his time on this island, where, undOubt-
eddy, the harder problems present them
selves for solution, We abstain from enter
ing into an examination of the different
reasons which may have contributed to de-
prive us Of his more frequent visits. Qt
will be remembered that Governor Billie
has not visited us since he, one OF the first
DAYS of March, submitted the Budget and
Administrative sc Ordinance, until his farewell
visit, a few days ago We have heard
mention the want Of steam communication
as one of the causes, but that is hardly
admissible as one. 1t has also been said
that he was not pleased with our tendencies,
as manifested in the Council and III the
Press, but neither that can we admit as a
good reason. Did those tendencies really
stand in opposition to Governor Billie? We
think not. Where has this great opposition
on the part of the Council shown itself
1t has been exclusively directed against
halfmeasures GnS chool-matters) and against
the old diffuse and costly circumlocutlon
administration, and certain unnecessarily
high salaries; it has manifested itself where
too great influence was perceived OF Coun-
sellers whose interests were too much ldentl-
fed with the present state to be willing to
spontaneously admit the necessity of any
change; butinthat resistance the Council has
most decidedly and unequivocly publlcopin-
ion on it's side. The contrast ofthe apparent
righteousness of the Council of St. Thomas
has often been brought forward, but it is
here necessary always to bear in mine the
radical difference in the resources and posi-
ton of the two islands. The former is an
important commercial port The people
there have got their wish fulfilled, have got
the seat of Government transferred to that
island. No wonder that they, in the first
raptus of JOY, seeing the advantages which