, 1877-11-28

4, Propesal from the Minority of the Budget
Committee [Sarauw that the Coupcil should
resolve TO recommend to the Superior Autho-
rity to take further steps to reduce the ex PEN
diture.
fses Report from Committee p....
1st Member Frederiksted's (Sarauw) bad
introduced this proposal for q resolution OF the
Council on . former occasion when the Budget
was under discussion; the reason why be had
brought It forward again, vas that whatever
the Governor bad dcne to retrench the public
expenditure. there will be no balance 10 thia
budget. which was not to be expected. and
none either ia future budgets. He had in
one OF the last meetings ststed what the
deficiencies in the public accounts for 3 years
had amounted to; but 90 those years were
very unfavourable. he would now s;ats the
results for 9 years; he should have liked to
have given them for 10 years. but at present
had not the materials ready. The average
income for the 3 years 1e6S-69-lS70-7l was
Sic. l3S. the average expenditure S1S2, SOC;
or an average dedcit Of S12, 1867 The two
years l67l-Y2 and 1928 gave an average
income Of el93,550 and an average expendi.
tuss el7l 400. or average surplus Of 22,35O.
Thep came 1874. 1876. fhewing deficits
Of respectively SIG 700. So. 900 an S3e, zoo;
or an average Income of $13S.(33 and gu
average expenditure of $l7l,467. leaving 10
all an average def ,iency Of $50. asa. OF these
8 years, 2 have given a surplus Of S44. 700, the
other six Q total deficiency Of $l37, AO0; or q
FINAL total deficit of $o2.Y0O If We ada the
deficits Of the 2 last years, which be did not
think could be below $4,000, it would be
seen that there 10 q very considerable deficit.
There hsd often been spoken of The reductions
made in the exI enditure, 1t will be o en-, if We
compare the average expenditure for the y
6rstnamed years $l62.5.O With the average
expenditure in the ; last years he two inter-
vening years gave q surplus OF $AA.700l viz.
$l7l, 1863, that the average expenditure has
been brought down with $4,000. These
figures do not include the capital lent OUT on
bureau or the interest gained thereby. 1t IL
quite evident that 1t is not q satisfactory state
VI things TO be going on With this expense,
make further r-trenchments Of expenditure.
Tho OUunCii or Individual Members coLId MOI
take steps to that edeot it 10 the Government
WHO nlust propose.
The Prtsidens: The present motion might,
IN The form 1t 10 brought forward, De consider
ed as concerning the internal affairs Of the
Council itself. it being only a proposal that
the Council would resolve to BONE forward With
CdoN D represent AltOns 9nO lU 80 Tar IL Mlknk
perhaps be considered not proper for bin. tire
President, TO take the word on the matter
he hoped. however, that tho Council would
not take objections to his entering on thu mat
ter. The most essential objection to The prOpo-
sas had been made by the honorable Chairman
last meeting. namely that it is not specially stat
ed where the reduotiors could he effected. A
rsoposal made in such general terms might
with justice be- called a vague proposal. In
every advice the Council gives on the subject
II should be able to point out where The fur.
thsTgoing reductions oan be effeeted. otherwise
- would bs I. no use 10 the Administration.
Now. 40 regards the statistical data furnished
To-day BY the honorable Member for Frederic.
sted lSarauwI. they ~coatain nothing new to
the Council We are all aware o. the bane-
tl effects of the last G years to tn 9 coloiy
and be must. at the risk Of being considered;
t'rssome. again recall what on previous o.
casloas has been sisted. The expenditure Of
ths lslaad bas been considerably redu led be.
fore 1868 aud since i: that We -af-km,w ; but IL
the revenues have not remained as they were
before. the difference arising between the
expenditure and iucoms 10 easily sccounted
fori tbs diminished revenue is owing TO d..
unfinished cropsI not only ia The impor.d duty
and absentee tag effected thereby. but. as We
oil know. bad crops exercise an unfavourable
sfoet on the whole prosperity of the Island.
and Eany sources of the public revenue not
open to ordinary view are sensihly decreased.
No one can with certainty fOrstell wha. the
III =