, 1876-02-19

out being vaccinated. And what may not the
danger be to the whole community, not only
to the children themselves, if they should De
allowed to go about without being vac
cinated, exposed to the infectious disease :
He was not 80 versed in administrative mat
ters. as to be able to decide what measures
Shout be adopted to secure the desired OBJ.
iect, if the Administration should take his view
and adopt the earlier term for compulsory
vaccination but he did not think it would be
attended with more or greater difficulty man
under the Draft. He could not think it ad'
visable to allow the present custom OF early
vaccination to be overthrown, without as
least establishing something really effective ID
its stead therefore he would 10
the Councils serious consideration and Wou'd
suggest to the Government if it would nos Dc
advisable to alter the provisions OF the DFaEt
in the way proposed by him.
The President did not believe that the
present system would be at all affected by the
new law. He supposed the honorable Mem.
Der had chiefly in view the children on Estates
who are at present presented for vaccination
at an earlier date than that proposed IN the
Draft; but this will go on as before; the
Kingsphysioian will, as hitherto, see that
children from all Estates are brought for
vaccination as usual, when be yearly likes
certain time for it. But the reason why 1t has
not been proposed to make it a general law
that all children must be brought for Vacclna'
ton, at an earlier age, particularly that propos"
ed in the amendment No. l, is because 1t would
be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
establish any control with the Observance OF
the law. 1t is now proposed that the con-
troll should commence at the age for oompul.
sorv school attendance he must, of COURSE
admit, that we meet there a weak point
compulsory school attendance not being car
ried out at present, so that the control will not
be quite perfect. Still, on the other hand, it
would be extremely difficult to find out, betore
that period, children that are not vaccinated.
3rd Member for Christiansted (Hanso1I
felt sure that at present vaccination
could be carried out az usual; but it may
not always be so. Under the existing
Labour-R Regulations the estate-labourers are
under the control of the managers IN this res
poet as we'll as in others but IN case those
Regulations be altered or abolished, that
would not be the case any longer; and as
many persons look on vaccination as an evil.
they will of course avail themselves of the
law and refuse having their children vaccine
ted before they arrive at 6 years of age. AS
for the control, he could not see it would be
more difficult to control this matter than the
control of births; according to existing regu-
%lations, all births are within Ia days to be re-
ported to the Police Office it would not be
difficult by an additional rubrio to control the
vaccination Of all children reported born in
town and country.
The President, while ready to admit the
force of the objections made by the honorable
Speaker, could not overlook the difficulty in
exercising the control. Births are certainly to
be reported within a certain number of days,
but it would be necessary constantly to have
lists prepared showing what children have
arrived at / year of age, and where they are
to be found. Still, the thing is not impossible.
He would now beg to cal attention to the
amendments No. & 4 proposed by the
Government, which he supposed would not
give rise to any objection; the alterations had
been touched On at the first discussion, aud they
had also been recommended by the Committee.
on this Draft 10 St. Thomas Colonial Council.
1st Member for Frederiksted (Saranw)
could not agree to the honorable Srd Member
for Christiansted (Hanson's) amendment sub
No. l firstly, because we have here a law Of
Denmark that is to be extended to the colonies,
and it is advisable not to make more changes
in the law than are necessary the age when
compulsory vaccination is to ommenc has
already by the Draft been changed to 6 years
instead Of z 10 the Law of 1871; but chiefly
because he could never recommend that chill
dren under l year, or sucking infants, should
be compelled to be vaccinated, and if the law
or this draft had proposed | year as the term,
l0 uDO,,fd nopRoT1l- bc-o o~n-ooaJ - A.-1