, 1872-05-01


sion quashedby the "masterly inactivity" ofthose
in high places, against which no amount of acti-
witty or energy on the part of the public has
hitherto been able to prevail.
AS the history of this case is one which will
be very instructive to your readers-especially
to those in the Mother Country-as illustrating
the manner in which our grievances have
been wont to be dealt with hitherto-I would
ask your permission TO give a brief outline of it
in your columns.
These grave fees are of two kinds L. A pre-
liminary fee to the Warden of the Lutheran
Church for q permit TO open q grave, ranging
from 81 downwards, according to the arbitrary
classification Of the deceased as to station,
means, &c, and ii. Fees to the Lutheran
Grave digger for opening such graves-aGd for
other services, whether rendered or not, as fol-
lows-N copy literally from the Ordinance.) a.
For n grave-from Sc, 40 down to SO, 20. b.
For invitations-When no notice is given to is
sue one 81. When requested to invite So. @.
For personal attendance at funeral if requested
from 81 to 50.
Now we contend that these fees are, in them
selves, unjust and exhorbitant in the extreme
but when We consider that they are levied on
Congregations to whom the grave ards belong,
and that Members of those Congregations are
compelled to obtain permission from the Luther
an Warden to open graves in their own places
Of interment, surely insult is added to injury to
an extent that is simply unbearable. This has
been for a long time keeGly felt, and, in conse-
quence of the repeated and earnest protests Of
the Officials of the Esiscopal Church in this Town
against this state of things, the Government, so
far back as in 1852, felt constrained 10 90 the
lenght Of appointing a Commission to %investi-
gate and report upon this matter. The position
o,rool - H., [Nbu.I n m IL - - II =
that as the Ordinance under which these fees
were exacted appertained expressly aud exclu-
sively to public cemeteries, purchased and kept
in order at the public exp ense, it could have no
application whatever to prtUate burial grounds
such as those in question, which are the bona
fde property of the Episcopal Church. The
and IN their 1letteeir' Of INSTRUCTIONS to the Com
mission referred to, used such language as this
1.-The latter regulations" Chose namely under
which these fees are exacted) (which, as Just OBJ
served, have been framed for general or public
grave-yards, have been applied in Frederiksted,
not only to the so-called Danish Church yard,
but also to the so-called English and Catholic
church yards situated around or near by the re-
6pootiv6 churches. How far this application of
such Regulations be correct the Government
now considers doubtful. In Christiansted,
where properly speaking there's only one church
yard, and where the ground is supposed to have
been the property of the King, or of the Land
Treasury, it is natural that there has been allot-
ted to the Danish Church, and to the Land
Treasury certain revenues from graves and
burial places ; and that the Clerk of the Danish
Church is the only priviledged Grave digger.
But inasmuch as the English and Catholic grave
yards in FIederiksted may be the property of
the respective Congregations, it does not seem
to be consistent that revenues on the opening of
graves therein should accrue to the Danish
Church, or that the Danish Clerk should derive
income therefrom as Grave-digger." This GER
tainly is very plain language, and by it the JUS
tice and legality of these exactions were made to
turn solely on the question of the ovmersAip of
these g~rave-yards on which important point
the Commission was instructed to take evidence,
and decide. This they did, and after careful
investigation their unanimous decision was as
follows AS to the Church-yards situated by
the Episcopal Church it has been sufficiently
proved by deeds of conveyance and title that
said Church-yards are the legal property of the
Episcopal Chuch or Congregation"
From such premises as these it would be sup
posed by every reasonable being that the Com
mission could come to but one conclusion, name
ly, that these grave-yards were not liable to
these fees. But such an unwelcome though