, 1889-12-28

The Committee thinks that it would not be-
Oxpedient to increase taxation +: in refeE-
eDce thereto His Excellency spoke of In
come Tax, and Tax on Lotteries; it must
be on foreign: lotteries; and as for the In.
come take it.. would not be easy at all to
raise that tax. and whatever che trade with f..
foreign lotteries might likely frave yielded.
in former times, it is pretty sure, that no.
thing OF any consequence could possibly
be gained byJa tax Oh that business as it is
.nGw-a-Aavs, as it is we'll known that the
sale,Of lottery tickets, has decreased very
much. Whether it is possible to have %
tax on Rum, or not, is a poiBt on which ne
would not pass any judgment.-His Ex-
Gellency4bad stated that if Che Oommittee's
proposal were accepted, the municipality
would be enriched at the expense> of the
State; he (the Speaker) did not believe
that that would be, 50; but any how the
Committee had provided for tire possibility
OF that, by suggesting that the arrange
ment could be made for a limited time, say
5 or 10 years, and after the lapse of that.
time @ revision could be made: if any. sur
plus should shew itself on the accounts the
Home Government would then decide what
is to be done with it. But the Committee
must disclaim any intention OF trying to en-
rich this community at the expense Of the .
State-treaSury; we merely aimed at plac-
ing the comm unity in q financial position,
where there could be q safe footing, par
tlcula1iy in. view Of His ExcellenUy'S
declaration. that when the proposed inan:
cal settlement be made, the colony must
stand on its own feet and cannot expect
help from the Mother country. 1t must
not be forgotten that the expenses uAlSt
necessarily incrt aSe, especially under tho
itemes enumerated by the committee. XHe
only way III which a proposal for a change
could be safely and advisably accepted is,
If the municipality we're to be rid Of the
Military Expenses and Military Pensions
and also the Governors salary and such
Other items OF the public expenditure
which are elsewhere borne by the States
possessing colonies.
3rd Member for FHederiksted Country
District CHet0itO AS the 1st Discussion
ON this Draft is still open, he would now
make some general remarks on this Draft,
aud firstly then on the purpOrt and nature
of the Draft. The first point of this pro.
pOsal is thai the Statetreasury shall take
over expenses hitherto paddy the colony,
to an amount of $l36,857, Or $40, 700. in
excess Of what the Treasury will get kl
revenue from the colony. The next point
is that the Colonial Treagury's debt to the
Statetreasury is to be remitred. And
S"Oh C60lh Gu6U AGAO SOHAluulIlbN BLNON
$4,000 p. a. Of some Of the principal and
only reliable revenues to be admfnistrated
by the Government, without the, Council
having any voice whatever as to how the
amount is expended. These are in them
selves alone very serious matters. But it
will furthermore be Noticed, that in re-
gard to the municipality, which is to be es-
tablished, there is nothing whatever, or at
least nothing definite, stated in this pro-
pbSal, only this, much, that the Council is
to give up the limited amount of legisla-
tive power, or rather consultative voice,
for in point of fact it was nothing more
that had been accorded or allowed to the
Council. And as reasons for. e~ffecting
such a change at this hour, when else
where we see greater powers being rea-
Oily conceded to public Bodies, it has
been stated that the ina1cial STATE of th3
island does not allow Of political indie
pendence being exercised. But such an
expression ought never to have como
from the Minister of Finances, as he it is
who has virtually had the full control OF
all the revenue and expense OF the colony,
and that has again proceeded from this
circumstance, that, as we have been
told, the Home Government has paid
the expenses of the colony. Well, Gen
tlemeD, we are told that the financial .
administration has failed; with a sum
on an average of $l86, 1855 actu-
ally received i'm taxes and DubIic duties.