, 1873-04-26

ENOA4C 1AOt QOlIOub ohANGA oAAGuSCLnCntS
especially hospitals, supply of water, the Poor
department, the Brand-department, the Har
bour-department, and public Buildings,-that if
the Island before the expiration of the 5 years
should even have considerable surplus in its re-
venue, it could not rightly be said that the Is
land possessed the means of paying a contribu-
ton. And the surplus which the calculations
in 1862 showed for st. Thomas in the past
years was no doubt owing TO the public wants
OF the Island in the aforementioned respects
having been neglected. The Committee there
fore thinks that the limits fixed for the exemp-
tion to pay the said contribution, if to be taken
in full earnest, would to a material extent
check the progress of the Islrnd and, as an
obligation for the St Thomas Colonial Treasu-
rp could not we'll exist alongside of a final ex-
emption for St. Croiz, we would beg leave to
propose
No. 93 THAT, the Council will recommend
that the enactment in S 50 concerning c0ntribu.
ton to the general State Expenses be omitted.
ad 81
The Committee finds no reason why the rule
contained in the present Colonial Law, that the
yearly Budgets shall be promulgated and also
laid on the table of the Diet, should be omitted;
it is therefore proposed;
No. "a. THAT there be odIed a new sec
ton at the close of the 5, as follows
"Ihey shall be promulgated and be laid on
the table Of the Dietin its approximate session"
ad ) SO
1t will no doubt be considered right that in
such cases where circumstances render neces-
sary a measure concerning the economical
0tflirs OF the municipality, or any disbursement
from the Colonial Treasury, to which the
Colonial Councils sanction has not been previ-
ously obtained, or which is not warranted in
some other manuer,-tho matter should, as far
as St. Oroix is coucorneI, be first brought under
consideration in the Standing Committee treat
ed OF in SO 5 BAL unless the circumstances,
be Of 50 very extraordinary a nature, as to pre-
clule even that and we would therefore pro-
pose
No. 25. THAT the last clause of this
section be framed as follows
Ia this lastmentioned case, the matter
must be laid before the Colonial Council at its
first meeting, in order to obtain the necessary
extra grant. IL ST. Croix the matter shall
also, previous to effe3tiug the measure in ques-
ton, b. brought under the consideration of The
Municipal Board, whenever possible"
ad s IS.
The Committee has 10 admit that a provision
ike the one in this is ne ,essary, if ia re is to
be any guarantee for the uul.sturbed dis:harg8
f. Of the Administration; an! we shall not en-
deavour to renew the lengthy discussions which
in 1862 took place relative to this point aud
which then a,S) terminated in a perfect acka9w-
ledssmeut Of the necessity OF such a provi ion,
and lho G2ud 5 Of the present Colonial Law
therefore adopted unanimously.
AS far as we know, 5 81 has not ia the past
years been applied in either of the two NUM-
c~ipalities; and this proposed paragraph will
likely also remain as a recouse which I'll par
ties arc equally interested to avoid bringing in
to application aud the somewhat coercive
form which 5 g OF the Law Of 1868 has, is
avoid d in the Draft.
ad S &c.
The Committee cannot otherwise than look
upon the enactmeuts concerning tn adminjstra-
tive revision and decision of the Colonial A3-
counts as being tran,itory rules necessary in
1868, but nc longer SO now, 50 much the less
as 1t is intended that those enactments may be
altered by Osdinance; and the Committee
therefore recommends
no. 80. THATS 81 be struck out.
al 5 &c.
A Majority Of ne Comnittteo (Clindiaen,
Coulter, JoIiIfe and Rosanstaad), is Of the
opinion that the provision in 5 sc, that tho
Evongalical-lutherl church sbs.i be supported
from Tue public funds, should be omitted in tue
Colonial Law. As the lutheran congregations
in st. Croix only number Que eight Of the
population according to the census Of 1860
there were $500 Lutberans, $500 Episcopaliaus,
$500 M0raviaus. 65l0 Catholics. it is not 10 be