, 1888-09-05

CdLIIcu W Uu0 circuit VI 'HcSOEN6-E uHu3
and loaned to Planters, on Bureau Secu-
rites in the growing crops of their es"
tates. AS the Burgher Council was con-
stituted principally Of Planters, such gene
rally received the lions share of any such
loans; and, as this Institution was d very
influential body with respect to the NUM-
Clpal administration of the island, the Gov.
eminent doubtless felt diSinclined to veto
the proceedings thereof; consequently,
Government grants were always readily
obtained up to that time, to any final re-
solutions arrived at by the Burgher- COun-
Gil. 1t is, however, proper to add that,
any money thus voted Oh loan by this
Council and sanctioned by the Govern
ment was, in the majority of instances,
repaid, and with interest; the evil con.
sisted in the fact that the moneys originally
voted for the repairs of public buildings,
streets, bridges &c, were not so applied.
Consequently, such public buildings as the
Court Houses in both towns, the barracks
in this town &c, & c., were left to fall almost
into ruins and in one instance particularly,
viz, the Court House in this town, had
finally to be taken down in later years
from entire decay, as cost of repairing
same would then have been greater
than the cost for rebuilding; at the
sam time the cost of rebuilding it
could not then be conveniently met by the
Colonial TreaSury's means. Secretary van
BIakle therefore used all his influence Gn
the fall of the year 1861 with his Chief,
Governor Birch, as we'll az with certain
parties in the mother. country, to abstain III
future from SanctiOning loans from the
Land IreaSurY'S ReSprve.Fnnd for the puT-
pose Of conducting Sugar ESta ties, instead
of having such means applied to the pur-
,,n., g., ,rl;nl AI,~Tv lad ou;;,D1lv ~,
spectively, been granted sanctioning, how
ever, the right to private individuals to
grant loans and to accept Bureau right on
the growing crops OF the Sugar Estates.
1t was certainly against the p%ecuniary
interest OF this gentleman to use his inhu-
ence to abolish Bureau loans by the But
CHER Council, as he was entitled to a half
per cent. Of any such loans made 10y tho
Land Treasury.
BY a Royal Resolution in the year 1863,
any further Bureau loauS by the Land
Treasury, ceased.
This Royal decision doubtless caused the
Burghcr Council TO entertain the idea OF
having the control of our own financial
affairs, apart from that of he home Coy
eminent and which the selfish ambition
OF Lawyer IL. l.. ArneSen particularly, who
was at the time the principal ruling spirit
in the Burghcr Council OF this island, un.
fortunately succeeded in finally carrying
through, when, on lst April 1865, II Colo.
NAL law granted lis by His Majesty King
Frederick VII. in 1868, came IN full force;
and the Colonial Council vas established
with certain limited Legislative and financial
powers, III amy given instance to become
law after obtaining Royal sanction.
In the year 1862 this gentleman received
a Royal appointment, rs Secretary to the
Presidency Of st. Thomas (thiS island be-
ing at that time the seat Of ~Govprnmentl,
where he remained until the year 1873;
maintaining during his stay there a good
understanding between the Government
and the people. 1t was after his departure
from Saint Thomas that SO much Opp0Si.
ton to Government views of legislation
Showed itself, and which unfortunately is
lasting to the present time. Immediately
after the disasters caused by the hurricane
III 1871, he used his endeavOurS to obtain
subscriptions i'll money from the we'll TODD
classes, as also by money loans from the Co
vernment, to assist the poorer classes in re-
building or repairing their houses, which
had either been entirely destroyed, or bad
ly shattered, by the hurricane.
In the latter part of the year 1873, he
was again transferred to Saint CrOix as
Secretary to the Presidency here (the seat
Of Government having shortly before this
been established at Saint Thomas) and,