, 1885-09-23

stances be Nlgllallt enough TO prevent, tr
TO detect such abuses; nor is there the
least probable means of successfully in.
surfing the observance of an enactment
like that in ) l, that articles offered for
sale i'll such shops, must be bought only
from authorized traders in town; there
can never be any prohibition against
importing, and certainly it battles al
reasonable reflections how a planter, who
for instance is a large direct importer him
self, can be kept from selling his own
lmpOrtatlOnS, not to say anything of the
instances where a large number of estates
is in one hand, either as the owner or the
administrator thereof. Then again if a
proprietor establish a shop supplied with
the principal articles of food required for
the use of the labourers i'll his employment
and give them free liberty to resort to it or
not, as they please. it might perhaps do
them no harm, even if it would scarcely
render them any material service or be
much appreciated by them; but under
this proposal of the Majority, it would
seem that labOurerS are to purchase from
their employer and from him only.
1t labourers are to be prevented from going
to purchase where they consider themselves
best served, they would almost cease to
be free agents. Further, the estate pro
prietor having such a shop, would have
means, which, SuppOSing he was inclined
10 use them, are not possessed by any
ordinary ShOpkeeper as regards his GUS
toners the labOurerS must buy there. and
no where else III the country if not, the
shop could not exist and even surprising
that dISlltereStedneSS which at times is a
great oeal more than can be nationally
expected, it is obvious indeed, that the
possibility is great of falling into tempta-
ton to follow a system under which
labourerS III the employment of estate
proprIetorS keeping shops would either get
their wages accounted for to them bv sup.
plies OF goods from such shops Cat prices
fixed by the planters themselves without
receiving any money or else get this
money with Il taclt or express understand.
ing that they are to resort to the shops of
their employers for such articles as they
are furnished with.
The existing rule, that the PolicemaSters
have authority to issue passes to carry
about bread, fish, salt-pork and candles
for sale in the country districts, ought in
the opinion Of the Minority to be main
tanned.
The Minority therefore recommends that
this whole matter be left as it is,
and that no legislative action be taken
therein.
IL. The Draft OF Ordinance concerning
the trade in, and sale Of Rum and
other distilled strong liquors in st.
Croix.
The Committee recommends the Draft as
a whole Tor adoption 10y the Council, but
with the aforementioned amendments:-
dd \ 4.
We propose that the first part Of this s
be altered to read as follows:
cit is forbidden Planters and others, who
manufacture Rum, except with per-
mission thereto in each individual
case from the Policemaster, to dis
pose ETC."
This amendment is proposed at the sug-
geStlon of the Government in order to
make it possible to dispose of the article in
small quantities, where no abuse can arise
from it.
dd s 6.
We propose that this $ be wOrded as
follows:
A license to keep a Rumshop gives also
the right to keep Il PubIic-house.
Otherwise a special license is re-
quiSlte for keeping a Public house,
which, however, gives no right to
retail Rum by the drink.
1t is considered unnecessary to define
what is to be understood by a license to
keep Il Public-houSe.
ad Z.
We propose that the last part of this