, 1888-02-29

grounds he had framed the amendments
now introduced, and he hoped the Council
will pass them, as the measure will most
certainly be for the benefit of the Island,
When The different amendments come under
discussion, he would beg to offer some
further remarks, but he would now recon.
mend the Draft and amendments.
The Chairman placed 2 with amend
ments thereto under discussion.
The Governor in recommending this
amendment would add, that when framing
it he had overlooked that it will be requi-
site in the 3rd clause of s 2 to strike out
the words Sin the tOwnS........ .....in
the country" which he proposed as a sub,
amendment. The reason is that there is
no district poor physician i'll the Country
District, only a public physician, which is
already mentioned.
3rd Member for Frederiksted'S Country
District (HeUit1 would in reference to the
amendment and the remarks attached
thereto beg to say that he was sorry that
the Government, when proposing this
amendment to a Draft which it is NOW
goes in a direction contrary to the wishes
of the community, did not come forward
with something more definite namely SO,
that if the staff of physicians is to perform
corpse inspection, then the Government
SllOllll udN6 dSItCu upOI ~ SUlpuldlcu ICEJ
so that physicians should not charge
exorbitant fees. He for his part was not
in favour Of the original Draft, nor of the
amendment, and he did not feel himself at
liberty to vote for either. 1t is a cOnviC-
ton held by most intelligent men here that
it is not necessary to have cOrpse-inSpec-
ton. When a Member of any family is
taken i'll the best medical skill will have
been employed to save from death, and
the medical man so employed will be called
on to certify the cause OF death; and as for
Estates, it is well known that almost all
of them have employed doctors, who in
cases of death will inspect the corpse and
furnish certificate. The Draft is looked
upon as being solely a means of raising
additional enO.umrnt> for the physicians;
the few physicians here should be satisfied
an they have it now, and they should not
be the cause of additional expense.
Tne Governor: With regard TO the
objection made by 3rd Member fer Frede-
riksted'S Country District (Hewi t. on the
absence of final agreements with the ply
sicians on this head, he would say, that he
never considered that of any Importance;
but when he said he had good hopes that
moderate terms will be secured, then he
felt sure that it would be so. From the
amendment to 5 s it will be noticed that
travelling expenses to physicians for corpse
inspection outside the towns or suburbs
are 10 be paid according IT, agreement with
the surviving relations, or with the Public,
when the physician is called by the Police
master. In those cases where the public
treasury has to pay the expense, the
Colonial Council will have an opportunity
to Judge whether the amounts are too
high, as the amounts will be entered
in the Money Bills, which will be for
the vote Of the Council; he hoped that
the Council will inl the terms moderate,
when they are submitted. The honorable
Member (Hewit0 is opposed to the Draft,
because it will be the means of procuring
extra emoluments for Doctors; but as
regards The travelling expenses, it is
expressly said they shall be fixed by
agreement; and as regards the small fee
of 81 or even 80 cents, it could not be
called exorbitant, seeing hat the inSpec-
ton is a disagreeable task, one which the
planters etc. in the Island would not, from
that reason, nave imposed on themselves
but if you put a disagreeable task on
others, then certainly you must pay some.
thing to those who perform it.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (Heo0itD said just that very cir
cumstance, that the question is to be left
t. agreement between physicians and the
uortiaS onnoarnpd is what he Ohiactad tO