, 1876-12-20

Uk WA w VIA SA0&k ~ y 20 ~
peTly. He has explained this over and oveE
20 the members Of the Committee aud he bad
been told thas civilians cannot appreciate OF
entsr into such purely military viswsj buss
then, il this is the case, he could but leave
il 30 che Council 20 decide for themselves
whieh view is che best TO follow.
With regard, next, 20 the suggestion from
She Committee about the discharge OF She due
ties IS Tide,Waitefs aud Mail-O osch. Drivers,
his objection sgsinst the Military continuing
10 discharge shs duties is not only because
the already limited number of men would be
reduced further than bo considered advisable
or desirable, but also this, THAI while we are
obliged to curtail the public expenses, W. should
nos lose sight Of the duty We owe the public
and ourselves to endesvour TO introduce
improvements in the several public branches,
and he must decidedly consider il an i'm.
provement not % employ soldiers as Tide.
Walters, or Mail Coach Drivers On She minds
of the public here and of strangers it makes
no good impression to have soldiers to ex.
anime the luggage, aud IS regards the sol.
diers themselves, ii is not Just to put them
90 such service, for when they commit them.
solves IN this service, they are sentenced by
sourt-martial and punished according TO mill.
taTy Flaws the Government cannot ignore
ihis. Aud as for she Customhouse Depart
msnt, a change in tho present system is and
must be made the condition for tho withdraw
al Of ! comptroller each place the Govern.
mous must De able TO secure 10 the Collectors
Assistants permanently employs d, instead Of
the temporary appointment of soldiers, if 3 comp-
troliers shall not b5 nesded. As fer she Mall
C0lches, he was st q loss % understand why
It is considered so desirable shst they be
driven as hitherto by militAry. If the sx-
pon8e with the present system oould be made
up altogether, it would no doubt be seen that It
amounts to the samo as would be caused by
civilians He wEs sure, sven if in tho com
mencomont we would have to pay 81. 200 anuu-
ally as subsidy for the conveyance Of the msils
botwoon this place and Frsderiksted, il would
not last long before the business would become
a paying one, by combining the conveyance of
persons at a moderate charge with that Of the
mails now q single person must pay IS for
conveyance from the one place to the other, q
charge which persons from al think exceed
iugly strange aud eXorbitaut. But, as stated
in the remarks to the Governmont's Draft, the
change will not be carried oUt ct once, but by
degrees therefore as long as it isa real and
necessary saving to the Colonial Treasury and
as long as the military interests will permit that
soldiers act as Tido-Waiters, no change will take
place, but it must be left entirely TO the 1iscre.
tilnary authority Of the Governor to doodle in
thos, q~lostions. There might be causes aud
discip nary circumstances which at times must
dioGRte to tho Governor not TO allow the SOL
diers to render OWL service. He would, there.
fore, not make it q poins at the present moment
TO elfry out a change at the Customhouse, but
with the express Fesorvationj that Che Cover.
nor has tho right 10 order the military mon
from the Cu8tomhousa service at any timo, even
without the consent Of the Council when, Of
course, the Colonial Treasury must pay Whist
is necessary, according to 60 Of the Colonial
Law
AS regards the proposed alterations Of Gho
Fort in ChristiaDsted and an abandonment
Of the barracks, this has been made a sondi~
ton In order to have the military force in
onel place, which Is TO be done both With
the view Of saving, and that Of carrying ous
proper discipline; the better discipline we
have, the less the number Of men, will be
required, and It cannot be denied that the
expenses will be less whom the meniaPs 10.
Gated in one building, hence, bo could ,uot
understand how the Committee could come TO
tho result that the change would involve
increased expense. The barraOk is 30 large
q building that the mere daily attendance
inours a heavy expense, and 20 one in pri.
yate life would hire a house 2 10 8 times
larger than necessary. The attendance alone
costs now about $1,000 p. =. the alterations
OF the Fort has been estimated 70 SIS, 1000,
interest on this sum 6 per cont. would not
amount to more than 5000, besides that, there
are many other items causing considerable ex~