, 1874-12-12

paying the fees to the Sexton IN his capacity
Of Gravedigger, but also exemption from the
fee to the Lutheran Church. The Commission
further stated, that the use of such property
must from its nature be subject to special
control on the part of the Public, in order to
avoid the dangers that might arise to the whole
community from the unlicensed and uncontrol-
led use of the Graveyard. The Commission
therefore unanimously recommended that one
Grave. Digger be appointed by the Govern
ment, who then could discharge the duties
of Gravedigger for all the Church Yards, and
collect the fees stipulated by the tariff, which
should be revised. Messrs Sarauw & Heilbuth
considered it a direct consequence of the right
of property to those GraveyardS, which
the respective Congregations held, that there
could not be exacted any fee either to the
Danish Lutheran Church or to the Public
Treasury for the opening of graves or for
monuments erected in the Graveyards. The
Majority of the Commission, viz: the then
Lutheran Clergyman and the CA%urohwardens,
were, however, Of a different opinion in re.
gard to the fr>tnamed point; they held, nam,-
ly, that the foreign denominations could not
with Justice complain of the fees collected
by the Lutheran Church, since on every private
property tax is due to the Public.
The Commission at the same time directed
Cove nm -nt's attention to an important oircum-
stance in mn ctitn with tLis NJ tier, namely
that the Episcopal and Roman Ca holic Grave
Yards were being o~verflled with graves that,
NOR, over, the Episcopal Gave Yard is
situated in q spot very injurious to
the sanitary state of the town and
it pointed out the necessity in conse-
quence thereof of providing a new Grave
Yard, which ought in preference to be one for
general use by all denominations. If such a
Grave Yard be provided, there could be no OBJ
lection against collecting a fee in favour of the
Public on all graves, and the appointment of
one Gravedigger would also be in consistence
with the existing Regulations.
Subsequently several memorials were ten
dercd by the Episcopal and Roman Catholic
Clergymen at Frederiksted soliciting that their
respective Congregations be rid Of the fees ex.
acted Of them to the Lutheran Church and
Grave-digger.
In consequence Of similar application to
the Colonial Council in October 1867 from the
Episcopal Clergyman, Revd. Du Bots, the
Council appointed a Committee consisting of
Revd. Willemoes. Councillor Sarauw and Civil
Engineer Mac William to report on the mat
ter.
L nat COMMITTEE IeleII6u III bOCO W tue 10
port from the Commission of 1852, and argued
that the Episcopal Church must be considered
as having full title of possession to the Grave
Yard attached to it, wherefore it is a matter of
course that it cannot be charged with any
payment whatever to the Lutheran Church or
to the Colonial Treasury for opening graves F.;
and the Committee recommended The same rule
for the Roman Catholic Church, although this
question had not been raised. The Committee
further recommended that a new burial ground
for all congregations be laid out as soon as pos
sible, being urgently necessary, and that fees
should then be paid by all congregations to the
Colonial T leasury, also by the Lutherans. Bat,
in view of the very lOEg time in which such
fees have accrued to the Lutheran Church, the
Committee proposed that there be allowed q
suitable indemnity, calculated according to the
average income of the last 5 years, or $50.58
p. a.;-also, that the fees to the Lutheran
Gravedigger should be reduced for both towns,
and a new tariff of rates issued, in which case
the officials in service should be given a suita-
Bile indemnity, calculated according to the aver
age sum of the last 5 years income, which
would be S83 so for the Gravedigger at Chris
tiansted and $3.50 for the Gravedigger az
Frederiksted.
The Colonial Council in meeting OF 10th
November 1868 resolved to refer the matter
to the Government with the request to bring
about a settlement on the basis of that re
port.