, 1874-06-17

OF THE
COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR ST. CROIX.

(CohtinuatloN OF the Meeting of LIST June I874)
ERRATUM.-Agis No. AZ, Sd page, LIST column.
The amendment to the Money Bill Letr d for
Uncertain Expenses was wrongly entered it
should read as follows:
2nd Member for Christian8ted's Country Dis
trict (Rosenstandl Item 3: Uncertain Elk.
PenSes vn3Iuding an amount of $4,000 for pre-
paratory arrangements concerning the estab-
lishment Of Central Sugar Factories and a Gre
dit Association, an an amount not
exceeding $500 for planting
and preserving Trees in ST..
CToIX) ......-- ...,......, IS 500,
The President thanked the honorable mover
for the interest eyinced by the amendment for
a matter which must be considered as of great
Importance, and at the same time giving him
self an opportunity of making some remarks
concerning his V action in the matter. He
himself was personally perfectly convinced of
the beneficial effects Of trees, not, it is true,
QS far as regards the attraction Of rain, but
with regard to the RET aiming of what ever mois-
ture exists in the ground. There had been some
time ago entertained adesire, thatsomething here
should be done by Government for the establish
ment and protection Of trees. He, the Presi-
dent had been aware of the difficulty of obtain
ing any effective results in that Way, as, if
Government was TO take the matter in hand,
something more would be required than we'll
meant recommendations and even encourage
ments in the desired direction. There must be
strong compulsory and prohibitory laws, but to
give such laws, which to some extent would
interfere with the rights of private property,
was an undertaking of q questionable char
aCter, We had seen it stated in the newspaper
Of the island, at the time when the matter
excited considerable attention, that even in
countries with strong Governments, experience
had proved the great difficulty of protecting
the existing forests by legislative measures as
long as they were private property, and that it
had been recommended as the only practically
effective means OF preserving those forests, to
make them public property by purchase. In
Denmark 1t is true, there are laws, by which
also the treatment of private forest lands are
subject to regulations and public control, to
prevent their destruction. But here we have
not even private forests, but the question is of
prescribing what they are to do with what
grows on their lands Of common description.
lie had however considered it just possible,
that on an examination by practical men
something might be found of a nature to pro-
mote the object in view, provided it met with
q ready cooperation on the part of the landed
prOpriet0rs, by which he meant, not mere general
declarations of approval, but a willingness to
submit to some sacrifice Of material interest.
With this view a Commission of 7 members
was formed and sketch of an Ordinance COM
munioated to them, the prominent parts of
which were, that the trees still existing along
the public roads should be preserved, and that
the Administrator should have the right to
plant trees along the road, where they no
longer existed, for which purpose a breadth Of
ten feet on each side of the road was to be
exempted from cultivation. Land planted with
trees under certain conditions should be free
from taxation for a period of IS years; des-
%truction of trees should be prohibited under
certain penalties, and a Commission be perma-