, 1872-11-23

udU, Oh Ills dIIlfdI Ill IIC lSldIluSs DClOfC
him a task which the st. Croix Avis istelf
calls Herculean'. Reforms were to be
effected in all branches, and a year is no
long time, particularly when the relations
10 be reformed have first to be studied.
Governor Billie nevertheless began the
work in earnest, and although he himself
did not succeed in accomplishing much of
what was to be accomplished in the near
est future, he has still left preparatory
works of temperance on which his SUCCESS
or nav further build. A Draft of a new
Colonial Law is now before the Councils,
the Labour Question has BEEN discussed in
a commission, who have submitted their
Report, and OH the reorganization of the
Schools the Sch0oi-commissions have been
heard, and their reports are under consider
alton. At the saint time several measures
have been accomplished towards the i'm
y oycncn' Of he INTERPRETATIONS Of St.
Thomas. The appointment Of a Civil Iu-
cineer at that place has alrca " proved OF
practical utility to the community; the
appointlncnt Of a SchooI-Inspcctor has
been agreed on in st. CrolX-a measure
which seems to meet with general APPROX
al-and finally a new military organisation
has been adopted which introduces savings
on different hcads.-But here we come to
one of those points on which the criticism
of Governor BiIle's administration is not
favourable. Already when the new mill
tary Bill was before the Councils, strong
voices rose against it it was objected that
it did not 60 far cnouah in rctlenchmentS
l o(4o, ,4, .,lontior tb0on ubI6nC have
grown more and more forcible, especially
in st. CroiX The conviction seems more
and more to gain ground there that a mill
tarv force in the island is quite a superflu-
Gus luxury In st, Thomas the military
seems to be a necessity, because the island
is 50 lrcquentcd a commercial seat, a place
Of lcndczvous for the vessels OF so many
different nations, where dlstui Dances OF
one sort or another may easily ncccSsItate
the cooperation Of the armed force Tor
their suppression. But the same necessity
does not exist in St. CrolX to defend the
island against an eventual attack with the
handful of soldiers garris0ned there, IS, OF
course, out of question, and to maintain
order internally among the rural labourers,
a strong Police-force, possibly supported
by a volunteer Militia, would seem to be
sufficient In St CroiX, therefore, the p9o-
ple regret that Governor BilIe's proposal
was adopted, and they promise themselves
to avail The first given opportunity to get
it altered, so that on this point considerable
reductions be made in the costly aiminis-
tration. Reductions are there, the same as
here, the order of the day, and Governor
Bile is chiefly blamed for not having,
during the time OF his administration, had
his eyes sufficiently open to the nee IS ty
of Introducing such, or for not having had
sufficient energy to break through that
passive resistance which was made by
those from whom he was obliged to seek
advise, but who were themselves interested
parties in the questions at issue.
awe are governed to DEATH" is an Ole
complaint which on this occasion again
reaches us from our Westindia Islands and
a glance into the Ofice-Almanack in the
State-Calendcr seems to prove that this
complaint is not devoid OF all foundation.
On these little spots OF land, with less than
81 1000 inhabitants, there is, to begin, d
Governor and a Vicc5overnor, each with
his Bureau and appolded Staff Of offc ais,
and both, according to the last resolution
not only literally salaried, but also furnish
ed with allowances for representation.