, 1884-08-16
missed to submit such rules to the Council

1n0 Nv Go AL y - A~N~ 0Af an
had had a conference with the Committee
and he had then stated that h. would pre-.
fer the amendment from the Minority
purporting that driving on the Quarter
lines required the consent of the Govern
ment, and on the private lines, the consent
of the respective owners; he considered
this more acceptable than the amendment
from the Majority he would prefer to have
certain rules than not to have such rules
at adj. In so far as a special Minority had
observed that prohibition against driving
on the Quarterlines would cause serious
Inconvenience to the rural classes, he
would beg to point out that it was exactly
therefore his wish, that Government should
have the power of giving permission for
driving on these lines.
4th Member for ChriStiansted'S Country
District fRaphaell would like TO know what
right labourerS have to drive on the quar-
ter lines; planters have the obligation to
keep up and attend to them, while the la
bourers pay no taxes whatever. Estate
owners, who pay heavy tareS, have also to
repair the general public roads, at the same
time they are required to keep opeu the
lines, the labourerS can travel on them rs
they like this he considered a great iu-
justice to the planting population.
The Governor said the use of those lines
can not he stopped, as the parties have q
right to use them.
4th Member for ChristianSted'S Country
District Raphael had hitherto understood
that it could not be said that any one had
such a right to use those quarter lines and
estate-lineS.
2nd Member for Ohristiansted LpmmingI
said he believed that the honorable Mem
Der could easily have answered himself;
for, the labourers pay by their work, which
is essential to planters and which these
latter like to get. He for his part prefer
red the amendment from the Minority as by
it something certain was gained and eS-
pecially also because with the MajOrity'S
amendment, with the proposed alterations
to(s9 and 10, it would be natural to infer
that this was a tacit way to recognize that
all other traffic on them was allowed.
The Speaker had understood the honour
able 2nd Member for Christiansted (Lem-
ming) to have said that he lemmingI pre-
ferred s ! 9 and 10 unaltered, because
when the additional clause proposed by
the Committee be embodied in those sec
tons, it would he natural to infer that all
other traffic on the roads is allowed but
to that he 1.-THE Speaker) would say that
there need not be any fears Of such infer
ence being made: since II, 1st part, pro
vides that every peaceable wayfarer is al
lowed to travel unhindtred on the public
roads, driving, riding or on foot THIS rule
being restricted to the public roads, is not
valid with regard to the quarter lines and
private roads of communication and COnSe-
quently the tratfic ON these is according to
{ 3 of the Road Ordinance only allowed
where it has taken place from Olden times
and to the same extent as hitherto. When
the same honorable Member said be pre-
ferred the Minolity'S proposal because it
afforded greater certainty, he (the Speakerl
could not see how that proposal could af.
ford any certainty at all, for, the provision
it involves goes beyond the authority given
by the Road Ordinance for the scope Of
these Regulations, and, hence, the c0nSe-
queuce would be that if questions of their
validity in this respect came before the
Courts, the rule would not be considered
valid, it being at variance with the Road
Ordinance. The Majority has just from
this view considered it best thar the matter
remains as it has hitherto been and this
is but natural, for if we could, as already
mentioned, not arrive at Il more faal re-
suit i'll the Ordinance itself, we can not eX-
psct to come further now in these Regula-
tons.
End Member for ChristianSted (Willard
said that during the whole discussion it
had been his opinion that the use of the
private roads thOuld be entirely under the
control of estates in regard to the quarter