, 1882-03-25

many ties but it was a great comfort to
him when now about to leave, to see the
Island in such a fOuriShing condition,
better than for a long time. No one was
more than he aware of his shortcomings
and mistakes, and he also felt he was not
deserving of half of the praise bestowed
on him by the honorable Vicechairman
but he would again beg to thank for the
good wishes expressed. 1t only remain
ed for him to ask the Council to exempt
him as a Member, on account of his APP
preaching departure.
The Council consented tacitly to the
withdrawal of End Member for Christian
stel.
The Council next proceeded TO
3, Continuation Of LIST Discussion on Draft
of Ordinance prohibiting the Sale Of Rum
on Sugar Estates in st. Croiv introduced
by Junghans, Willard, wilson, Coulter)
(see former part of discussion p.)
The Committee had rendered its report
as follows
The undersigned Committee, appointed
by the Colonial Council in meeting of 9th
January a. G., has the honour to submit
the following Report on the Draft,
now before the Council, of San Ordinance
prohibiting the sale Of Rum on Sugar
Estates in st. CrOiX and modifying the
VI -1IAI lotO OIAOCIh 4
ing Sale of Spirits etc.
The Committee has divided itself in a
Majority wiz: Coulter, Lemming, Wassard,
Willard), and a Minority Brown.
The Ugoriy admits fully the Importance
of having some measures effected to pre-
vent the abuses that are occasioned by the
covert trade with Rum, now carried on to
no inconSiderable extent on estates, the
article being mostly sold to rural lab0urers
by the "snaps," for immediate consump-
ton on the spot, or in small quantities.
The sale OF Rum by the drink, is decidedly
quite at variance with the existing laws
but it appears that it has not been posi-
bile hitherto to get a right hold Of instances
Of such illegal trade, which, from what
has been stated, is carried on to a very
great extent, especially in the latter years.
The Draft now before the Council has for
its object to restrict this evil by the propO-
sal embodied therein, that Rum shall not
be sold by eState-prOprietOrS or by other
manufacturers thereof, in smaller quanti-
ties than 100 gallons, except where it is
sold to merchants, retailers or rumshop-
keepers in the towns. The Committee has
also received a memorial, addressed to
the Committee, from the greater number
of estate prOpriCtOrS in the Island, the
plurality OF whom suggest that it should be
enacted that Rum shall not be sold at all
by manufacturers thereof, except to mer-
chants, traders etc. i'll town while a few
of the Signers of that memorial merely
wish to see a restriction given to the effect
that manufacturers of rum shall NOT sell
the article in smaller quantities than
100 gallons.
The Majority of this Committee is,
however, unable to concur in the view,
that the illegal trade alluded to, and which
consists principally in rural labourers
selling rum by the drink to other labour-
ers, would to any material extent be res
tricted or prevented by the measure pro
posed. AS long as it is allowable for
traders in town to sell rum in quantities of
5 gallOns-and of introducing any further
restriction in this respect, there could not
well be any q~ueStion,-it will always be
an easy thing for those engaged in the
above named illegal business, to procure
from the towns the necessary supply of
rum for retailing by the drink to others on
estates. But to impose on the manufac-
turers of Rum a restriction, so very rigid
as that proposed, in the free right they
possess to dispose of their produce, when
the object aimed at can nevertheless not
be achieved, must,-so it seems to
disappear to every one to be quite
inadvisable. On the other hand the
Majority thinks that it can meet the wish
expressed by the plurality of estate-pro-
prietors, thus far, that the Majority recon-
mends that manufacturers of rum shall be
subject to the same limit as that already