, 1885-10-17

finally the circumstance that in most
cases the contract breakers go un-punish-
ed for shorter or longer time, cannot but
act most unfavourably upon the labour-re-
~lations, as no planter can be certain that
he at any given time, more particularly
during crop-time, will have at his disposal
the labOur-force which the necessary and
regular cultivation of the estate requires.
Under these circumstances it is not
strange if the state of things which has
grown up by degrees is unsatisfactory to
all parties. The employers feel the dis
advantages most keenly, the labourers feel
them of course less, aud may even, per-
haps, be pretty we'll content; yet it cannot
be doubted that better ordered relations
would be to their advantage, and i'll course
of time be recognized by them as a boon;
as to the Administration, it cannot but
with anxiety see how the labOurlng pOpu'
latiOn under the present system Is altOge-
ther unable to conserve and recruit itself,
and for that very reason decreases moro
and more. The planters see their only
means of salvation i'll an altered Labour-
Ordinance in connection with the securing
of q sufficient supply OF laDourerS from
elSewhere-tO the Government IT Is indeed
clear that a satisfactory regulation OF the
ADMINISTRATIONS can never be provided by
the sole means of an ordinance, and that
importation of foreign labOurerS IS a costly
and unsatisfactory way OF keeping up the
labOuring population; but as the Masters
and Servants ordinance OF 9th October
1879 is admitted to be defective i'll different
regards, and as, at all events, the imprOv-
ment of it can only do good, Government
has thought it ought, amongst other
things, to act upOn the Councils wish to
defer no longer Il revision OF the Sald
ordinance; at the same time Government,
admitting that importation OF foreign
labOurers to St. CrOiX cannot, perhaps, as
vet be dispensed with, has considered it
correct that, eventually i'll a new ordinance,
special enactments should be provided for
the case of immigrants, who Ill dl1eretC
respects must necessarily be placed
differently from labOurers born Ill the
Island.
Government has, however, made the
revision contingent on a condition: that
the revision shall not be used rs u means
of restricting the labOurerS liberty accord
ing to aw.
On the grounds thus stated, Government
under date of the 9th August 1888 lhStruc'
ted the then existing Presidency to cause
the appointment of Il Commission to mike
report concerning revision OF the Masters
and Servants ordinance Of oath October
1879 in respect to st. CrOiX, consisting OF
Chlot Justice T.. VI. AnucFScn DIS CHtiLuitHJ
Landphysicus DR.. Med. 2. + Ktlmr;
acting judged. Duus, Upper Court lawyer
C.S. WasSard, acting Chief Road Inspector,
Planter +. Raphael, Planter and merchant
j. w. Willard, and Planter j. Wilson.
Said Commission has under date OF End
September 1884 sent in the appended
report accompanied by draft OF ordinance
concerning rural labOurerS IN st. CcOlX,
with remarks thereto offered.
Government can III the most essential
points accede to the said draft and to thu
grounds set forth in the R9mlrkS to the
draft, and has accordingly framed tho
draft of ordinance concerning country
labourers in st. CrOix which is hereby
submitted to the Council. TIL draft is,
with exception of certain points which are
hereunder accounted for i'll detail, i'll per.
feet accordance with the draft framed by
the Commission, hence Government pro
poses to comment only on those 5 5 IN
which there is any deviation from the
Commission's draft, and in regard to the
other s s to make reference to the motives
set forth by the Commission.
Hence the following observations are
offered to the respective s 5:
ad s 1 identical with the Commissions
draft.
a4s2. In this s, which otherwise fol-
lows the text of the COMMISSIONS draft,