, 1889-07-31

Commune! Acts for 1837.9S, and ., Of Dist
inst 10 according TO which at the
election held on the L21st inst Mr. E.
Svi tier had been cleo Ell 3rd Member for
Christiansted's Country District Gnstead OF
Leevy) These two matters were on the
Order of Day.
Mr.. Svitzer was present and so also WAS
Mr.. Quin, whose patent had not been
examined in the last meeting.
Both patents were now handed in aud
Mr.. Lunny reported that they had been
examined and found in order.
AS both gentlemen had been Members
Of the Council previously, they were NOS
required to sign the oath anew; the
Chairman declared MpsSrs. Quin and
Svitzer entitled to seats and votes in the
Council.
The Council then proceeded to the
Order of Day.
~ Election of Members 10 revise the
Communal Accounts for 1887 So.
The result Of the election was that II
voting tickets wore handed ia; elected
were Stakemann with 8, Lemming (after
a new free e~Iection) with 7 votes.
49, Confirmation of 1St Discussion on
Draft Of Ordinance. concerning a tempo
rary modification of the Ordinance of l3
Febry 1873 for defrayment OF expenses
attending certain intrOductiOns of labOur.
ers into st. CrOiX.
The Committees Report reads as fellows:
THE Undersigned Committee, who in the
Colonial Councils meeting of 4th March
1889 were appointed to report on the Draft
of Ordinance concerning a temporary modih-
cation of the Ordinance of 18th February
1878, for defraying Of expenses attending
certain introduction of labourers into St.
Croix, beg leave to submit the following
report.
Your Committee find, that it caR give no
other rendering to 5 l, than that the planter
importing an Immigrant would still have TO
pay ! Of the immigration expenses of the
labourer at his introduction; but the s pro-
vides that he shall be free of any part OF the
expenses for the LIST and End year, whereas
the Ordinance of 18th February 1873 stipu-
lates that should the immigrant renew ms
contract after one years service either on
the Estate that be was first indentured, or on
any other, the party contracting him shall
for the End and Bird year each time pay /.
The apparent concession IN the hence
appears to your Committee to be but a renun-
citation Of a tax that it is found impossible to
realize, as it is Of the rarest occurrence in
late years that an immigrant ever enters into
a End or Bird years contract.
1. Yopr Committee recognize the necessity
intimated by Government of retrenchment in
the expenses of the administration consider
ing the disproportion existing between the
revenue and expenditure but annot other
wise than consider that it is not In the contri-
button from the Colonial Treasury to the
Immigrationfund, that such a retrenchment
should first be made, as all must admit, that
but for immigration the Agriculture Of this
Island would, ere this, have been a thing of
the past, and cannot refrain here from
bringing before the Councils notice the
enormous taxation contributed by landed
property both directly and indirectly, espe-'
clally in the large export duty which is still
continued to be levied, pressing particularly
heavy in the last number of years of low
prices for the staple of the Island.
2. Your Committee, considering the loss
the Island has sustained in the reaping OF the
present crop, just when the prospects were
more favourable than they have been during
several years, partly owing to the unusually
heavy rainfall, and also on account of INSULT
cient labour force, to reap the crop IN the
proper time, recommend that the best and
only proper way for investing the accumulat-
ed immigrationfund, is in foreign labour. in
dentured for 5 years, if the present area IN
cultivation is to be kept up. The supply OF
labour from the neighbouring Islands having