, 1874-11-25

place. It was also proposed by the Commits,
sion to alter the pay of the Governor, to reduce
the number of Government Secretaries from 9
to l, and the number of Clerks in the Secreta.
RVS Office from 8 to 2 it will be remem.
bered that this has also been effected. as there
is now but one Secretary and 2 Clerks. The
Commission proposed to unite the Offices of
Treasurer and Bookkeeper into one: this has
not been carried out, and he did not believe it
was possible to afford any saving and at the
sametime obtain a guarantee that the accounts
will be kept the same as now to this question
he would, however, return later.-The Com.
mission proposed to withdraw the Policemaster
Office at KiDgshill it will be remembered
that after the majority of opinions stated on
this matter, it was found inadYisable to do that.
II was also proposed to reduce the number of
Courts but to this point he could also return
later.-It was furthermore proposed by the
said Commission to reduce the Military Force {.
the number then in service he did not exactly
remGm0er, but be believed it was 900 men in
afti the Commission proposed that the forco
should consist Of 200 men sit will h4 ranam
bered that by the Ordinance of 1872 the fnrca
on the island has been reduced 10 135 nan so
that the Government has even. in this resnect,
Goae further than the proposaL.-Tbeo came,
in the Commissions report, savar.I minor
p.i2ts, such as an alteration in he Ro,dinsnoa.
tors and Public Surveyors situation in "a.
ger 10 tAl.I2'terI was proposed that he should
pc laId ny Tees lls.ead Of fixed salary, which
II really |oaiJ rot involve much difference.
a9 II can not be any gain Whether the inhabi.
ta0tS mould pay the said official direct by fees,
or mos fees be paid through The Colonial Urea.
Sufy. hiSthen could only bea matterofrrinci
pie and not OF saving After Governor Bircb's
retGr1 no Discussion had, within his knowledge,
taken place on the public administrative bran.
cAe9' only remarks occasionally have been
made, but never in such a form that the Gov
'rn Ee1. coulI have 4 c!gtain guide or obtain
any information as to what were the opinions
on sucl matters. 1t was therefore only when
the Budget for lS73-74 was laid before the
Council and as usual, the Presidency forward
Ell a copy OF the Dfat to the Government, that
ne D came aNa'e O. tn r-ma"k contained t eve.
in whore mention is made of the Government
having intended to forward proposals or to
submit Drafts to the Colonial Council partly in
order to reorganize the Administration, partly
to retrench the expenses and remodel The tax.
e3, lie wrote to the Presidency in a letter of
"a May 1878 that he could not take upon him.
SOiA "UNu Pi1Hlo0S, anu iIdG IL must be by
a mistake that such promises had passed
over from former Budgets into the present
che, and h9 directed the Presidency when
opportunity offered to communicate to the
Council that he for bis part was unable to
lay before the Council any proposal which
tended to remodel the Administration and
%retrench the pnblio expenditure in such
broad terms as had been supposed up to that
moment. He also requested the Presidency to
furnish the Government with the necessary
calculations on the points, and t. make sucb
proposals as the Presidency might think sulta-
bic to submit. The result was that in the
Course of the year the Presidency submitted to
the Government Draft of Ordinance concern
ing an alteration in the present taxation, and a
proposal containing those points where the Pres
idency considered retrenchments feasible. AZ
regards the Draft OF taxation, it was base on
the view, which he certainly approved of, tha5
th t'xa'ioa should nJt in its present amount b,
reduced. As long as the Colonial Treasury
is eacumbered with debts that must be paid,
it i the duty of tA4 A ADMINISTRATION and tn,
1Uncil not t. raluaa tbs revenue. The
Draft, however, intends TO relinQuisb certain
small items of taxa i0l. aad to unite several
OF the now existing taxes into one Gr0und-Tax,
As lar a tle town p -O?er:i's are concerned it
was based o. III re-tA OF building iltlat way
a sitnpliication of taxation could b3 obtained,
lie agreed in this Draft and would have been
willing to forward it. From the discussions
IN the early part of this meeting it will. how.