, 1888-05-05
? R 0 G E E D | N G S
OLE TEEE
COLONIAL COUNCIL
ST. CROIX,
Conclusion Of meeting Of l6 April 1887


would, with reference to the sum proposed
for resurveying the town of Ohr%istiansted,
beg to saNthat in former years, say for Oh or
6OYears up to very recently, it was sufficient
for having a bill of sale recorded, to have q
simple annexation from theSurvey0r showing
that no alteration since the previous trans
fer of the property, had taken place in the
size of property; such an annexation cost
81 or 50, according as the value of the pro-
perty was 300 or upwards, later, namely
N 1885, some new Instructions were given
by the Government, by which it is made
imperative, before any bill Of sale can be
recorded, that it shall be accompanied by
q measurebrief, and for such a measure
brief the cost is 81, if a measurement OF
the lot is made, or at the very lowest So
consequently we nave to pay from double
to four times as much as previously; pat
more than that, the new meaSureOrlet TO-
gether with bound posts may cost even as
much as SO, and he knew of instances
where small properties had been sold tor
about $36, and were the parties had 10
pay upwards of 81 to the Surveyor, before
the bill of sale could be considered fit for
recording. Now, the general r9-Suryey,
for which the Council is asked to grant
$1,000 as payment to the Surveyor, Will
most probably not be completed before the
lapse of 2 years; it would seem but fair
and natural, that bills of sale produced
during that time should be treated as
formerly and a simple annexation be taken
to be sufficient; and he would beg to pro.
pose such an arrangement for the cOnsldo-
ration of the honorable Government.
The Governor said, that when bills OF
sale are recorded there are certain legal
rr,Ioo RI ho fllnWa1 which hQVn fhA FAVpA
of law; it is impossible for the Govern
ment to exempt any one from these rules;
the use of measure briefs had gone out OF
existence by practice, and the result is
that the books OflOts i'll the own are III
dreadful disorder. To remedy that it has
become necessary to make a general resur-
vey ut public expense. Some Of the money
has been voted for this purpose at the
same time it is necessary TO enforce the
law so that people may know what they
buy or sell. He WAS sorry he could not
meet the wish expressed, which Is ImpOS-
sible.
3rd Momberf for ChriStianSted i~St0kemGnn)
remarked that the rule alluded to had not
been followed for 5000 years his idea
was, that this long practice could be allow
ed to continue for 2 years more during the
time that will be spent in making the
general survey after that survey, then a
copy of the protocol will answer for re-
cOrdlng purposes.
The Governor replied that it is only when
the protocol contains no measure brief, and
a measure brief is required, that a survey
has TO be made, and the charges mentioned
by the honorable Member are made when
a copy of the protocol contains a meaSu
brief the costs are less.
3rd Member for Christiansted (StakemGnn)
would beg to say that if the protocols
are defective or wrong, it is the fault Of
the public surveyors, it would therefore be
hard to impose a heavy pecuniary burthen
on private individuals to rectify those de-
fects. The consequence will be that bills
of sales will not be recorded and the public
registers will then also become incomplete,
the Colonial Treasury will also be the
loser.
The Governor: The disorder crept in
just because the law had not been ob.
served; when disorders of this kind are
discovered, then they must be remedied
he could find no reason why we should
continue q disorder from the considerations
advanced. The disorder has been too
great and has led to frequent enquiries
from ~revisors at home in question Of pub
lie taxation. The loss from absence of
recording fees, the Treasury must take.
He thought he had said sufficient to ex-
plain why it wa not possible to do any
thipU in thn 1irnctiOu alludpd tO