, 1872-08-28

the scheme Of one Governor in Chief in st.
Thomas and a Director or Secretary in St.
Croix, would be proposed. We all know
how contrary to this wore the contents
of the Draft submitted aud now
carried in tie Council with a minority of
just 3 Members, who. fortunately enough,
have 1.-TWO at leaSt) recently expressed
themselves against the leading principles
therein. The whole Community had a
reasonable right to expect that the Admin
istration-question would, agreeabIy to the
Ministers express promise have been
brought before the Council in due form
and a free, unbiased vote taken on it. In
stead of that, the question has not only
been brought in, but the vote ofthe Coun-
Gil on the monetary part trammelled and
preJudlced.
Governor Bile has attempted to make
arguments against the arrangements con-
templated and f%Avoured by majority of the
inhabitants his arguments were hollow
and were therefore also refuted. Nothing,
however came under discussion in the
Council in that respect.
With regard to the question of table
money, there a good dea! of sound argu-
mant and reasonings have from time to
time oeon advanced against it. Only two
Members Of the Committee stated their
opinion that there could he good applica-
ton for a reasonable amount for table
money; but many voices were against it,
and among them some who now at the Bird
discussion have voted for it. In r~e-intro-
ducing the question on the 10th of August,
after it had been lost at the 2nd discussion
in the Council, His ExcelIency the acting
VicegoYernOr argued that it would under
all circumstances be requisite to have some
representation, and the expense thereof
should not be betrayed by the President
out OF his own pocket. But the President
is as such a mere communal official !; what
he would have to represent would be
the community; with the representation
of Royalty he has nothing to do; aud the
Community which he will be called on the
Representative is to say as a medium
between the people and the local Govern
meot,-has decidedly declared in uneqvi-
vocal terms that they don't want him to
represent them ut the dinner table, but at
the writing table for this purpose he is
allowed an ample salary of $4,000 p. a.
The community whom he is bound to re-
present has reason to be dissatisfied
with the way in which the President
has hitherto made use Of the allow
ance the object Of promoting s~ociality
and friendly intercourse" has remained un-
attained owing to the peculiar circum-
stances, and it is complained that the ap-
plication of the table money afforded
the President an opportunity to show his
personal displeasure or satisfactian with
respectable aGd honest Members of the
community every body whose name was
on the black board because he was sus-
pected of writing for the Newspaper, or of
holding other views than those of the
Presidential Officials in regard to table mo-
ney, or to the attributes of the Official
was excluded from the EIysian enjoyment
provided by the table money.-But leaving
all this, and numberless other considera-
tons, it appears to me that the Preside Mt
himself should refuse taking the amount
for his table money when he sees that a
large portion of the community, even those
who are first on the List to enter Elysium,+
do not wish him to have it,--gives il