, 1877-05-16

The Council agreed unanimously with
ID votes to refer the Draft with Money
Bills to a Committee of S Members.
Alter a respite of IS minutes, the election
OF Members of the Committee was made,
and elected were; Sarauw, Lemming,
Coulter, Rosenstand and Fabef.
The President then made a Communi.
cation to the Council within closed doors ;
and the meeting was Closed at Al o'clock.
The weather, though promising rain the
last few days, still continues dry. The
few showers that have fallen in the past
two months have been very partial, being
limited in March to the estates stretching
from St. Johns over to Lebanon Hill and
La Val ee, and 10 April to a line running
through the middle of the island. The
consequence has been that while the dis
tricts indicated look green enough, the
grass Is entirely parched up in the Eastern
end Of the island, in the neighbourhoodsot
Basin, aud along parts of the South side.
We are glad to report however that the
young plant canes everywhere look strong
and green, and there is at present 90 cause
Of anxiety On this score; while the dry
weather has been very favorable to the
gathering iN OF the present crop such rs it
ia. The serious fact in regard to the rain
fall IatterIy is its small amount as compat-
ed with the average Of the past 25 years.
As stated by Dr.. Neumann ia his monthly
reports, it was only 104 lines ia March
against an average Of I64, and only 1919
lines in April against an average Of 205.
The tables Of rainfall which have been
kept for 20 years past unfortunately show
that there has been an almost regular
decline in the amount of rain falling year
by year, or at least the good years have
been much fewer, while the bad years have
been unusually bad.
There is at present no sign of Q change for
the better, though OF course it is impossible
to %foresee what improvement may come,
even in the present year, and we certainly
have no ground for assuming that the dry
weather will continue. One thing how
ever is plain, which is, that orr planters
Caanot expect to escape from the Difficult.
ty Of dealing with these frequent recurring
d~fOughts. In conversation the other day
we said, 'the Planters must study TO fght
the droughts" to which it was replied
lntb HuCNAO ~ NV ~ &c JOHSHt !" lhsuVA
we are to seek to understand her, AID to
use her laws to oar advantage. This is
no doubt the right view of the case, but
to do this requires such vigorous effort and
50 much perseverance, that we goay wei
compare the undertaking to y fight. We
express the true direction Of the contest
when we say that what we fight against
is not nature, but our own ignorance or
conceit Or incidence. The effort however
must BE- made; Or i. already made, as ne
doubt many will pIeal, then it must be
increased. Prospects are not altogether
gloomy for Santa Cruz, Notwithstanding
the small crop and the dry weather; as
we have already said, the dry weather CT
the present year mas not yet done US any
harm and if we have a short crop, there
is some consolation in getting very hand.
some prices for it: we have heard of
several large sales at SIS per 100 BIS, and
the prospect is that this price will be
main aineI 5htougholt the year, and per-
haps couslJe ably decreased.
The work of building the Central Facto-