, 1875-04-14

be completed in time. Another reason of that
delay is, that the reVen "a the Budget de-
pend to a yery great ex ri the returns Of
the crop in the month Oh 4ary some idea
may be obtained as to that if the tram-
ing of the Budget be commenced before, the
calculations will not be reliable, as IN the pre-
sent instance, where the estimated returns
will doubtlessly prove less, because OF the
unexpected change of he weather aud the crop.
He intended to have the Draft OF Budget win
Remarks printed in future, the Money Bills
might perhaps just as conveniently be Htho-
graphed.
4Nh Member for Frederiksted's Country Dis
tricL II. FurYeZy) agreed with His EHceIIency
that a good deal Of he contents OF the documents
offered now is useless. The statements Tor
3-5 years back are Of no service to us; we
want statements of the reality and OF what Is
present.
A. no one desired the word further, the lst
discussion on the Draft of Budget with Money
Bills was closed.
1T Member for Frederiksted Country Dis
trict (F2eming) proposed that the Draft and
Money Bills with exception Of the Honey BIZ
for Building Expenses be referred to a Com
mittee Of 5 Members.
end Member for Frederiksted's (Fa6er) could
not see the use Of a Commi tee. Already
last year, the appointment of a Committee
on the Budget met great objections ON The
part of several Members and it was adopted
by a very small majority. The whole result
of the Committees labOurs was a very short
report, the main contents Of which We're as
far as he remembered, 2 requests to the Gov
eminent to effect a general revision OF the
administrative branches and a reduction OF the
military force. Those two requests have been
answered by the Governm Mt the first one
very l~engthiIy by Governor Garde IN a meeting
of the Council and in the latter respect, the
Draft of a reduction is now in the hands OF q
Committee, and nothing can here be done
before the Committee renders It's re- ,ort.-Bat
besides that, one half Of the Councils Members
will retire in a fortnight, and we cannot tell
if the same Members will be returned by the
new elections; if not, we would have to elect
new Members for the Committee, winch could
scarcely be- recommendabie. Most ..emberS
have also been sitting in the Council several
years, and will have seen how tAe Budgets
have been sifted Of IaJe and it has been re-
peatedly admitted tba1 Whatever changes are
desired in the Admins ought rather
TO be brought in as Drafts Ordinance, ana
not under the Budget. II Committee be
appointed, it might perhaps propose a lew
trihing reductions here aud there, but no great
resllts will be obtained; while any alteration
desired in the Budget may b9 effected by
amendments from Individual Members, and IN
that way it might be possible to conclude the
whole discussions before the term when the
Members are to retire. Not even in reference
t, the Money Bill for Building repairs IS a
Committee requisite this year; for the amounts
proposed are very small after d~eduolog
the $500 for unforeseen purposes, the WnoIe
estimate does not amount to more than SI40l'
P4rhaps two or three of those items could be
r4dnotd but that might be- done without q
Committee; for Instance, the repairs to FIRE.
dpriksted's Hospital and the C%ustomhouse etc.
might be investigated by Members from that
Jurisdiction, and if necessary amendments
introduced.
1st Member for Frederiksted's Country Dis
trict (~Fgemng) would like to know if ever
anv Blu lget mad been adopted by the Council
without being previously treated IN a commit
tee. This Draft of Budget deserves the same
interest and consideration as any former one,
and he should think it would not look we'll to
pass it Without that. If the approaching va
cancips could interfere with the matter, it
would be better to postpone the discussions
until afterwards.
The Chairman strongly recommended The
Council not to depart from the old practice
of referring the Budget and the Money Bills
TO a Committee for consideration, not in order
that such a Committee, as would seem to be
the meaning of the End Member for Frederiksted
,n,LauA Shnnl1 antar into 0upStiOnS of adminiS-